If your website is suddenly unreachable, it’s annoying and sometimes stressful, especially if customers or visitors notice it too. Fortunately, most causes can be easily identified: an expired domain, a DNS issue, server outage, a full disk quota, or a broken plugin. In this article, you’ll systematically go through the possible causes and learn how to check and resolve them step by step.
First check: what exactly is going on?
Before you panic, it’s wise to first determine what kind of problem you’re seeing exactly. This helps enormously when searching for the solution.
- Browser error message (such as ‘this site can’t be reached’ or a DNS error) often points to a domain or DNS issue.
- Server error message (such as 500, 503, or a blank screen) points to a problem with the website itself or the server.
- Only you see the problem, while others can see the site: this could be due to your own internet connection, DNS cache, or a local block.
Always test first from another device or network (for example, your mobile data) and via a site uptime checker, before searching further.
Common causes
The most common reasons a website is unreachable:
- Expired domain: if you forgot to renew, the website (and often email too) will be taken offline after some time.
- DNS change not yet active: after adjusting DNS settings, it can take some time before this is visible worldwide.
- Full disk space: if your hosting package is full, the website may stop loading or display error messages.
- Broken plugin or theme update: with WordPress, a conflicting update often leads to a blank screen or error message.
- Server outage: sometimes the problem lies with the hosting provider itself, for example due to maintenance or an outage.
- Expired SSL certificate: this gives visitors a warning and the site can be marked as unsafe.
- Incorrect .htaccess or server configuration: a wrong rule can block the entire site.
Step-by-step plan to solve the problem
Go through the steps below in order to find and solve the cause.
Check the domain status
Do a whois check on your domain name. Does it say ‘expired’ or ‘pending delete’? Then you need to renew the domain, possibly via your account management at your domain names provider.
Check the DNS settings
Check whether the A record and nameservers of your domain still point to the correct IP address or the correct server. If something was recently changed, wait until the change has been processed.
View the error logs
Log in to your hosting environment and view the error logs. In Plesk you can find these under ‘Log Files’ for the relevant website. This often shows you the exact error message directly.
Check disk space and quota
Has your storage limit been reached? Clean up unnecessary files, old backups, or log files, or contact your hosting provider for more space.
Revert recent changes
Did you recently install a plugin, theme, or update? Temporarily deactivate it via FTP by renaming the folder, or restore an earlier backup.
Contact your hosting provider
Can’t figure it out yourself? Then contact support. At Tandata this can be done via WhatsApp, ticket, or email, even at night, so an outage doesn’t last unnecessarily long.
How to prevent this in the future?
Preventing an unreachable website is mainly done by planning ahead instead of fixing afterward:
- Enable automatic renewal for your domain name.
- Run daily backups, so you can always quickly switch back to a working version.
- Keep an eye on disk space and quota, for example via your Plesk dashboard.
- Test plugin and theme updates first on a staging environment before putting them live.
- Check after every DNS change whether everything has been correctly processed.
- Make sure your email is set up reliably, so notifications about your domain or hosting actually reach you. Consider business email with a good reputation and deliverability.
Wondering if your current hosting provider offers sufficient stability and support? Then switching to Tandata could be a good solution, including help with migration.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if the problem is with me or with the hosting provider?
Test the website from another network or device and use an external uptime checker. If you don’t see the site there either, the problem is likely with the server or DNS, not your own connection.
My website shows a 500 error message, what now?
A 500 error usually indicates a server-side problem, often caused by a plugin, theme, or incorrect configuration. Check the error logs in your hosting environment for the exact cause.
Can an expired SSL certificate make my site unreachable?
Yes, browsers block or heavily warn about an expired SSL certificate, causing visitors to see the site as unsafe or unable to load it. A free SSL certificate that renews automatically prevents this problem.
Where can I find my website’s log files?
Within your web hosting environment, for example in Plesk under the ‘Log Files’ section per website, you’ll find both access logs and error logs to determine the cause.
Conclusion
An unreachable website almost always has a clear, identifiable cause: an expired domain, DNS delay, full disk space, a broken plugin, or a server outage. By systematically checking and consulting log files, you’ll quickly find the cause. With automatic renewal, daily backups, and good monitoring, you also prevent the problem from recurring.