My website is down: what to do
Published · Json Knepper
First check whether your site is down for everyone: open it on your phone with Wi-Fi turned off. Then read the exact error on the screen, because it tells you who can fix it. Domain problems go to your registrar, address records to whoever runs your DNS, and server errors to your web host.
Is it down for everyone, or just you?
Try your phone on cellular data, and ask someone in another place to try too. If it loads for them, the problem is close to you: your Wi-Fi, a VPN, your browser, or your computer’s clock. Chrome shows NET::ERR_CERT_DATE_INVALID when the device’s date or time is wrong, so check that before you worry about the site.
Read the error, then call the right company
These are the errors as Chrome words them. Other browsers say it differently, but the cause is the same.
| What you see | Likely cause | Who to call |
|---|---|---|
ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED |
The domain doesn’t point anywhere: expired, on hold, or DNS records changed. | Registrar first, then whoever manages DNS |
ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT or ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED |
The server is slow, down or refusing connections. | Web host |
ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE |
The server sent nothing back and may be down. | Web host |
| A 500, 502, 503 or 504 error page | The server, or the software on it, hit an error. | Web host, or your developer if it started after an update |
| “Your connection is not private” on every device | The site’s certificate failed: expired, or issued for a different name. | Web host or developer |
ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS |
The site keeps sending visitors in a loop. | Web host or developer |
| The host’s “account suspended” page | A billing or policy problem on the hosting account. | Web host billing |
| Pages you didn’t make, or visitors sent elsewhere | The site may be hacked. | Developer or host, then Search Console |
Error meanings are from Chrome’s help on common error messages, last checked October 20, 2026. If your email stopped at the same moment as the site, suspect the domain or DNS, since both depend on them.
Once the site loads again, the free site score shows how it’s doing on https, speed, being found and phones. It can’t diagnose a domain, DNS or email problem.
Is it the domain?
Look your domain up at lookup.icann.org. Check two things: the expiry date and the status. According to ICANN, clientHold means your registrar has told the registry not to put your domain in the DNS, and serverHold means the registry did it. Either one takes the website and the email offline. redemptionPeriod means the domain was deleted after it expired and is being held for 30 days. In every case, call your registrar the same day.
Is it DNS?
Ask whether anyone changed your DNS recently: a new host, a new email provider, a designer moving things. The website’s records (usually an A record or a CNAME) should point to your web host. Leave the MX records alone while you fix it, because those carry your email.
Is it the host?
Check your host’s status page and your hosting account for an unpaid bill or a suspension notice. When you open a support ticket, include the exact error text, the address that fails, the time it started and anything that changed just before. Those four facts save a round of back-and-forth.
Is it hacked?
Signs include pages you didn’t make, spam links, or visitors sent to another site. Google Search Console’s Security issues report lists what Google found. Google’s order is: fix every issue across the whole site, test the fixes, then click Request Review. Don’t send a second request while the first is pending, because that can slow it down.
Once it’s back, make the next time shorter
- Turn on auto-renew for your domain, and keep the registrar’s contact email one you read.
- Make sure your certificate renews by itself. In April 2025 the CA/Browser Forum voted to shorten the maximum life of public certificates in steps from March 2026, reaching 47 days by March 2029. Renewing by hand will only get harder.
- Keep a backup you have restored at least once.
- Know which company holds each account: registrar, DNS, host. The Website Handoff Kit is a worksheet for exactly that.
If you’d rather not spend another morning like this, my care plans watch the site around the clock, prove every backup by restoring it, and handle the certificate and domain.
Common questions
How do I know if my website is down for everyone or just me?
Open it on your phone with Wi-Fi turned off, so it uses cellular data, and ask someone in another place to try. If it loads for them, the problem is likely your network, browser, VPN or your device's clock, not the site.
What does ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED mean?
Chrome couldn't find where your domain points. Google's help says the address doesn't exist or now points somewhere else. For your own site, check the domain's expiry and status at lookup.icann.org, then ask whether anyone changed your DNS.
Who do I call when my website is down: the host, the registrar or my designer?
It depends on the error. Domain problems go to the registrar, address records to whoever manages your DNS, and server errors to the web host. Call your designer when the site broke right after an update or a change they made.
How can I tell if my website was hacked?
Look for pages you didn't make, links to unfamiliar sites, or visitors sent somewhere else. Google Search Console's Security issues report lists hacked content, malware and social engineering it has found on your site, with sample addresses.
How long do DNS changes take?
Anywhere from minutes to a day or two. Each record carries a time-to-live that tells other servers how long to keep the old answer, so some visitors see the change before others.
Can the free site score tell me why my site is down?
No. It grades a site that loads: https, security headers, speed, being found, readability and phones. It doesn't check your domain status, your DNS, your email or whether the site was hacked. Use the steps above for that.
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