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Troubleshooting: "I uploaded files, but my site looks broken." (for Noobs)

Introduction

You've carefully built your website on your computer, uploaded all the files to your web host, but when you visit your live domain, it's a mess! Images might be missing, styles (CSS) aren't applying, or links don't work. This is a common frustration for noobs when first publishing a site.

This guide will help you troubleshoot why your site might look broken after uploading files.

What you'll achieve: You'll learn common reasons for a broken-looking site after upload and how to fix them. Prerequisites: * You have uploaded your website files to your web host. * Access to your web hosting control panel (especially the File Manager). * A basic understanding of how your HTML, CSS, and image files are linked together.

Common Causes and Troubleshooting Steps

When your site looks fine locally but breaks online, it's almost always due to issues with file paths, missing files, or server configurations like case sensitivity.

  1. Incorrect File Paths (The Usual Suspect!)

    • The Issue: The links in your HTML code (to CSS files, JavaScript files, images, or other pages) might not be pointing to the correct locations on the server. Paths that worked on your local computer might not work on the live server.
    • Symptoms: Missing images, unstyled text (CSS not loading), links leading to "404 Not Found" errors.
    • How to Check/Fix:
      • Use Relative Paths: This is the most important fix. Ensure all your internal links are relative to the current HTML file, not absolute local paths.
        • Good (Relative):
          • <link rel="stylesheet" href="css/style.css">
          • <img src="images/logo.png" alt="My Logo">
          • <a href="about.html">About Us</a>
          • <a href="../contact.html">Contact</a> (goes up one directory)
        • Bad (Absolute Local - Will Break Online):
          • <link rel="stylesheet" href="file:///C:/MyWebsite/css/style.css">
          • <img src="C:\Users\YourName\Documents\MySite\images\logo.png">
      • Check Folder Structure: Ensure the folder structure on your web server (inside public_html or equivalent) exactly matches the folder structure you used locally when creating the relative links. If your CSS was in a css folder locally, it must be in a css folder on the server, at the same relative level to your HTML files.
      • Browser Developer Tools:
        • Right-click on your broken webpage in your browser and select "Inspect" or "Inspect Element."
        • Go to the "Console" tab. It will often show errors like "Failed to load resource: net::ERR_FILE_NOT_FOUND (404)" for missing files. This tells you exactly which files the browser can't find and what path it's trying to use.
        • Go to the "Network" tab (you might need to refresh the page). It also shows all files loaded (or attempted). Red entries usually indicate errors. Click on them to see the requested URL.

  2. Case Sensitivity (Very Common on Linux Servers!)

    • The Issue: Most web servers run on Linux, which is case-sensitive for filenames and folder names. Windows is generally not case-sensitive.
    • Symptoms: An image MyLogo.JPG linked in your HTML as <img src="images/mylogo.jpg"> will work on Windows locally but break on a Linux server because MyLogo.JPG and mylogo.jpg are considered different files.
    • How to Check/Fix:
      • Be Consistent: Pick a naming convention (e.g., all lowercase) for all your files and folders and stick to it.
      • Match Exactly: Ensure the filenames and folder names in your HTML/CSS code match the actual uploaded filenames and folder names exactly, including capitalization.
      • Use your File Manager on the server to check the actual names of uploaded files.

  3. Files Not Uploaded or Uploaded to the Wrong Place

    • The Issue: You might have forgotten to upload some files (especially CSS files, JavaScript files, or image folders), or you uploaded them outside the main web root directory (e.g., outside public_html).
    • How to Check/Fix:
      • Use your hosting control panel's File Manager to browse your server.
      • Verify that all necessary files and folders are present in the correct web root directory (public_html or equivalent).
      • If you uploaded a ZIP file, ensure it was extracted correctly and into the right location.

  4. Homepage Not Named index.html

    • The Issue: If your main page loads but links to other pages are broken, or if you just see a directory listing, ensure your other HTML pages are correctly named and linked. If the main page itself isn't loading, ensure it's index.html.
    • How to Check/Fix:
      • Your primary homepage file in the root of your website directory (e.g., public_html/index.html) must be named index.html (or index.htm).
      • Other HTML pages should be linked correctly using relative paths.

  5. Permissions Issues (Less Common for Simple Uploads)

    • The Issue: Files and folders on a web server have permissions that dictate who can read, write, or execute them. Incorrect permissions can sometimes prevent files from being accessed by the web server.
    • How to Check/Fix:
      • This is usually not an issue if you upload via your host's File Manager, as it often sets correct permissions.
      • If using FTP, files should typically have permissions like 644 and folders 755.
      • If you suspect this, consult your host's documentation or support. It's less common for simple static sites to have permission issues immediately after upload unless you've manually changed them.

  6. Caching Issues

    • The Issue: Your browser or a caching layer (like Cloudflare, if you use it) might be serving an old, broken version of your site.
    • How to Check/Fix:
      • Clear Browser Cache: Force a hard refresh (Ctrl+F5 or Cmd+Shift+R) or clear your browser's cache and cookies.
      • Incognito/Private Mode: Try loading your site in an incognito or private browsing window.
      • Purge CDN/Caching Service: If you use a CDN like Cloudflare, log in to its dashboard and purge the cache for your site.

When to Contact Support

If you've meticulously checked file paths, case sensitivity, ensured all files are uploaded to the correct public_html directory, and cleared caches, and your site still looks broken: * Contact your web hosting support. They can look at server logs and help identify if there's a server-side configuration issue or something else you might have missed. * Be ready to tell them your domain name, what looks broken, and what you've already tried.

Conclusion

A "broken looking" site after upload is usually due to simple path or filename mismatches. Using your browser's developer tools (Console and Network tabs) is incredibly helpful for diagnosing which files are not loading correctly. With a bit of careful checking, you can usually get your site looking perfect online!