How to Check If a Website Is Down (or Just Down for You)

Start with a second point of view

Open the site on a different network, such as a phone using mobile data instead of Wi-Fi. If it loads there, the issue is likely local to your browser, device, network, or DNS resolver. If it fails in both places, there is a stronger chance the site itself has a problem.

Ask a colleague in another location to try it, use a device that has not connected to your network, or switch VPN regions. Comparing independent results prevents a local connection problem from looking like a public outage.

Rule out the common local causes

Refresh the page and confirm the address is correct. Try another browser or private window, temporarily disable extensions, switch networks, and confirm that your device clock is accurate. These quick checks rule out cached state, browser interference, and local connectivity issues.

1. Confirm the URL, protocol, and subdomain.
2. Try a private browsing window or another browser.
3. Test from mobile data or another network.
4. Check the device date and time.
5. Investigate DNS only when the error indicates a resolution failure.

Use independent website-down checkers

An independent checker requests the site from infrastructure outside your network, making it the quickest way to separate a personal connection issue from a public outage. Treat one result as a data point: cross-reference multiple regions or services for a confident answer.

For site owners, continuous external monitoring is more useful than a one-time check because it can alert you before visitors report the problem.

For a single external request, use the website down checker and compare the result with your local connection.

Run basic network diagnostics yourself

Built-in tools can narrow down where a request fails. Ping can show connectivity and latency, traceroute or tracert shows the network path, nslookup or dig verifies DNS resolution, and curl -I confirms the HTTP response without loading a full page.

A failed ping does not prove an outage because many servers block it, but consistent results across several tests can still be useful evidence for a support team.

Check for regional and ISP-level outages

Some incidents affect only an ISP, mobile carrier, or region. If the site works over mobile data but not broadband, or through a VPN but not your normal connection, the likely problem is the network path rather than the destination service.

Check your provider's status page or support channels for recent reports before treating a regional failure as a global outage.

Check the official status page

For a service you rely on, look for its official status page or verified support account. A well-maintained status page distinguishes a broad outage from a partial incident and explains whether a fix is in progress.

Site owners should also verify a suspected incident from an external monitoring location, because internal checks do not always match the experience of visitors.

Know what the error is telling you

DNS errors point to name resolution, timeouts to an unresponsive server or route, connection refusals to a reachable but unavailable service, and HTTP 4xx or 5xx responses to application or access problems. Capture the exact URL, time, location, and error message before escalating.

Down for everyone vs. down for you

A public outage usually fails from a second network, is reported by independent checkers, and may appear on the service's status page. A local problem commonly works from another network, is not reported externally, and may improve in a private browser window.

What to do once you have confirmed an outage

Avoid repeatedly refreshing or resubmitting forms. Record when you first noticed the issue, save the error details, and check for an existing status update before opening a support request.

If you own the service, acknowledge confirmed incidents early and communicate what is affected, what you are investigating, and when the next update will arrive.

Turn a one-time check into early warning

Continuous monitoring detects problems before customers report them. Monitor important websites, APIs, certificates, and DNS from multiple locations, route alerts to people who can act, and keep a status page ready for confirmed incidents.

Follow our guide to monitoring a website for downtime to turn a confirmed problem into ongoing coverage and a tested alert workflow.

Frequently asked questions

What is the fastest way to check if a website is down for everyone?

Load the site on a different network, such as mobile data instead of Wi-Fi, or ask someone in another location to try it. If it fails on multiple independent networks, the site is likely down for everyone rather than just you.

Why does a website load for other people but not for me?

This usually points to a local cause: a cached DNS entry, browser extension, stale cookie, firewall rule, or an issue with your ISP or regional network path.

Does clearing my cache actually fix a false down report?

Sometimes. Clearing cache and cookies removes stale redirects and stored login state that can produce errors that look like an outage. A private browsing window is a faster way to test this.

What does a DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN error mean?

Your device could not resolve the domain name to an IP address. This can be caused by a typo, expired domain, DNS outage, or a misconfigured DNS resolver.

Should I trust a single third-party is-it-down checker?

Treat any single external check as one data point. Cross-reference at least two independent sources and prefer checks from multiple regions.