Is It Down or Just Me? How to Diagnose Website Issues

We have all been there: You click a link, and instead of the page loading, you are met with an endless spinning wheel or an error message. The immediate question is always the same: Is the website actually down, or is it just my internet? Before you panic or restart your router, follow this rapid diagnosis guide to isolate the problem.

First, check the 'Is It Just Me?' checklist. If you can access other websites but not the specific one you are trying to reach, the issue is likely on your end. Start by clearing your browser cache, as stored copies of websites can get corrupted. On Chrome or Edge, press 'Ctrl + Shift + Delete' and select 'Cached images and files'. On Safari, go to Preferences > Privacy > Manage Website Data. Next, try flushing your DNS cache. DNS acts as the phonebook of the internet, and sometimes your computer holds onto an old IP address. For Windows, open Command Prompt and type 'ipconfig /flushdns'. For Mac users, open Terminal and type 'sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder'. Finally, try a different network; switch off your Wi-Fi and use mobile data to rule out your ISP firewall.

If you have tried these steps and the site still won't load, the problem is likely a global server issue. The fastest way to confirm this is to use a dedicated Server Status Checker tool, which pings the website from multiple locations around the world. You can also search social media for the website's name; if it is a major outage, other users will likely be reporting it. Stop guessing and start knowing by running a quick test on our tool.