Is my email down too?

It can be. If the domain expired or a setting changed, email on that address can stop too. Send yourself a message from another account to check.

Will I lose my website?

Not right away. Many hosts and domain companies hold an account for a while after a missed bill. How long varies, so call them today.

Yes. If someone already looks after your site, I’ll tell them exactly what to change, free.

Then I’ll tell you so, and you owe nothing.

Most sites go down for one of a few plain reasons: a bill, a setting, or an update. Here’s how to tell which one, and what you can fix yourself.

You’ll work with Isaac Riehm, founder · Scottsdale, Arizona

Rather hand it off?

Call or text anytime. If I don’t pick up, I’ll call you back the same day.

Write down the exact words you see. Most of them point to one cause.

What you see	What it usually means
“This site can’t be reached” or “Server not found”	Your address doesn’t point anywhere. The domain may have expired, or the setting that points it at your site is missing.
A page of ads, or “This domain is for sale”	The domain expired, and the company you bought it from parked it.
“Account suspended” or a page from your host	The hosting bill didn’t go through, or the host shut the account off for another reason.
“There has been a critical error on this website”	WordPress broke, usually right after a plugin, theme, or PHP update.
A blank white page	Often the same kind of WordPress or PHP error, with the message hidden.
“404 Not Found” on every page	The site’s files are gone or moved, or your address points at the wrong place.
“Too many redirects”	Two settings keep sending visitors back and forth, often around the security certificate.
“Your connection is not private”	The security certificate expired, or it was made for a different address.

A bill didn’t go throughThe card on file for hosting or the domain expired. The warning emails went to an old address.
The domain expiredNobody renewed your web address, so it stopped pointing at your site.
A setting changedSomeone moved your email or switched companies, and the setting that points your address at the site got lost.
An update broke itWordPress, a plugin, or the host’s PHP version changed, and something old couldn’t keep up.
The host has a problemSometimes it isn’t you. Most hosts post outages on a status page.
It was hackedLess common, but it happens to sites that stopped getting updates. Some hosts switch a hacked site off.

1Open the site on your phone with Wi-Fi turned off. If it loads there, the problem may be your office network, not the site.
2Try your address with and without “www.” If one works and the other doesn’t, one setting is missing.
3Ask a free checker, such as downforeveryoneorjustme.com, whether the site is down for everyone.
4Match the words on your screen to the table above.
5Search your email for your host’s and domain company’s names. Look for “expired,” “suspended,” or “payment failed.”

A failed payment: log in to the host or domain company, update the card, and pay the balance. Ask their support when the site comes back.
An expired domain: renew it today. Waiting can turn a normal renewal into a recovery fee.
A WordPress error after an update: many hosts keep backups. Ask yours to restore the site from the day before the update.
A host outage: check the host’s status page and wait it out.
Anything else: call your host’s support line. They can see things you can’t, and it’s part of what you pay them.

The first call and a look are free. You know the price before any work starts.

$150A small fix
One setting is wrong: the www address, a redirect loop, or the setting that points your address at your host.
Paid in full when you sign. Done within 2 business days of payment and access.
$450Repair or upgrade
The site broke because WordPress or PHP is out of date, or it has to move off an old site builder.
Half to start, half when it’s done. Done within 5 business days of the deposit and access.
$900Rebuild or new site
The site is gone, with no backup, and has to be rebuilt.
Half to start, half when it’s done. Done within 10 business days of the deposit, access, and your photos and words.

Tell me your web address and what you see.

Call or text anytime. If I don’t pick up, I’ll call you back the same day.

Is my email down too?: It can be. If the domain expired or a setting changed, email on that address can stop too. Send yourself a message from another account to check.
Will I lose my website?: Not right away. Many hosts and domain companies hold an account for a while after a missed bill. How long varies, so call them today.
Can you just tell my web person what to change?: Yes. If someone already looks after your site, I’ll tell them exactly what to change, free.
What if it’s already fixed?: Then I’ll tell you so, and you owe nothing.