Why Is My Website Down?

Overview

Few things are more concerning than visiting your website and finding that it isn't loading.

A website that appears to be "down" can actually be experiencing many different problems. The issue could be with your website files, WordPress, DNS, SSL, PHP, your domain, or even the device you're using to access the site.

The good news is that many website outages can be narrowed down quickly by checking a few things in the right order.

This guide walks through a practical troubleshooting process.

First: Determine What "Down" Means

Start by identifying exactly what you're seeing.

For example:

The website won't load at all.
The browser says the domain doesn't exist.
You see a DNS error.
You see an SSL certificate warning.
You see a 404 error.
You see a 500 error.
You see a blank page.
You see a server error.
The website loads but looks broken.
Only certain pages are unavailable.
The website works for you but not someone else.

The exact error can provide an important clue about where the problem is.

1. Try the Website From Another Device

First, determine whether the problem is specific to your device or connection.

Try accessing the website from:

Another browser
Another computer
A phone
A different internet connection

If the website works elsewhere, the problem may be related to:

Browser cache
DNS cache
Local network
Computer configuration
Browser extensions
VPN or security software

If the website fails everywhere, the problem is more likely to involve the domain, DNS, hosting account, or website itself.

2. Check Your Domain

Make sure you're using the correct domain name.

For example:

https://example.com

Check for:

Typographical errors
Missing characters
Incorrect domain extensions
Unexpected subdomains

If you recently registered or changed the domain, DNS changes may not have finished propagating.

3. Check Your Domain's DNS

DNS tells visitors where your domain should connect.

If your DNS is managed through cPanel, review it through:

cPanel → Domains → Zone Editor

Check that the appropriate records still exist.

Common records include:

A — points a domain or hostname to an IPv4 address
AAAA — points a domain or hostname to an IPv6 address
CNAME — points one hostname to another hostname
MX — controls mail delivery
TXT — commonly used for verification and email-related settings

Don't delete unfamiliar records simply because you don't recognize them.

If you're unsure what a record does, investigate it before changing it.

4. Check Your Nameservers

If your domain uses Have Freedom Hosting's nameservers, make sure the domain is still using the correct nameservers provided for your hosting account.

Nameserver changes are made through your domain registrar, not through cPanel.

If the nameservers were recently changed, DNS propagation may still be occurring.

If you're unsure which nameservers your domain should use, check your hosting account information or contact Have Freedom Hosting Support.

5. Check Whether the Domain Is Managed Somewhere Else

Your website and DNS do not necessarily have to be managed by the same company.

For example:

Domain Registration
        ↓
DNS Provider
        ↓
Have Freedom Hosting
        ↓
Website

If your DNS is managed by another provider, changing records in cPanel's Zone Editor may not affect the public DNS for your domain.

Determine where your DNS is actually managed before making changes.

6. Check Your Hosting Account

Log into the Have Freedom Hosting Customer Portal and check your hosting service.

Look for anything that could indicate an account or service problem.

If you recently:

Purchased hosting
Changed your hosting plan
Migrated a website
Changed your domain
Had an invoice become overdue
Changed account settings

make sure the hosting service is active and configured as expected.

7. Check cPanel

If you can access cPanel, verify that the hosting account itself is functioning normally.

You can review areas such as:

Domains
File Manager
Email Accounts
Zone Editor
PHP configuration
Databases
SSL-related tools

If cPanel itself is unavailable, that may indicate an account, authentication, network, or hosting-side issue rather than a problem with the website files.

8. Check Your Website Files

If your domain is reaching the server but the website isn't displaying correctly, check the website files.

Open:

cPanel → Files → File Manager

For a typical primary website, the files may be located in:

public_html/

Additional domains and subdomains may use different document roots.

Look for the appropriate website's main files.

Depending on the website, this might include:

index.html

or:

index.php

If the expected files are missing, the website may not have anything available to display.

9. Check WordPress

If your website uses WordPress, try accessing:

https://yourdomain.com/wp-admin

If WordPress administration loads but the public website doesn't, the problem may be related to:

Theme
Plugin
WordPress configuration
Caching
.htaccess
Website code

If neither the website nor WordPress administration works, investigate the broader hosting and PHP configuration.

10. Check Your PHP Version

PHP problems can cause WordPress and other applications to stop working.

You can review your PHP version through:

cPanel → Software → MultiPHP Manager

A recent PHP change may have caused an application, plugin, or theme to become incompatible.

If the website stopped working immediately after changing PHP, that timing is an important clue.

Don't repeatedly change PHP versions without understanding the application's requirements.

11. Look for a 500 Error

A 500 Internal Server Error generally indicates that something went wrong while the server was processing the request.

Possible causes include:

PHP errors
Plugin problems
Theme problems
Incorrect .htaccess rules
File permission problems
Application configuration errors
Resource limitations

If you're seeing a 500 error, don't randomly change multiple settings.

Identify what changed immediately before the error appeared.

12. Look for a 404 Error

A 404 Not Found error means the requested resource could not be found.

If only one page is returning a 404 while the rest of the website works, the website itself may still be online.

Possible causes include:

Incorrect URL
Deleted page
Broken link
WordPress permalink issue
Incorrect redirect
Missing file

A 404 does not normally mean the entire hosting account is down.

