How to Check If a Website Is Down

If a website won't load, it can be difficult to tell whether the site itself is having trouble or something on your device or network is blocking the connection. These checks help you narrow down the cause.

Check a website with LinkUpOrDown →

1. Check the website from an independent checker

Enter the domain or URL into LinkUpOrDown's website checker. The tool requests the site from our server and reports the response it receives, including an HTTP status when available and the response time.

A successful response means the website responded to that request from our server. It does not guarantee that every visitor or region can reach it. A failed check also does not prove that the site is down worldwide: firewalls, bot protection, DNS problems and network routes can affect results.

2. Try the website on another connection

Open the address in a private/incognito window or a second browser.
Try another device.
Switch between Wi-Fi and mobile data if available.
If you use a VPN or proxy, test with it disabled only if doing so is safe and permitted on your network.

If it works on mobile data but not on Wi-Fi, investigate your local network, DNS resolver, router or network filtering. If it fails from several independent networks, the website or its hosting may be experiencing an issue, but further confirmation may still be needed.

3. Understand common HTTP status codes

2xx — Success: the server reports that the request succeeded. For example, 200 usually means OK.
3xx — Redirection: the request is being redirected, often to another URL or a canonical HTTPS address.
400 — Bad Request: the server considers the request invalid or malformed.
401 — Unauthorized: authentication is required or has not been accepted.
403 — Forbidden: the server refuses the request. Permissions, security rules or bot protection may be involved.
404 — Not Found: the requested resource could not be found at that address.
429 — Too Many Requests: the server is rate-limiting requests.
5xx — Server error: the server or an upstream component reports that it could not complete the request. For example, 500 is an internal server error and 503 indicates service unavailable.

An HTTP error still means a server responded. It is different from a DNS failure, timeout or connection refusal, where a normal HTTP response may not be received.

4. Troubleshoot DNS and connection problems

Check the address: look for typos and try the site's official HTTPS address.
DNS error: confirm the domain is spelled correctly. If you manage the domain, check its nameservers and DNS records with your DNS provider.
Connection timed out: retry after a short interval and test from another network. A firewall, overloaded server or network route may be responsible.
Connection refused: the destination may be reachable but not accepting connections on the requested port.
TLS or certificate warning: check the device date and time and the site's certificate. Do not bypass certificate warnings on sensitive websites.
Only one browser is affected: check browser extensions and proxy settings; clear cached data only if appropriate.

If you own the website, also review your hosting provider's status page, server logs, DNS configuration and firewall rules. Avoid repeatedly retrying a service that is rate-limiting your requests.

5. What should you do next?

Use the result as a starting point, not a definitive global verdict. Compare results from more than one network or independent source, note the exact error and time, and contact the website owner or hosting provider if the issue persists.

Run another website check →