Ever find your website down for no apparent reason or after a recent update? Don’t worry; these things happen. While you can always reach out to Hostingest’s Live Chat for quick assistance, you might want to understand how things work so you can handle it yourself next time. This guide will walk you through the most common website issues and how to resolve them.
1. Server Not Found, Website Unavailable
If your website isn’t loading across different browsers (like Chrome, Firefox, etc.), first check whether the site is down for everyone or just you, by using services like downforeveryoneorjustme.com.
Tip: If it works in a proxy but not in your browser, it could be a DNS issue. DNS propagation might take 24–48 hours after a domain DNS update. Try clearing your browser’s cache or even your local DNS cache.
Still having trouble? Edit your local hosts file to force the domain to resolve directly to the server.
2. 500 Internal Server Error
This error is often caused by incorrect .htaccess directives, wrong file permissions, or high resource usage.
How to fix it:
- Check your
.htaccess file for any errors. - Make sure file/folder permissions are set correctly.
- If the problem persists, contact Hostingest support to review resource usage and server configurations.
3. 403 Forbidden
This error usually occurs when you don’t have permission to access a specific page.
Common Causes:
- Incorrect file or folder permissions.
- Deny rules in the
.htaccess file. - ModSecurity blocks.
How to fix it: Check permissions on your files, review your .htaccess file, or contact Hostingest support to investigate potential security blocks.
4. 508 Resource Limit Reached
If you see this error, your website is using too many resources (like CPU or RAM).
How to fix it: Review your resource usage in the control panel. You may need to upgrade your hosting plan if your site consistently reaches resource limits. Contact Hostingest support for help with resource optimization.
5. 404 Not Found
The most common reason for a 404 error is when a page or post is deleted or moved without updating links.
How to fix it:
- Double-check the URL for typos.
- Update permalinks in WordPress dashboard by going to Settings → Permalinks and clicking “Save Changes.”
- If using WordPress, verify that the
.htaccess file has the correct WordPress rules.
6. Blank White Page
A blank page often means a PHP error.
How to fix it: Enable error reporting in PHP by selecting display_errors in the PHP options through your control panel. You can also check the error_log file in the root directory for details. Most of the time, the issue is caused by a faulty theme or plugin, so try disabling them one by one.
7. “Your Connection is Not Private” Error
This error usually points to an SSL certificate issue.
How to fix it: Verify your SSL certificate using an online checker like SSL Checker. If the SSL is valid and still showing the error, it could be due to mixed content on the site. You’ll need to update the site links to HTTPS to resolve this. [Learn How to install SSL Certificate in cPanel]
Need Help? Hostingest Support Is Here!
If any of these errors are still giving you trouble, don’t hesitate to reach out to our Hostingest Support team. We’re here 24/7 to ensure your website runs smoothly.