How the website down checker works
When a page stops loading, the first question is always the same: is it down or just me? Either the site itself has gone down, or something between you and the site is failing. The check above answers that from outside your network: a server sends a real request to the address you entered and records what comes back, so your browser, your Wi-Fi and your internet provider are taken out of the picture.
- The name is resolved
The checker looks up the domain in DNS. If no address comes back, the site cannot be reached by anyone using that name.
- A request is sent
It connects, completes the TLS handshake and asks for the page, following redirects the way a browser would.
- The answer is measured
The HTTP status, the time to the first response and every redirect hop are recorded and shown as they happened.
The website down checker runs from a data centre in your region, on a cloud network with locations on every continent, so a site answers it much as it would answer a visitor near you. The result names the city the check came from. Each check is a single measurement from one location at one moment. A site can fail in one region and work in another, and some services block automated requests on purpose. The result tells you what the server saw; the guides below help you test your own connection against it.
Is it down or just me? Website status in three comparisons
The question behind most visits here is simple: is it down or just me? Three comparisons answer it reliably, and each takes less than a minute.
- Compare with the checker
The result above comes from outside your network. If it fails too, the site has a real problem and nothing on your side needs fixing.
- Compare networks
Open the site on your phone with Wi-Fi switched off. If it loads on mobile data, your router, provider or a network filter is the cause.
- Compare browsers
Open a private window or a second browser. If the site loads there, an extension, a cookie or the cache in your usual browser is the problem.
When all three point away from you, the answer to is it down is yes, and waiting is the only fix. When the checker passes and one of the other comparisons fails, the answer to is it down or just me is clear as well: it is your setup, and the guides on this site help you find which part. The longer version of this routine is in the guide on whether a site is down for everyone or just you.
What each website status result means
Reading HTTP status codes
The status code is the site's own one-line answer to the request. It is usually the fastest way to tell an outage from a block or a moved page.
| Code | What the server said | What it usually means for you |
|---|---|---|
| 200 | OK | The site works. A problem on your side is more likely. |
| 403 | Forbidden | Access refused, often a block on bots, regions or networks. |
| 404 | Not found | The site is up, but that page is gone or the address is wrong. |
| 500 | Internal server error | Something broke on the site's side. Wait and retry. |
| 502 / 504 | Bad gateway / gateway timeout | A server in front of the site got no good answer from the one behind it. |
| 503 | Service unavailable | Overloaded or in maintenance. Typical during large outages. |
Is it down right now? Fresh results, not old reports
Every check runs at the moment you press the button, and the result shows the exact time it was taken. Results for the same address are reused for up to 45 seconds, so a rush of people checking a popular service at once does not slow the check down. After that, the next request goes to the site again. If you want to know whether a site is down right now, check, wait a minute and check once more: two failed results in a row are a much stronger signal than one.
The site does not show outage maps or counts of user reports. Those are estimates built from what visitors say, and they can lag behind the real state of a service or exaggerate a small problem. Here every result is a measurement of the site itself. Popular services also keep a short history of recent checks on their own pages, drawn from real requests only.
Popular services you can check
Big services fail in more complicated ways than a single website, so many of them have their own page with a live check that runs as soon as the page opens, the problems people run into most, the error messages they actually see and links to official help. A few that people check often:
- TikTok, X (Twitter), Instagram and Discord among social apps
- HBO Max, Peacock, Paramount+ and Netflix among streaming services
- Roblox, Madden NFL, Fortnite and Steam among games
- Starlink and other internet providers, where a local outage looks very different from a website problem
The full list is on the services page. For any other site, type its address into the website down checker at the top of the page; it works for any public website.
When your internet is down, not the website
Sometimes nothing loads at all. In that case the question is not whether one website is down but whether your own connection works. Check the modem lights first: a missing or blinking internet light means the line to your home has dropped. Then open any site on your phone with Wi-Fi switched off. If mobile data works, the problem is your home connection, and restarting the modem and router is the first fix.
If neighbours on the same provider are offline too, an outage in your area is likely. Providers show area outages in their own apps and outage maps, which you can open over mobile data. The internet and mobile section explains how to check your provider and what to try at home while you wait.
When the site is up but won't load for you
A "Reachable" result while the page keeps failing on your screen points to something local. Work through these in order; most problems are solved by the second or third step.
- Try another network
Switch from Wi-Fi to mobile data. If the site loads, the issue sits with your router or provider.
- Open a private window
This skips extensions and stored cookies, two common causes of half-loaded pages.
- Flush the DNS cache
An outdated address stored on your device can point to a server that no longer answers.
- Restart the app or device
For apps, a full close and reopen clears stuck sessions that a refresh does not.
Questions
Does "reachable" mean the service works for everyone?
No. It means the site answered the check server normally at that moment. Logins, payments or video playback can still fail while the main page loads, and a site can work in one region while failing in another.
Why does the result say automated checks are blocked?
Many large sites filter traffic that does not come from a regular browser. When that happens the checker cannot see the real page, so it reports the block instead of guessing whether the site is up.
How often can I run a check?
Up to 12 checks a minute from one connection. A check of the same address within 45 seconds returns the stored result, so a sudden rush of visitors does not flood the site being checked.
Can I check a site that requires a login?
The checker tests the public address only. It can tell you whether the login page answers, not whether your account works once you are signed in.
Is it down for everyone or just me?
Run the check above. It tests the site from a server outside your network. If the check fails too, the site is down for everyone it can reach. If the check passes, the problem is on your side: try mobile data, a private window and a DNS flush, in that order.
How do I check if a website is down right now?
Type the address or service name into the checker at the top of this page and press the button. The result appears within a few seconds and shows the time it was measured. Run it again a minute later if the first result is unreachable.
Is my internet working?
Look at your modem lights, then open any site on your phone with Wi-Fi off. If mobile data works and home Wi-Fi does not, your home connection is down. If several sites fail but the checker here still answers over mobile data, your provider or router is the cause.
Is the internet down in my area?
Area outages are shown by your internet provider, not by a website checker. Open your provider's app or outage page over mobile data, or sign in to your account there. Neighbours on the same provider being offline is another strong sign.
Is this website down or blocked?
If the check shows the site as reachable but it fails on one network only, such as school or office Wi-Fi, a network block is likely. If the result says automated checks are blocked, the site filters bots and is probably fine for people.
What does 'reachable but slow' mean?
The site answered, but took longer than three seconds. Pages may load partly, videos may buffer and forms may time out. Slow results are common during big events and sales, when many people use a service at once.
Why does the checker show a redirect?
Most sites send the first request somewhere else: from the bare domain to www, from http to https, or to a login or regional page. The redirect line shows how many hops there were and where the request finally ended.
Does a 403 result mean the site is down?
No. A 403 means the server is running and refused the request. Many large sites block automated checks this way. Open the site directly in your browser to see whether it works for you.
Is the site down if the DNS lookup fails?
If the name does not resolve to any address, nobody can reach the site by that name. The cause is usually an expired domain, a DNS provider outage or a mistake in the site's settings. Check the spelling of the address first.
Can I check apps as well as websites?
The checker tests web addresses. For apps such as TikTok, Discord or Roblox, the service pages check the address the app's service is built on and explain how the app can fail even when that address answers.
Does the checker store the sites I check?
Only checks of services that have their own page here are kept, for up to thirty days, to draw the recent-checks chart. Other addresses you check are not stored. No account or cookie is needed to use it.