What to Check If Your Site Is Down

If your website suddenly stops loading, don’t panic.Unexpected downtime can happen for many reasons — from issues in the server environment to DNS misconfigurations, faulty scripts, or even browser-level caching. Fortunately, most of these issues can be identified and resolved in just a few minutes if you follow a clear troubleshooting process.This guide explains what to check, how to understand common server and browser errors, and what steps to take to bring your site back online.

 1. Check if the issue is local

Start by ruling out a local problem on your device:

• Restart your browser
• Try accessing the site on a different browser
• Reboot your device
• Switch from Wi-Fi to mobile data or vice versa

If the site opens on another device or network — the issue is on your end (DNS cache, browser config, or firewall).

 2. Confirm your internet connection is working

Make sure:

• You’re connected to the internet
• Other websites are loading normally
• Your modem/router is functioning (reboot it if needed)
• No firewall or antivirus is blocking traffic to your domain

If the internet works but only your site doesn’t — proceed to the next steps.

 3. Clear browser cache and try incognito mode

Cached scripts, cookies, or expired sessions can cause display issues. To rule this out:

• Clear browser cache and cookies
• Open the site in incognito/private window
• Try another browser

If this solves the issue, the problem is on the client side.

4. Take note of the error message or code

Specific error codes give useful clues:

If you see a blank white screen, that may be a PHP error or plugin/theme conflict.

5. Check your DNS and domain configuration

• Ensure your domain is still active (not expired)
• Make sure DNS records point to the correct server
• If you recently changed hosting or name servers, allow 24–48 hours for full DNS propagation
• If your system has a hosts file override, remove or verify it
• If DNS is correct and the domain is live, move on to the server level.

 6. Check your hosting or server environment

Access your hosting control panel or server dashboard and check:

• Server status: is it online and responding?
• Resource usage: are you hitting CPU/RAM limits?
• Disk space: full storage can crash sites
• Error logs: any recent fatal PHP or database errors?

Also check if recent theme/plugin updates or manual code changes were made before the site went down.

7. Restore from backup (if needed)

If the downtime was caused by updates, misconfiguration, or deleted files:

• Restore the most recent working version of your website
• Revert code or plugin changes (manually or via backup)
• Disable newly installed plugins or themes one by one

If you don’t have backups set up — consider implementing regular backup scheduling immediately after resolving the issue.

8. Contact technical support or your developer

If none of the above steps work and you don’t have access to the server logs, reach out to whoever manages your hosting or infrastructure. When doing so, be ready to provide:

• Your domain name
• A clear description of what you see (error codes, white screen, etc.)
• What you’ve already tried

This will help reduce troubleshooting time and get your site back online faster.

 Summary

A site going down is never convenient — but by following a methodical process, you can often resolve the issue without needing advanced technical knowledge.