Figure out whether the problem is the site, the browser, or your device.
Refresh the page, try another website, open the problem site in another browser or private window, check the URL, restart the browser, disable suspicious extensions, clear site-specific data if needed, and test another device.
If every website is failing, you probably have a broader internet or network problem.
But if Google loads, email works, streaming works, and one specific website refuses to cooperate, that points us in a different direction.
We want to narrow down whether the issue belongs to the website itself, your browser, your device, your connection, or something blocking that specific site.
Start by testing the scope.
8 things to try
Refresh the page.
Start with a normal refresh. Sometimes a page fails during loading and simply needs another attempt.
If the page partially loads, looks broken, or shows an old error, close the tab and open the website again.
Check the website address.
Look carefully at the URL in the address bar.
A misspelled domain, old bookmark, broken link, or outdated saved page can send you somewhere that no longer exists.
Try another website.
Open a few unrelated websites.
If none of them work, you're probably looking at an internet or Wi-Fi problem instead of a website problem.
If everything else works, continue.
Try a private or incognito window.
Open the same website in a private or incognito browsing window.
If it works there, the problem may involve saved cookies, cached site data, a logged-in session, or a browser extension.
Try another browser.
If you normally use Chrome, try Edge, Firefox, Safari, or another browser already installed on your device.
If the website works normally in another browser, you've narrowed the problem down considerably.
The issue is likely related to your original browser, its stored data, or one of its extensions.
Restart the browser or device.
Completely close the browser and reopen it.
If that doesn't help, restart the entire computer, phone, or tablet and test the site again.
This clears temporary processes that can cause odd browser and connection behavior.
Check browser extensions or blockers.
Ad blockers, privacy extensions, security tools, VPNs, and browser add-ons can occasionally block parts of a site or prevent it from loading at all.
If you recently installed or updated an extension, temporarily disable it and test the website again.
Start with the specific website.
Clearing your entire browser history, cookies, and saved sessions can sign you out of lots of websites. If your browser allows it, remove data for the problem site first before wiping everything.
Test the website on another device or network.
Open the same website on another phone, tablet, or computer.
If possible, also test it on a different connection, such as cellular data instead of your home Wi-Fi.
This is one of the fastest ways to figure out where the problem lives.
Now we narrow it down.
If the website still won't open, check what you've learned:
- Does it fail in every browser?
- Does it fail on another device?
- Does it work on cellular data but not Wi-Fi?
- Does private browsing work while normal browsing doesn't?
- Is the problem limited to one account or login?
- Did the problem begin after installing a VPN, extension, or security tool?
Those answers help separate a browser problem, network problem, filtering issue, account issue, or website outage.