If your website is down or won't load, the cause is usually one of a handful of common problems, and most of them you can check yourself in a few minutes. Work through this website down checklist from the top. Each step points to a detailed guide if you need to fix something.
Step 1: Is it down for everyone, or just for you?
This is the most important first check.
- Turn off Wi-Fi on your phone and open the site using mobile data.
- Ask someone at another location to try it, or use an online "is it down" checker.
If the site works on mobile data but not from your office or home, your network's IP address has probably been temporarily blocked by our firewall. This happens after repeated failed logins to cPanel, email, FTP or SSH, often from a phone or computer that still has an old email password saved. Look up your IP address at whatismyipaddress.com and open a support ticket with it so we can unblock you. Then update the saved password on the device that caused it.
Step 2: Check what the browser actually shows
The error message tells you where to look:
| What you see | Likely cause | Where to go |
|---|---|---|
| "This site can't be reached" / "server IP address could not be found" | Domain not pointed at us, DNS still updating, or domain expired | Our Nameservers: How to Point Your Domain to Your Hosting, DNS Propagation: Why Domain Changes Take Time and How to Check |
| "Your connection is not private" / certificate error | SSL certificate missing or not yet issued | Free SSL Certificates: How AutoSSL and SSL/TLS Status Work |
| "Not secure" in the address bar | Mixed content or site not forced to HTTPS | How to Fix "Not Secure" Warnings and Mixed Content Errors |
| 500 Internal Server Error or a blank white page | PHP error, bad plugin or theme, or broken .htaccess | How to Fix the WordPress White Screen and 500 Errors, How to Check Your Website Error Log and Recent Visitors |
| "Error establishing a database connection" | Wrong database details or database problem | How to Fix "Error Establishing a Database Connection" in WordPress |
| 508 / "Resource Limit Is Reached" or very slow pages | The account hit its CPU, memory or process limits | cPanel Resource Usage Explained: CPU, Memory and Entry Process Limits |
| A "suspended" page | Unpaid invoice or an abuse/security issue | Why Was My Account Suspended and How Do I Get It Back? |
| Redirects to spam sites or a "Dangerous site" warning | The site has been hacked | Website Infected with Malware? How to Get It Cleaned |
Step 3: Check your domain and DNS
- Has the domain expired? An expired domain stops the website and email at the same time. Check the expiry date in the client area under Domains > My Domains (for domains registered with us) or with the company where you registered it. See How to Renew Your Hosting or Domain (and What Happens If It Expires).
- Are the nameservers correct? Your domain should use ns5.instantaccess.net, ns6.instantaccess.net, ns1.fanaticalhosting.com and ns2.fanaticalhosting.com. See Our Nameservers: How to Point Your Domain to Your Hosting.
- Did you change something recently? Nameserver and DNS changes can take a while to reach everyone. See DNS Propagation: Why Domain Changes Take Time and How to Check.
Step 4: Check your Instant Access Internet Services hosting account
- Can you log in to cPanel? If cPanel loads but the site doesn't, the problem is with the website itself (Step 5). If nothing loads at all, go back to Step 1.
- Is there an unpaid invoice? Log in to the client area and look under Billing > My Invoices. When an invoice goes unpaid, the service will be suspended by an automated process. Paying the invoice unsuspends it automatically. See How to Pay an Invoice and Update Your Payment Method.
- Resource limits: in cPanel, go to Metrics > Resource Usage to see if the account has been hitting its limits. See cPanel Resource Usage Explained: CPU, Memory and Entry Process Limits.
Always go to the client area by typing instantaccess.net/accounts yourself or using a bookmark, not by clicking a link in an email. See Never Click Links in Emails About Your Account: Log In Directly Instead.
Step 5: Check the website itself
- Look at the error log. PHP errors are written to a file named
error_login the folder of the script that failed, and cPanel's Metrics > Errors shows recent server errors. See How to Check Your Website Error Log and Recent Visitors. - Think about recent changes. A plugin or theme update, a PHP version change or an edited
.htaccessfile is often the trigger. Undo the last change first. See How to Change Your PHP Version in cPanel for PHP versions. - Caching problems: if the site works when you're logged in but looks broken to visitors, clear the cache. See How to Fix Website Problems Caused by LiteSpeed Cache.
- Restore from a backup if you can't find the cause and the site worked a few days ago. See How to Restore Your Whole Account to an Earlier Date (JetBackup 5).
Common questions
My website and email are both down. What's the most likely cause?
An expired domain, wrong nameservers, a firewall block on your IP address, or a suspended account. Check those four first.
The site works for me but customers say it's down.
Your browser may be showing a cached copy. Try a private window and your phone on mobile data. If it's DNS-related, some visitors may still be reaching an old server for a while after a change.
When should I open an Emergency Support ticket?
If your site or email is completely down and the checks above don't explain it, open a ticket in the Emergency Support department. Include your domain name, what you see (a screenshot helps), when it started, and your IP address.
Related guides
- Our Nameservers: How to Point Your Domain to Your Hosting
- How to Fix the WordPress White Screen and 500 Errors
- cPanel Resource Usage Explained: CPU, Memory and Entry Process Limits
- Why Was My Account Suspended and How Do I Get It Back?
- How to Restore Your Whole Account to an Earlier Date (JetBackup 5)
Still stuck? Open a support ticket and the Instant Access Internet Services team will help.
