Troubleshooting: "My domain isn't working / shows an old site." (for Noobs)

Introduction

You've set up your hosting, pointed your domain, and you're excited to see your new website live! But when you type your domain name into the browser, it either doesn't work at all, shows an error, or even worse, displays an old website or a "coming soon" page from your host. This is a common and frustrating issue for noobs.

This guide will help you troubleshoot why your domain might not be working as expected.

What you'll achieve: You'll learn common reasons why your domain might not be resolving to your new website and steps to fix it. Prerequisites: * Knowing where your domain is registered (your domain registrar). * Knowing where your website is hosted (your web host). * Access to your domain registrar's control panel and your web hosting control panel.

Common Causes and Troubleshooting Steps

Here's a checklist of things to investigate:

DNS Propagation Delay (The Most Common Culprit!)
- The Issue: When you update your domain's nameservers to point to your new host, these changes need to spread across the internet. This process is called DNS propagation and is not instant.
- Symptoms: You might see your new site, while a friend sees the old one, or vice-versa. It can be inconsistent.
- How to Check/Fix:
  - Wait: DNS propagation can take anywhere from a few minutes to 24-48 hours (sometimes even 72 hours in rare cases). Often, this is just a waiting game.
  - Clear Your Browser Cache & DNS Cache: Your computer and browser might be "remembering" the old DNS information.
    - Browser Cache: Go to your browser settings and clear the browsing data (cache and cookies).
    - Local DNS Cache (Optional, a bit more advanced):
      - Windows: Open Command Prompt as administrator and type ipconfig /flushdns.
      - Mac: Open Terminal and type sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder.
  - Try a Different Network/Device: Check your site using your phone on mobile data (not Wi-Fi) or ask someone in another location.
  - Use an Online DNS Propagation Checker: Search for "DNS propagation checker" (e.g., dnschecker.org). Enter your domain name to see if the new nameservers are showing up in different parts of the world.
- Key Takeaway: If you've recently changed nameservers, patience is often the best solution.
Incorrect Nameservers at Your Domain Registrar
- The Issue: You might have entered the wrong nameserver addresses at your domain registrar, or made a typo.
- How to Check/Fix:
  - Find Correct Nameservers: Log in to your web hosting account. Look for the correct nameserver addresses (usually two, like ns1.yourhost.com and ns2.yourhost.com). They are often in your welcome email or a DNS/Domain section of your hosting control panel.
  - Verify at Registrar: Log in to your domain registrar (where you bought the domain). Go to the DNS or nameserver management section for your domain.
  - Compare and Correct: Carefully compare the nameservers listed at your registrar with the ones provided by your host. If they don't match exactly, update them. Even a small typo matters.
  - Remember: After correcting nameservers, DNS propagation (see point 1) will start again.
Old DNS Records or Conflicting Settings
- The Issue: Sometimes, old DNS records (like A records or CNAME records) at your domain registrar might conflict with your nameserver settings, or you might have settings at your host that are overriding things.
- How to Check/Fix (Slightly more advanced):
  - If using host's nameservers: Generally, once you set your domain to use your web host's nameservers, all other DNS records (like A, CNAME, MX) should be managed within your web hosting control panel's DNS zone editor, not at your domain registrar.
  - Check the DNS zone editor in your hosting control panel. Ensure the A record for your main domain (often represented by @ or yourdomain.com.) points to the correct IP address of your hosting server. Your host can provide this IP if needed.
  - If you recently switched hosts but kept your domain at the same registrar, ensure any old A records pointing to the previous host are removed or updated.
Website Files Not in the Correct Location on Server
- The Issue: Your domain might be pointing to the server correctly, but the server doesn't know which files to show because they are in the wrong folder, or your homepage isn't named correctly.
- How to Check/Fix:
  - Using your hosting control panel's File Manager, ensure your website files are uploaded to the correct web root directory. This is usually public_html, but can sometimes be htdocs, www, or a folder named after your domain.
  - Make sure your main homepage file is named index.html (all lowercase) and is directly inside this web root folder.
  - (See "How to Upload Your Website Files")
Domain Name Has Expired
- The Issue: If your domain registration has lapsed, it won't work.
- How to Check/Fix:
  - Log in to your domain registrar and check the domain's status and expiry date.
  - If expired, renew it immediately. It can take some time after renewal for it to become active again.
Hosting Account Issues
- The Issue: Your hosting account might be suspended (e.g., for non-payment) or experiencing technical difficulties.
- How to Check/Fix:
  - Log in to your web hosting account to check its status and any notifications.
  - Check your host's system status page (see "What to Do if Your Website Goes Down?").

When to Contact Support

If you've gone through these steps, waited for DNS propagation, and your domain still isn't working correctly: * Contact your web hosting support first: They can check server-side configurations and see how your domain is resolving from their end. * If your host says everything is fine on their end, you might then need to contact your domain registrar support to double-check domain-specific settings.

Provide them with clear information about what you're seeing, your domain name, and the troubleshooting steps you've already taken.

Conclusion

Domain and DNS issues are a common headache for beginners, primarily due to the unavoidable delay of DNS propagation. By systematically checking these points, you can often identify and resolve the problem. Patience is key, especially after making nameserver changes!