Troubleshooting hosting problems
Step-by-step guidance for diagnosing and resolving the most common hosting issues — from site downtime to SSL warnings to slow loading.
When something goes wrong with your website, it can be hard to tell whether it's a hosting problem, a WordPress problem, or a DNS issue. This guide helps you work through the most common scenarios.
Quick summary
Start by checking your hosting provider's status page. Then try your site in a private browser window. Most hosting problems fall into a few categories: site down, SSL warning, slow loading, or login issues. Work through the relevant section below, then contact us or your host if the issue persists.
Before you troubleshoot: check the host's status page
If your site is down or behaving strangely, the first step is always to check whether your hosting provider is experiencing a known issue:
- Flywheel: Check via the Flywheel website or dashboard
- WP Engine: Check
wpenginestatus.com - Kinsta: Check
kinstastatus.com
If there's an active incident, your host is already working on it. All you can do is wait.
Problem: My site is completely down
Check the host's status page (links above) for active incidents.
Try your site in a private/incognito browser window to rule out browser cache issues.
Ask someone else to try your site from a different network. If they can reach it and you can't, the issue may be with your internet connection or local DNS.
Use a third-party checker like downforeveryoneorjustme.com to confirm the site is unreachable globally.
Check your hosting account — log in and see if it shows your site as active or if there's a payment or account issue. See renewing hosting.
Contact us if none of the above resolves the issue or if the hosting dashboard shows a problem.
Problem: "Not secure" or SSL warning in the browser
Check if the URL starts with https:// and has a padlock. If not, your SSL certificate may not be active.
Log in to your hosting dashboard and check the SSL section for your site. Look for any error messages.
If DNS was recently changed, wait up to 24 hours. SSL certificates can only be issued after DNS is fully pointing to the hosting server.
If the padlock is broken (but the URL is https://), there's likely a mixed-content issue — some elements are loading over HTTP. This requires a WordPress fix. Contact us.
See what is SSL & HTTPS? for background.
Problem: My site is very slow
Check if you're logged in. Logged-in users bypass the cache — your experience may be slower than what visitors see. Test in a private browser window.
Clear the server cache from your hosting dashboard (Flywheel, WP Engine, or Kinsta all have a cache clear button).
Check the hosting status page for any performance incidents.
Contact us if slowness persists after clearing cache. There may be a plugin issue or a server resource problem.
Problem: My changes aren't showing up for visitors
Clear the server cache from your hosting dashboard. This is the most common cause.
Check in a private/incognito browser window to confirm the cached visitor view.
If on Flywheel: Purge from the Flywheel dashboard or the WordPress admin.
If on WP Engine: Purge from the User Portal or via the WP Engine menu in WordPress admin.
If on Kinsta: Clear cache from MyKinsta Tools section or via the Kinsta admin bar button.
Problem: I can't log in to the hosting dashboard
Try the "Forgot password?" option on the login page to reset your credentials.
Check your spam folder for the reset email.
Contact the hosting provider's support directly via their support center or help documentation. They can verify your account and reset access.
Contact us and we can check whether our team can assist with account access.
Problem: Email stopped working after a hosting change
Check your MX records — email relies on DNS MX records that should not have been changed during a hosting migration. See hosting vs email.
Log in to your DNS provider (registrar, Cloudflare, etc.) and verify MX records are intact.
Contact us immediately if MX records were accidentally modified — this is time-sensitive.
Common questions
Related guides
- Hosting uptime & downtime
- What is SSL & HTTPS?
- Hosting vs email: why they're separate
- How to contact your host's support
- My website is down
- Browser cache & hard refresh
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