I am unable to join a test subscriber to the site.

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  mikehemphill · Member · Apr 1, 2026 at 5:19 pm

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  I am using Restrict User Access plugin to create public and private users. I have created a test user as with a subscriber role and sent an invite. However when I try to join from another computer the screen throws this error above. I found that I should deactivate, delete and reinstall JetPack which I can’t because there is no link to do so. I’ve tried deactivating all security plugins but that did not help. Not sure what I can do at this point.

  The blog I need help with is: (visible only to logged in users)

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  staff-happinesspat · Staff · Apr 1, 2026 at 8:18 pm

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  Hi there,

  Thanks for the detailed report, and sorry you’re running into this!

  Just to clarify on the Jetpack deletion suggestion you found: on WordPress.com sites, Jetpack is built in and cannot be removed, but the good news is that since Jetpack shows as connected on our end, that part is likely not the root cause here.

  The error you’re seeing is a 500 internal server error, which means something on the site itself is blocking or breaking the connection when the new user tries to join. A few things worth trying:

  1. Temporarily deactivate the Restrict User Access plugin and test whether a new user can register without it. This will help confirm whether that plugin is causing the conflict.
  2. Check your site’s PHP error logs if you have access to them. A 500 error almost always leaves a more specific message there that can point to the exact cause.
  3. Check whether you have any security or firewall plugins active (such as Wordfence) that might be blocking REST API requests, as Jetpack and user registration flows both rely on the REST API.

  A couple of questions that might help narrow things down: does the error occur for all new user registrations, or only ones going through Restrict User Access? And did this start after any recent plugin or theme updates?

  Since Restrict User Access is a third-party plugin, we are not able to troubleshoot it directly, but the steps above should help you identify whether it is the source of the conflict. If it is, the plugin’s own support forum on WordPress.org would be the best next step.

  Hope that helps point you in the right direction!