What does 504 gateway timeout mean?

ERROR pages that we see pop up on websites can be frustating and confusing.

Here we look at what exactly a 504 gateway timeout means…

What does 504 gateway timeout mean? 

A 504 gateway timeout means that your web servers aren’t communicating with each other fast enough.

When going on a website your server sends a request to another server – the upstream server – where that site is hosted.

The server is what requests and responds with whatever is needed to load the website.

So when the server does not receive a quick enough response from the upstream server, the website is unable to load.

This is when the message 504 Gateway Timeout Error comes up on your screen.

Why does the error appear? 

The notice 504 Gateway Timeout Errors does not pinpoint exactly what the problems between the servers were.

This means it is sometimes difficult to decipher why the message has appeared.

However, there are a few common possibilities.

Server Connectivity Issues

If a website’s server is down for maintenance it could display a 504 Gateway Timeout Error page.

DNS Changes

If a website has recently changed servers it’ll make changes to its DNS server. 

This could cause a 504 Gateway Timeout Error page. 

Faulty Firewall Configurations

Sometimes, a faulty firewall configuration can cause it to reject server requests resulting in a 504 Gateway Timeout Error.

How can a 504 gateway timeout be solved?

• Look for server connectivity issues
• Check for any DNS changes
• Sift through your logs
• Fix faulty firewall configurations.
• Contact your hosting provider