1. Is it down for everyone, or just you?
Before anything else, rule out your own connection.
- Open the site on your phone with Wi-Fi switched off, so it uses mobile data instead of your office network.
- Ask someone elsewhere to try it, or use a free "is it down for everyone" checker.
- Try a private (incognito) window, in case your browser is showing an old, broken copy.
If the site loads everywhere except your office, the problem is your network or your computer, not the website. If it fails everywhere, carry on.
2. Read what the browser actually says
The message on the screen tells you a lot. The most common ones:
| What you see | What it usually means | Who fixes it |
|---|---|---|
| "This site can't be reached" / "Server not found" | The domain isn't pointing anywhere: expired domain or a DNS change | Whoever manages the domain |
| "Your connection is not private" | The security certificate has expired or doesn't match the address | The web host or developer |
| "500 Internal Server Error" | The website's code has crashed, often after an update | The developer |
| "502 Bad Gateway" / "503 Service Unavailable" | The server is overloaded, restarting or down for maintenance | The web host |
| "One moment, please" or a checking page | The host's bot protection is in the way | The web host |
| A blank white page | A PHP or plugin error with error messages hidden | The developer |
Take a screenshot of the message. It saves a lot of back-and-forth with whoever you ask for help.
3. Has the domain expired?
Domains are rented, usually by the year, and an expired domain is one of the most common causes of a site that suddenly vanishes, often taking email with it. A WHOIS lookup shows the domain's expiry date. If it has lapsed, renew it with the registrar straight away: most give a grace period of a few weeks before someone else can buy it.
4. Has the security certificate expired?
If browsers show a privacy warning, check the certificate's end date (click the warning, then "view certificate"). Most hosts renew certificates automatically, but renewal can fail quietly when a domain moves or a DNS record changes. The host can usually reissue one in minutes.
5. What changed recently?
Websites rarely break on their own. Ask:
- Was a plugin, theme or the platform itself updated today?
- Did anyone change DNS records, move hosting or switch on a CDN or firewall?
- Did the hosting bill or card payment fail?
On WordPress, a plugin update is the usual suspect. Your developer can switch plugins off one at a time, or restore last night's backup.
6. Check the host's status page
Most hosts publish a status page with known outages. If your host has a problem in your region, there is nothing to fix on your side; note the time so you can mention it to clients and ask for service credit if your plan has one.
What to tell your client or your team
Keep it short and honest: what's affected, since when, what you've found and when you'll update them next. "The site has been unavailable since 10:40. The host reports a server fault and expects a fix within the hour; we'll update you at 12:00" is far better than silence.
Hearing about it first next time
Finding out from a customer is the worst way to learn your site is down. Uptime monitoring checks the site every few minutes, confirms the outage with a second check so a two-second blip doesn't wake anyone, and alerts you by email, Slack or Teams. TideStat also warns you a month before a certificate or domain runs out, which prevents two of the most common outages altogether.
