Troubleshooting

DNS changes take 24-48 hours to propagate globally due to caching. Your domain works locally once your ISP's DNS cache updates, but users worldwide see old DNS for up to 48 hours. Check propagation status at whatsmydns.net. If it's been more than 48 hours and still not working, verify the nameservers are correct in your registrar panel and that your hosting provider configured the DNS zone properly.

Common transfer failure causes: domain is locked (unlock it in current registrar), authorization code is wrong (request a new one), domain was registered/transferred in the last 60 days (ICANN mandates 60-day lock), or contact email wasn't confirmed. Check transfer status at the gaining registrar, fix the issue, and restart the transfer. Contact both registrars if the issue persists after 48 hours.

Yes, if you act quickly. Domains typically have a 30-day grace period after expiration where you can renew at normal price. After that, there's often a 30-day redemption period with a higher fee ($150-200). After redemption, domains go to pending delete (5 days) then become available to anyone. Contact your registrar immediately—the sooner you act, the cheaper and easier recovery is.

Domains can't be unlocked if: registered/transferred within 60 days (ICANN lock), registrant contact was recently changed (60-day lock), domain is in redemption or pending delete status, or registry/court ordered a lock. Check your domain's EPP status codes for clientTransferProhibited or serverTransferProhibited. Contact your registrar if you believe the lock is incorrect—they can sometimes remove voluntary locks.

If the domain resolves (DNS works) but the site won't load, the issue is with your hosting, not your domain. Common causes: hosting account suspended, server down, incorrect file permissions, .htaccess errors, SSL certificate problems, or application crashes. Check your hosting control panel for errors, verify account is active, and contact your hosting provider's support team.

This error means DNS isn't resolving. Diagnose with: ping your domain (if it fails, DNS isn't working), verify nameservers are correct at your registrar, check if DNS propagation is complete at whatsmydns.net, confirm your hosting provider configured DNS records, and try flushing your local DNS cache (ipconfig /flushdns on Windows, sudo dscacheutil -flushcache on Mac). If nameservers are wrong, update them and wait 24-48 hours.

SSL errors occur when: certificate expired, certificate doesn't match your domain name, certificate not trusted by browsers, or HTTPS not properly configured. If you just changed hosting or DNS, your new host may need to issue a new SSL certificate. Most hosts offer free Let's Encrypt certificates—install one through your hosting control panel. For custom certificates, ensure the certificate chain is complete.

DNS changes often break email because MX records point to old mail servers. Fix by: verifying MX records point to your email provider's servers, checking A records for mail subdomain if needed, confirming TXT records for SPF/DKIM if using professional email, and waiting for DNS propagation. Get correct MX and TXT records from your email provider's documentation. Test with MX Toolbox after changes.

Parked domain pages appear when: nameservers point to registrar's default servers, DNS records aren't configured at your hosting provider, hosting account expired or was deleted, or you haven't set up a website yet. Fix by pointing nameservers to your hosting provider or configuring A records to point to your hosting IP address. This usually resolves within 24-48 hours.

WHOIS mismatches occur when registry data doesn't match registrar data or your account info. This can block transfers. Fix by: updating contact information at your registrar, waiting 24-48 hours for WHOIS to sync, requesting a manual WHOIS update from your registrar, and verifying all contact emails. For persistent issues, escalate to registrar support with screenshots of the mismatches.