13. Check SSL and HTTPS

If your website loads with HTTP but not HTTPS, the problem may involve SSL rather than the website itself.

For example:

http://yourdomain.com

may work while:

https://yourdomain.com

doesn't.

Check your SSL configuration and certificate.

If your hosting account uses SSL provided through Have Freedom Hosting, certificate management may be available through the appropriate cPanel SSL tools.

Have Freedom Hosting offers free SSL certificates through Let's Encrypt as well as paid SSL options.

14. Check for a Redirect Loop

If the browser repeatedly redirects and never loads the website, you may have a redirect loop.

Common causes include:

HTTP-to-HTTPS rules
WordPress URL settings
.htaccess rules
Conflicting redirects
Reverse proxy or CDN configuration

Check recent changes to your website and redirect configuration.

cPanel's redirect management is available through:

cPanel → Domains → Redirects

15. Check Your Website's Database

If your website depends on a database and the database is unavailable or corrupted, the website may fail to load.

For WordPress and other database-driven applications, check whether:

The database still exists.
The database user still exists.
The application has the correct database credentials.
The database is accessible.

Database management is available through:

cPanel → Databases → phpMyAdmin

Don't modify or delete database information unless you understand what you're changing.

16. Check Your Hosting Storage

If your hosting account is completely out of available storage, some website functions may stop working correctly.

This can affect:

File uploads
Databases
Logs
Email
Applications
Backups

Review your hosting account's disk usage if the website suddenly stopped working after extensive uploads, backups, or other activity.

17. Think About What Changed

One of the most useful troubleshooting questions is:

"What changed immediately before the problem started?"

Consider whether you recently:

Updated WordPress
Updated a plugin
Changed a theme
Changed PHP
Modified .htaccess
Changed DNS
Changed nameservers
Installed an application
Moved files
Changed permissions
Modified the database
Changed SSL settings

If the website worked before a specific change, that change is an important place to start investigating.

18. Check Whether Other Services Work

If your website is unavailable, check whether other parts of your hosting account work.

For example:

Test	What It May Indicate
Customer Portal works	Account access is functioning
cPanel works	Hosting account is reachable
Webmail works	Email service may still be functioning
Website fails	Problem may be isolated to website/domain
Everything fails	Broader hosting or connectivity issue may exist

This isn't a definitive diagnosis, but it can help narrow the problem.

19. Don't Immediately Restore a Backup

A backup can be an excellent recovery tool, but don't restore one simply because the website isn't loading.

First determine what went wrong.

A restoration may overwrite newer information and could make the situation more difficult to diagnose.

If you know that a recent change caused the problem and have a known-good backup, restoration may be appropriate.

Common Situations

"The Website Works on My Phone but Not My Computer"

This may indicate:

Browser cache
DNS cache
Local network configuration
Browser extensions
VPN or security software

Try another browser or network before making changes to your hosting account.

"The Website Works for Me but Not Someone Else"

The issue may involve DNS propagation, caching, or a network-specific problem.

Test from multiple networks and locations before changing DNS.

"The Website Suddenly Stopped Working"

Think about what changed immediately beforehand.

If nothing changed on the website, check your domain, DNS, hosting account, SSL, and available resources.

"The Website Says the Domain Doesn't Exist"

This commonly points toward a domain or DNS problem rather than a WordPress problem.

Check:

Domain registration
Nameservers
DNS records
Recent DNS changes

"I Get an SSL Warning"

The problem may involve:

Certificate expiration
Domain mismatch
DNS
SSL configuration
An incomplete certificate installation

Don't ignore certificate warnings, especially on websites that handle logins or sensitive information.

When to Contact Have Freedom Hosting

Contact Have Freedom Hosting Support if:

You cannot access your hosting account.
Your website is completely inaccessible and you've ruled out local issues.
DNS appears correct but the domain still doesn't reach the server.
cPanel is unavailable.
You suspect a server-side problem.
A restoration isn't working.
You suspect your hosting account has been compromised.
You see an error you don't understand.

When opening a support ticket, provide as much useful information as possible.

Include:

Your domain.
What you expected to happen.
What actually happens.
The exact error message.
When the problem started.
Whether the problem affects everyone or only you.
What you changed immediately before the problem.
Screenshots when useful.

Never send passwords or authentication codes in a support ticket.

A Simple Website-Down Checklist

Before contacting support, work through this list:

Confirm the domain name is correct.
Try another browser.
Try another device or network.
Check the domain and nameservers.
Check DNS through the correct provider.
Confirm the hosting service is active.
Check cPanel access.
Check the website's document root.
Check WordPress if applicable.
Check recent PHP changes.
Check SSL/HTTPS.
Check for 404 or 500 errors.
Check available storage.
Think about what changed immediately before the outage.
Gather the exact error message before opening a support ticket.

Need Help?

If you've worked through the checklist and your website is still unavailable, don't spend hours changing unrelated settings.

Open a support ticket with Have Freedom Hosting and provide the information you've gathered.

The more specific the information you provide, the easier it is to determine whether the problem involves your website, domain, DNS, hosting account, or another service.

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