Server overload occurs when a web server is overwhelmed by a higher volume of requests or demands than it can effectively handle. This excessive demand can result from a sudden surge in website traffic, often beyond the server’s capacity, leading to slow response times, unresponsiveness, or even a complete crash.
Server overload can be caused by viral content sending an unusual amount of traffic to the website, DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks, or insufficient server resources.
See also: Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Attack, Load balancing
Further reading: Why Does a Website Go Down?
