How to Check If a Website Is Down (And What the Results Mean)

When to check if a website is down

You might run a check when a site won't load in your browser, when you're debugging your own site or a client's, or when you need to confirm whether a domain is registered and responding. A checker runs the request from its server, so you get an objective result: if our server can reach the site and get an HTTP response, we show you the status code and timing. If the domain doesn't resolve or the connection fails, we show an error. That helps you tell the difference between "the site is down" and "my network or browser has a problem."

What the checker results mean

After you enter a URL and run a check, you'll see a status such as Online, Offline, Error, or Online but Limited. Online usually means the server responded with a successful HTTP code (often 200). Offline or Error means the request failed: for example the domain didn't resolve (DNS problem), the connection was refused, or the request timed out. Online but Limited means we could reach the server but didn't get full content (e.g. the site uses bot protection or rate limiting). In all cases, the HTTP status code and response time give you more detail for troubleshooting.

Understanding HTTP status codes

Every HTTP response includes a numeric status code. Here are the ones you'll see most often when checking websites:

• 200 OK - The request succeeded. The site is up and returned the requested page or resource.
• 301 / 302 - Redirect. The server is telling the client to look elsewhere (permanent or temporary). Our checker follows redirects and shows the final URL and code.
• 404 Not Found - The URL path doesn't exist on the server. The site is online but that specific page is missing.
• 403 Forbidden - The server refused the request. Sometimes this is bot protection (we may show "Online but Limited" in that case).
• 429 Too Many Requests - Rate limiting. The server is online but is limiting how many requests it accepts.
• 500, 502, 503 - Server errors. The site or its backend had an internal error, is overloaded, or a gateway (e.g. load balancer) couldn't get a response. The site is often "up" but failing to serve requests correctly.

So a 404 doesn't mean the site is down - it means that specific URL isn't there. A 500 or 503 suggests a server-side problem. Response time (in milliseconds) tells you how long the server took to respond; a very high number can indicate slowness or congestion.

Using the checker effectively

Enter the exact URL or domain you care about (e.g. example.com or https://example.com/page). Use the result to decide next steps: if the status is Online with 200, the site is reachable from our server. If you see Offline or Error, check the message (e.g. "Could not resolve host" vs "Connection refused") to narrow down whether the issue is DNS, network, or the server. For more questions, see our FAQ or contact us.