When websites won’t load, almost every digital task gets stuck, from school research to payments and streaming.
This guide focuses on the most essential fix because it affects every browser, app, and online tool you use.
You will troubleshoot in a clean order, so you stop guessing and start eliminating causes fast.
Understand the problem before you change settings
A “site can’t be reached,” “DNS error,” or endless loading screen usually means your browser can’t complete a connection.
The fastest wins come from confirming whether the problem is the website, your browser, or your network.
If you skip this step, you can waste time resetting things that were working fine.
You only need a few quick checks to point your next steps in the right direction.
Quickly confirm it’s not just the website
Open the same site on your phone using mobile data to see if it loads outside your Wi-Fi.
Try a second website you trust, like a major search engine, to confirm the internet is working at all.
Use an “is it down” checker site to see if the domain is offline for everyone or only for you.
Step 1: Do the fastest browser fixes first
Start with browser-only actions because they are quick, reversible, and fix a big share of loading failures.
Think of this as clearing “bad directions” your browser stored about how to reach a website.
If your issue disappears here, you save time and avoid touching deeper network settings.
Use the same steps whether you’re on Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari, or a mobile browser.
Hard refresh and try private mode
Do a hard refresh to force the browser to re-download page files instead of reusing cached ones.
Open a private or incognito window and test the site again to rule out cookies and session problems.
If private mode works, the issue is usually a cookie, extension, or saved site data problem.
Clear cache and cookies without wiping everything
Clear site data for just the problem website first, because it fixes logins and redirects with less disruption.
If that fails, clear cached images and files for the browser to remove corrupted resources that can block loading.
Only clear all cookies as a last resort, because it signs you out and resets many site preferences.
Disable extensions that intercept traffic
Temporarily disable ad blockers, script blockers, privacy extensions, password managers, and coupon tools that inject code.
Reload the site after disabling it, because one extension can break a page even if everything else is normal.
If the page works, re-enable extensions one by one to find the exact add-on causing the conflict.
Step 2: Check your network basics
If browser fixes didn’t help, move to network checks to see whether the connection is unstable or misrouted.
The goal is to isolate whether the problem is your device, your router, or your internet provider.
Small network issues often look like “random” failures, but they follow patterns you can test quickly.
Do these steps in order so you don’t mix changes and lose track of what actually fixed it.
Restart the right devices in the right order
Restart your device first, because it clears temporary network bugs and resets stuck background connections.
Power-cycle your router by unplugging it for about 20–30 seconds, then plugging it back in and waiting.
If you have a modem and a router, restart the modem first, then the router, then your device.
Run a quick speed and latency check
Use a speed test to see if download and upload are normal compared to what you usually get at home.
Check latency and packet loss if the tool shows them, because high loss causes timeouts even on “fast” plans.
If results are bad, test again closer to the router or via Ethernet to separate Wi-Fi problems from ISP problems.
Switch networks or hotspots to isolate the problem
Connect to a different Wi-Fi network or use a phone hotspot to see if the site loads elsewhere.
If the site works on another network, your home network, router, or ISP path is likely the cause.
If it fails everywhere, focus on browser settings, device security software, or the website itself being down.
Step 3: Fix DNS and IP problems
DNS is like the address book that translates a website name into the server address your device connects to.
When DNS breaks, the internet can look “half working,” where some sites load and others fail repeatedly.
You can fix many DNS issues without installing anything, using built-in tools on your device.
Make one change at a time, test the site, and stop as soon as the problem is solved.
Flush DNS and renew your address
On Windows, flush DNS and renew your IP using built-in commands, because stale entries can point to dead routes.
On macOS, flushing DNS can clear old resolver data that keeps sending you to the wrong server path.
On phones, toggling airplane mode or restarting can refresh network routes and clear temporary DNS failures.
Try a trusted public DNS and know when to undo it
Switch to a trusted public DNS like Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) or Google (8.8.8.8) if your default DNS is unreliable.
Test the site again, because a DNS change often fixes “server not found” errors immediately.
If it doesn’t help, you can revert to “automatic DNS” so you don’t keep a change that wasn’t necessary.
Step 4: Handle blocks, logins, and security layers
Some “won’t load” issues are not speed or DNS problems, but access blocks that interrupt normal browsing.
Public Wi-Fi, school networks, and family filters can redirect you to a login page that your browser never shows.
VPNs, proxies, and security apps can also block traffic when they think a site is risky or mismatched.
These checks are fast and can explain problems that look random across different websites.
Firewall, antivirus, VPN, and proxy checks
Turn off your VPN temporarily, because VPN routing issues can cause timeouts or region-based blocks.
Check if a proxy is enabled in your device’s network settings, because a leftover proxy can break every connection.
If the antivirus has “web protection,” pause it briefly to test, then add an exception rather than leaving protection off.
When the error mentions certificates or HSTS
If you see a certificate warning, confirm your device date and time are correct, because a wrong time breaks HTTPS.
Avoid bypassing security warnings on sensitive sites, because those alerts exist to protect your accounts and data.
If it only happens on one network, that network may be filtering traffic, so switching networks can confirm it.
Final recap you can reuse every time
Confirm whether the website is down, then do fast browser fixes before touching the router or DNS settings.
If the problem is network-related, isolate it by switching networks, restarting equipment, and checking speed and loss.
If it’s DNS-related, flush and test, then try a trusted public DNS and revert if it doesn’t help.
