Website guide

Website Downtime Checklist

A first-response workflow for checking DNS, SSL, HTTP headers, ports, routing, and hosting signals.

Do not change everything at once

When a website is down, the fastest path is usually a calm sequence of checks. Changing DNS, SSL, CDN, and hosting settings at the same time can hide the original issue and create new ones.

First checks

  1. Open the website from a normal browser and note the exact error message.
  2. Check DNS records for the root domain and www hostname.
  3. Confirm the SSL certificate covers the hostname and is not expired.
  4. Review HTTP headers or status codes if the server responds.
  5. Check whether the expected port is open and whether the host is reachable from more than one network.

How to interpret symptoms

A DNS error points toward nameservers, records, propagation, or resolver cache. A certificate warning points toward HTTPS configuration. A 5xx status usually means the server or application is responding with an error. A timeout can point toward firewall, hosting, routing, overload, or provider outage.

Information to collect for support

Before opening a support ticket, collect the affected URL, DNS records, HTTP status, SSL details, time of the test, your network, and whether the issue happens from another connection. This gives the provider enough context to avoid generic replies.

Helpful tools: DNS Lookup, HTTP Header Checker, SSL Checker, Port Checker, and Traceroute Tool.