Step 1: Make sure it's really down
Before anything else, rule out your own connection. Try the site on your phone with Wi-Fi turned off. Try a different browser. You can also use a free "is it down" checker that loads the site from elsewhere. If it loads fine elsewhere, the problem may be your network, browser cache, or a security tool on your computer, not your website.
Step 2: Read the error, it's a clue
- "This site can't be reached" / "DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN": the domain isn't pointing anywhere. Often the domain expired or its DNS settings changed.
- "Your connection is not private": the SSL certificate expired or doesn't match the domain. The site may be running, but browsers are blocking it.
- 500 or 503 errors: the server is reachable but something on it failed, such as a plugin error, a resource limit, or maintenance.
- A hosting company's "account suspended" page: a billing issue or a policy or malware flag.
- A parked page with ads: the domain has likely expired.
Step 3: Check the boring things
- Domain renewal. Log in to your domain registrar and check the expiry date. Expired domains are a very common reason small business sites vanish, often because the renewal card expired.
- Hosting or platform billing. On Squarespace, Wix or Shopify, check for a billing notice in your account. On WordPress hosting, check your host's dashboard and email.
- Recent changes. Did anyone update the site, change DNS, move email providers or switch hosts recently? DNS changes in particular can take time to settle.
- Your host's status page. Large providers publish outage status. If they're having an incident, there's little to do but wait and keep customers informed.
Step 4: Keep customers informed
While you sort it out, make sure customers can still reach you. Post your phone number and hours on your Google Business Profile and social channels. If you take bookings online, consider a short note on those channels that you're taking calls instead. This matters more than fixing the site five minutes faster.
Step 5: Gather what a helper will need
If you need help, have these ready: your domain registrar login (or the name of the company), hosting or platform login, the exact error message or a screenshot, and when it started. If a previous web designer set things up, find out whose name the accounts are in. Accounts registered to someone who's no longer around are one of the slowest problems to untangle.
After it's back up
Once things work again, a few habits make a repeat less likely: turn on auto-renew for your domain and keep the payment card current, make sure renewal and outage emails go to an inbox someone reads, keep logins in a password manager under the business's name, and set up uptime monitoring so you hear about an outage before customers do. None of this prevents every outage, but it does shorten them.
KeptWeb's plans include uptime monitoring with alerts, and we can help untangle domain and hosting access. If your site is down now and you'd like a hand, email us the URL and what you're seeing.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my domain expired?
Look up your domain with a WHOIS tool or log in to your registrar and check the expiry date. A parked page full of ads in place of your site is a strong hint.
My site works for me but customers say it's down. Why?
Your browser may be showing a cached copy, or the problem may only affect certain networks or regions, which is common during DNS changes. Test on cellular data and with a free outside checker.
Is my email affected if my website is down?
It can be, if your email uses the same domain and the domain has expired or DNS is misconfigured. If your hosting alone is down, email hosted elsewhere usually keeps working.
How long does a DNS change take?
Often minutes to a few hours, but it can take up to a day or two for every network to pick it up.
This guide is general information. Every site is different, and following these steps doesn't guarantee a particular result. Product names belong to their owners; KeptWeb is not affiliated with them.