Fix: 502 Bad Gateway Error in Chrome browser

The website errors are mostly due to browser misconfiguration or a site server not responding to the request. The effective ways to Fix the 502 Bad Gateway error in Chrome are identifying and removing extensions, clearing the browser cache, and clearing the DNS cache, and changing the network DNS address. 

The other day, I tried accessing a website via Chrome but was always greeted with the 502 Bad Gateway error message. Upon trying to understand this query further, I stumbled upon this Google Support Forum page and discovered I wasn’t the only one getting bugged with this issue. So what led to this error?

When an invalid request is sent from your browser to the webserver (that acts as a proxy/gateway), the latter will respond in terms of HTTP Status 502 Code. You will be greeted with the 502 Bad Gateway error message.

So how could one rectify this issue? Well, in most cases, the issue stems from a server-side. And dealing with these upstream servers is not under your control. The website administrator has to rectify the issue.

With that said, sometimes, the issue could be related to your browser or internet settings which you could easily tweak and hence fix the 502 Bad Gateway Error.

And this guide shall make you aware of just that. So without further ado, let’s get started.

Check Website Server Status

First and foremost, you should verify that the site is up and running. For that, you may take the help of a third-party site such as DownDetector or try a different web browser. If there are no server issues, try reloading the concerned website.

For that, use the Ctrl + R shortcut key combinations or click the Refresh situated left of the Omnibox. If the issue is still persistent, then it’s time to try out some other fixes listed below.

Use Incognito Mode

Incognito mode is used for a secure browsing experience. It also provides a near-about stock experience by default disabling all trackers and third-party extensions.

Consequently, if the issue is because of any of these add-ons, it wouldn’t appear in this private mode. Use the Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + N shortcut key combinations to bring up a new Incognito window.

Now try accessing the site. If the site usually works now, it’s time to bid farewell to one of those extensions.

Disable Chrome Extensions

The Chrome extensions can cause issues with website loading that can result in browser errors. You can disable the extensions and check if the issue is resolved.

Here are the steps to disable extensions:

1. Open Google Chrome on the computer.
2. Enter chrome://extensions/ in the address bar.
3. Disable the toggle next to each extension until you can no longer recreate the issue.
4. Hit the Remove button next to the last extension that emerged as the culprit.
   

While these extensions add more to the overall productivity, removing them at that very instance is better if it points to an error.

Clear Browser Data

If a lot of temporary data gets accrued over time, then it could conflict with the proper functioning of the PC.

While they aren’t related to the network side, some users were able to rectify the ‘502 Bad Gateway’ issue after carrying out this fix.

Here are the quick steps to clear browsing data:

1. Launch the Google Chrome browser.
2. Visit the Clear browsing data page by entering the below URL

   chrome://settings/clearBrowserData

3. Now select Cookies and other site data and Cached Images and Files.
4. Hit the Clear data button and wait for the process to complete.
   
5. Now check if you can visit that site or not.

While this tweak has worked out for some, it was a temporary fix. Users had to delete the browser’s cache and data every few days, which in turn disrupted their normal workflow.

Clear DNS Cache

Domain Server’s cache stores temporary data related to the websites you visit. Since the browser could directly pick up the data from the cache, it results in a faster loading speed for these sites.

However, even if the cache data gets corrupted, it would have negative consequences. So the best bet is to delete the DNS cache.

1. Head over to the Start Menu and search for CMD.
2. Then launch this Command Prompt window as an Administrator.
   
3. Now type in the below command, and hit Enter to clear all the DNS-related cache.

   ipconfig /flushdns

   

4. As soon as it’s done, restart the browser and verify if it fixed the 502 Bad Gateway Error or not.

Deleting the DNS cache might slow down the website’s loading speed when it opens for the first time. But if it fixes the 502 Bad Gateway issue, it is worth the trade-off.

Change Network DNS Addresses

Your ISP provides you with the default DNS. However, there’s always an option of switching over to another one. And this is what we would be doing here.

By switching over to Google’s Public DNS, we could verify whether the issue was related to our default DNS.

1. Right-click the WiFi icon on the taskbar, and select Open Network and Internet Settings.
   
2. Select on Change Adapter options, and it shall take you to the list of available networks.
   
3. Right-click on the connected network and select Properties.
4. Now scroll to the Internet Protocol Version 4 section and click Properties.
   
5. Then select the Use the Following DNS server addresses option.
6. Type in 8.8.8.8 under Prefered DNS Address, and 8.8.4.4 under Alternate DNS Address.
   
7. Finally, hit OK to save the changes and try accessing the site.

If you can do so now, it’s recommended to stick with this DNS, at least for now.

Remember that this change is device level and will only be adopted by the device (Laptop/PC) on which you have carried out the steps. All the other devices connected to this network will continue to use the original DNS.

Bottom Line

On that note, we round off this guide on how to fix the 502 Bad Gateway in Chrome. We have shared different types of workarounds that might spell out success for you.

While the issue generally stems from the website server, in some instances, the aforementioned browser-side tweaks fix the issue.

In my case, I first checked the website on a Microsoft Edge browser to verify if the issue was on my end. And yes, the page was loading on the Edge browser. Hence, I cleared the Chrome browser’s browsing data and the DNS cache, which rectified the issue.

Lastly, if you've any thoughts or feedback, then feel free to drop in below comment box. You can also report the outdated information.