My website is down: how do I fix it?
First check whether it's down for everyone or just you with a free down checker. If it's down for everyone, the usual causes are an expired domain, a lapsed hosting bill or suspended account, a DNS change, an expired SSL certificate, or a server or plugin error. Most are fixed by renewing, restoring DNS, or rolling back the last change.
- First step
- Check down for everyone
- Most common cause
- Domain or hosting lapsed
- Fixed for you
- from $400
4.9
patient rating displayed on the live site
Step 1: down for everyone, or just you?
Run your address through a free "is it down" checker. If it loads for the checker, the problem is local: try another network or phone data, clear your browser cache, or restart your router.
Step 2: find the cause
- Domain expired: the browser can't find the site at all. Check the expiry date with your registrar and renew
- Hosting lapsed or suspended: a billing failure or a resource limit. Check your hosting account and email
- DNS changed: the domain points somewhere wrong after a move or a mistake. Check the DNS records at the registrar
- SSL expired: "Your connection is not private". Renew the certificate and check auto-renew
- Server or plugin error (500, 502, 503, a blank page): often after an update. Roll back the last change or restore a backup
Step 3: stop it happening again
- Put the domain and hosting in your company's name, with auto-renew and a card that won't expire
- Turn on uptime monitoring that emails you when the site goes down
- Keep automatic daily backups you know how to restore
- Test updates on a copy before changing the live site
Quick diagnosis
| What you see | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| "This site can't be reached" | Domain expired or DNS wrong | Renew domain; check DNS records |
| "Account suspended" page | Hosting billing or limits | Pay or upgrade hosting |
| "Your connection is not private" | SSL certificate expired | Renew SSL; enable auto-renew |
| 500 / 502 / 503 error, blank page | Server, plugin or code error | Roll back the last change; restore backup |
If you can't log in to your registrar or host, or don't know who set the site up, Website rescue tracks it down and fixes it from $400.
Questions about a website that's down
Look up the domain's expiry date with your registrar or a WHOIS lookup. If it recently expired, you can usually renew it during a grace period.
Ask them to transfer it to your company's account. If they're unreachable, the registrar has a process to prove you're the owner; it can take time, so start immediately.
A short outage rarely hurts. Days of downtime can, so fix it fast and check Search Console afterwards.
Yes. Website rescue fixes expired domains, hosting and SSL problems and server errors, from $400 with a free diagnosis first.