Why isn’t my site showing up?

Your website won’t load, your domain shows the wrong thing, or the change you just made isn’t there. This guide helps you work out which of these it is, check the usual causes in order, and get the right help fast if it’s still stuck.

Before you start

• Your web address, written exactly.
• The logins for the tool that hosts your site and the company you bought your domain from.
• Your phone, with Wi-Fi switched off so it uses mobile data.
• Fifteen minutes to go through the checks calmly.

Want to do it yourself?

Difficulty

6 out of 10

Estimated completion time

30–90 minutes, plus any DNS or certificate waits

Skills you’ll need: Check billing, publishing status, domain connections, and browser errors. Hosting faults may need provider support.

I’ll do it myselfI’d rather get help

How this helps your brand

A reachable, current website keeps the links on your profiles and customer messages useful. Separating domain, publication, and browser problems helps restore access without disturbing working email settings.

1. 1

   Step 1: Work out exactly what you’re seeing

   Open your site in a private or incognito window on your computer, then on your phone using mobile data. Write down what you see on each. It will be one of these:

   • Nothing loads, or an error like “This site can’t be reached”. Go to step 2.
   • A page from your domain company, a “parked” page, or the wrong website. Go to step 3.
   • Your site loads, but your latest change isn’t there. Go to step 4.
   • A warning that the site is “not secure”. Go to step 5.

   Tip: If it works on your phone but not your computer, the problem is probably on your computer or your network, not your site. Restart your router and try again.

   Illustrated exampleCompare two devices on different networks

   Same address: northline.example

   Computer · private window

   ● ● ● Home Wi-Fi

   This site can’t be reachedThe page does not load.

   Computer: error

   Phone · mobile data

   Wi-Fi off · mobile data on

   Northline StudioA home that feels like you.

   Home interiors, thoughtfully planned.

   Phone: site loads

   What this suggests The site is reachable. The problem is probably on the computer or its network. Restart the router and try again.

2. 2

   Step 2: If nothing loads, check the bills first

   The most common cause is the simplest: something has expired. Log in to the company you bought your domain from and check the domain hasn’t lapsed. Then log in to your website tool and check your plan is active and paid.

   If both are fine, check whether your website tool is having problems. Search for “[tool name] status”. Most have a status page that shows outages.

   Tip: If your domain has expired, renew it straight away. Most companies give a short grace period, but after that someone else can buy it.

3. 3

   Step 3: If your domain shows the wrong thing, check the connection

   This usually means your domain isn’t pointing at your website yet. Open the domain settings in your website tool. It will often say whether the domain is connected, and if not, which settings are missing.

   If you’ve just connected it, wait. Changes can take up to 48 hours to reach everyone. If it’s been longer, compare the settings at your domain company with the ones your website tool asked for, letter by letter. One typo stops it working.

   Also check both versions of your address: with “www” and without it. Sometimes only one is connected.

   Tip: Don’t delete settings you don’t recognise at your domain company. Some keep your email working. Change only what your website tool tells you to.

   Illustrated exampleTest both versions of your web address

   Without wwwnorthline.example

   PParked pageDomain company’s page

   Check connection

   With wwwwww.northline.example

   Northline StudioYour actual website

   Connected

   One working address isn’t the whole check. Open the website tool’s domain settings and check the address without “www” too.

   Illustrated addresses only. Follow your tool’s exact settings; leave unrelated email records alone.

4. 4

   Step 4: If your changes aren’t showing, check you published

   Most website tools keep your edits in a draft until you press Publish, Update, or Deploy. Open your tool and check whether there are unpublished changes.

   If you did publish, your browser may be showing an old copy it saved earlier. Open the page in a private window, or refresh it with Ctrl+Shift+R on Windows or Cmd+Shift+R on a Mac. On a phone, close the browser fully and reopen it.

   Still old? Some tools take a few minutes to update everywhere. Wait ten minutes and check again. If it’s still wrong, check that you edited the live site and not a copy, a test version, or a different page.

   Illustrated exampleFollow the change from draft to live page

   Example change: Saturday hours → 10am–4pm

   1. 10:00Edit savedDraft only

      The editor shows 10am–4pm. The live page still has the old hours.

   2. 10:05PublishedRelease confirmed

      Check that your tool confirms the update was published to the live site.

   3. 10:15Live page checkedPrivate window

      Open the actual web address again. Does Saturday now show 10am–4pm?

   Still seeing the old hours? Check that you edited the live project and the correct page, rather than a test copy.

5. 5

   Step 5: If you see a “not secure” warning

   The padlock next to your address comes from a security certificate. Most website tools set one up for you automatically, but it can take a few hours after you connect a domain.

   If the warning is still there after a day, open your tool’s domain settings and look for an option called SSL or HTTPS. Those are the technical names for the certificate. Make sure it’s switched on, and that both the www and non-www addresses are connected.

6. 6

   Step 6: Still stuck? Ask for help with the details

   Contact your website tool’s support team, or ask an AI chat using the prompt below. Either way, help comes faster when you give the details up front.

   • Your exact web address.
   • Exactly what you see, with a screenshot.
   • When it last worked, and anything you changed since.
   • Which tool hosts the site and which company holds the domain.

My website isn’t showing up properly and I need help working out why. I’m not technical, so please explain in plain English and give me one check at a time.

My web address: [yourbusiness.com]
What I see: [the exact error or what appears, for example “This site can’t be reached”]
On which devices: [computer, phone on Wi-Fi, phone on mobile data]
My site is built with: [your website tool]
I bought my domain from: [the domain company]
It last worked: [when, or “never”]
What changed recently: [anything you edited, renewed, or connected]

Tell me the most likely cause first, and the exact thing to check. If the fix depends on menus in my tools, tell me what to search for in their official help pages instead of guessing. Don’t suggest deleting any domain settings without warning me what they do.