Fix the ‘This site can’t be reached’ error
Definitions
The ‘This site can’t be reached’ error appears when you’re trying to access your website and there is a connectivity timeout. Here’s a visual example of the ‘This site can’t be reached’ error:
Before you start
🚨 Normally the ‘This site can’t be reached’ error is not related to your hosting service but to your web browser, typos, DNS, connectivity, or a potential firewall block.
ℹ️ Follow each step by step fix below in order, moving to the next only if the previous one doesn’t work.
Step by step
Check your website URL for typos
The ‘This site can’t be reached’ error can be due to a typo.
1. Look at the search bar in your web browser
2. Review to make sure your website URL is spelt correctly and there are no typos
3. If you notice a typo, fix it and then reload your page
Check your domain nameservers (or DNS) settings are correct
The ‘This site can’t be reached’ error can be caused by nameservers/DNS settings or simply propagation.
1. If you recently updated nameservers or DNS on your domain name, this error may mean the domain is still propagating. Allow up to 24 hours for the changes to take effect.
2. If you’ve waited 24 hours and still see the error, check the DNS or nameserver settings for your domain to make sure they are correct. They should point to where your website is hosted.
⚠️ Here are some resources to help you:
Check your website on a mobile data connection
The ‘This site can’t be reached’ error can be due to a bad WiFi connection. To verify, check your website over a mobile data connection instead.
1. On your mobile device, open the Settings app
2. Find the Wi-Fi 📶 section and click on it
3. Toggle the WiFi switch to the ‘Off’ position to disable the WiFi connection
4. In the Settings app, find and select Connections or Cellular/Mobile Data (the exact name may vary depending on your device)
5. Toggle the Mobile Data switch to the On position to activate the mobile data connection
6. Check the top of your device screen for a mobile data indicator (such as 4G, LTE, or 5G) to confirm that mobile data is active
7. Open a new web browser window on your mobile device
8. Load your website
Restart your internet modem or router
An internet modem restart may fix the ‘This site can’t be reached’ error.
1. Unplug the power cord from the back of your internet modem or router and from the power outlet
2. Let the device stay off for at least 60 seconds so it fully resets
3. Reconnect the power cord to the modem/router and the power outlet
4. Wait for the modem/router to turn back on and the lights to stabilize, then check your device for internet connectivity
5. Open a new web browser window on your device
6. Load your website
Clear your web browser cache and cookies
Try clearing your browser cache or cookies, steps for all major browsers are included. Complete them from your computer or laptop.
Google Chrome:
1. Click on the three vertical dots on the top-right corner of your browser window
2. Navigate to More Tools > Clear Browsing Data
3. Make sure Cached images and files and Cookies and other site data are checked
4. Click on Clear Data
5. Open a new web browser window
6. Load your website
Safari:
1. Click on Safari in the top menu and then select Preferences
2. Navigate to the Privacy tab and click on Manage Website Data
3. Click on Remove All and then confirm your decision
4. Close the preferences window and refresh the page to reload your website
Mozilla Firefox:
1. Click on the three horizontal lines at the top-right corner, then select Settings
2. Select the Privacy & Security tab on the left
3. Scroll down to the Cookies and Site Data section and click on Clear Data
4. Make sure Cookies and Site Data and Cached Web Content are both selected, then click Clear
5. Open a new web browser window
6. Load your website
Disable firewall and/or anti-virus software
At times, the ‘This site can’t be reached’ error is triggered by a firewall or anti-virus software running on your device. Try disabling it, to see if that’s the cause.
1. Open Control Panel on Windows or System Preferences on macOS. For antivirus, open the application.
2. Select Firewall & network protection on Windows or the Firewall tab on macOS. In antivirus, go to settings.
3. Turn off Windows Defender Firewall or Firewall on macOS. Choose to disable or turn off in the antivirus program.
4. Open a new web browser window on your device
5. Load your website
Disable your VPN connection
Sometimes, the ‘This site can’t be reached’ error is triggered by a VPN running on your device. Try disabling it, to see if that’s the cause.
1. Look for the VPN icon on your device applications or menu bar
2. Click the icon to open your VPN application
3. Press the disconnect button within the app to disable your VPN connection
4. Open a new web browser window on your device
5. Load your website
Load your website from an incognito or private window
The ‘This site can’t be reached’ error could be caused by a bad cache.
Try loading your website from an incognito window:
Use a different web browser
Try using a different browser to determine if the error is browser-specific. For example, if you normally use Google Chrome, use Safari instead.
If your website loads successfully on a different browser, you may need to update or reinstall your original web browser software, or check for and run updates.
Change your device DNS settings to use Google DNS
Sometimes, the DNS settings on your actual device may be blocking your connection. Check and switch to the Google DNS, to clear the ‘This site can’t be reached’ error.
For Mac computers:
1. Click the Apple icon, select System Preferences, then click Network
2. Select your network, click Advanced, switch to the DNS tab, and add 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 as DNS servers
3. Click OK, then Apply to save the changes
4. Load your website on your browser
For Windows computers:
1. Open Control Panel, navigate to Network and Sharing Center, and click on Change adapter settings
2. Right-click your network connection, select Properties, then choose Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and click Properties
3. Select Use the following DNS server addresses and enter 8.8.8.8 as the Preferred DNS server and 8.8.4.4 as the Alternate DNS server
4. Click OK to apply changes and close all windows
5. Load your website on your web browser
Unblock your IP address on the firewall
If the steps above did not clear the error and you are still seeing it, your IP address may have been blocked on the hosting network firewall. If so, follow these steps: