My website is not working: what should I check?

Start with the symptom

It is not the same if the website does not load, shows an old page, displays an error or only fails with https.

Before changing anything, note what you see in the browser and which name you opened: bare domain, www, a subdomain or a specific URL.

Quick checklist

Review these points:

• the domain is active and has not expired;
• the DNS zone you are editing is the active DNS for the domain;
• DNS or hosting changes have been activated;
• the domain points to the correct web server;
• the Web hosting service is active;
• the website files are in the correct directory;
• if you use HTTPS, the certificate exists and matches the opened name;
• if you changed something recently, DNS propagation or cache may still apply.

If you see an old page

This may be browser cache, DNS not fully propagated yet or a record still pointing to the previous server.

Try a private window, another device or another connection. If other people see the new website and you do not, it is probably local cache.

If you see an error

A 404 error usually means the file or path does not exist. A 403 may mean permissions or directory listing are not allowed. A 500 usually points to an application or configuration error.

When to contact PRIMARI.NET

Contact us if you are not sure which DNS is active, if the domain points correctly but the website does not respond, if the error is intermittent or if the change affects a production website.