When the website is ready to be published, it's time to update the DNS records. This is be done by editing the DNS records so that the domain (example.com) will begin to direct web traffic and visitors to the new server. The global Domain Name System (DNS) has it's own caches, which causes a short period – for example, an hour – during which the DNS is still updating itself with the new data (also known as DNS propagation). During this time, some visitors may be directed to the old server, and the rest to the new one.
However if your site is not loading or you see an error message, there could be several other reasons. Most often, the issue is related to the domain's name server (DNS) settings or a temporary server disruption.
Below you will find the most common causes and instructions on how to resolve the situation.
ATTN!
If you didn't give a domain when making an order, site won't receive traffic even if DNS settings are correct.
In this case contact our customer support, [email protected].
Domain and DNS Hosting
If you have transferred your domain to Seravo and the DNS is in our control, you need not worry about the DNS – we'll do the necessary changes for you when it's time to publish your website.
If you wish us to take care of the publishing for you, and to eventually control the DNS yourself with Seravo plugin in WordPress, get in touch with us to initiate a domain transfer – all we need from your current service provider are the domain transfer key and DNS records (and that the domain transfer lock has been lifted!)
If you wish to use external nameservers and control the DNS elsewhere, please make sure the IP addresses provided by Seravo are used in the DNS records. Information about the server cluster of your website and the records required to direct the web traffic to Seravo were sent at the time of delivering your order, along with the credentials to your website. You can also find more information in this help article.
Check Your Domain’s DNS Records
If the site is completely new or you have recently made changes to the name servers, the issue might be with the domain's DNS records (such as A or CNAME records). Please check that the records point to the correct server cluster.
Are the records correct? You can find a list of all possible server clusters and their IP addresses in this article.
Was the change made recently? The updating of DNS records worldwide (known as DNS propagation) can take anywhere from a few minutes up to 24–48 hours.
Tip: You can check the status of your records using public tools like WhatsMyDNS.net.
Has the Domain Expired?
Sometimes the reason is simply that the annual domain fee was accidentally left unpaid, and the domain registration has expired. You can check the status and validity of your domain through services like Traficom (for .fi domains) or via a Whois lookup for international domains.
SSL/TLS Certificate Is Not Installed
If the site has just been launched or the domain has recently been pointed to our servers, your browser may display a warning about an unsecure connection. This usually means that the site's free Let's Encrypt certificate has not yet been generated. Seravo's automated system takes care of the certificate but if DNS changes have been done incorrectly (e.g. if www.example.con and example.com accidentally point to different hosts) the certificate can't be installed correctly.
How is the certificate related to DNS data? Our automated system can only generate and activate certificates after the domain's DNS changes have propagated across the network and the domain points to our server.
What to do? It may take a moment for the certificate to be generated after the DNS information has updated. If the site was just launched, please wait a moment and try reloading the page (e.g., in your browser's private window).
If you have any questions about the certificates or the process in general, don't hesitate to get in touch with us prior to publishing. If the website was published ages ago and the certificate still won't work, please get in touch with us and we'll have a look!
Browser or Local Network Cache
Sometimes a website works for everyone else but not on your own computer. This is often caused by local caching.
Try opening the website in your browser's private mode (Incognito / Private browsing).
Try testing the site using a mobile network (e.g., on your phone with Wi-Fi turned off) to bypass your local network's DNS cache.
The WordPress Settings (Siteurl, Home)
Right after redirecting the domain's web traffic, i.e., after making DNS changes (within an hour, for example), you must ensure that the new correct domain name is used on the development site. In most cases, Seravo's automation takes care of this and changes the site address from example.fi-c.seravo.com to the correct format, example.com. A good tool for this is the WP-CLI command search-replace, which can be used to change all addresses from one format to another in the database at once. The Seravo Plugin also includes a tool for searching and replacing in the database. Check out our instructions for changing your website's domain name here.
Seravo's automation only changes the address when the site is published. If you want to change the domain name on your website from example.com to example.net, you must change the domain manually according to the instructions linked above.
How Long Does It take to Publish a Website?
Generating a certificate, taking care of the WordPress settings and database as well as updating the DNS takes time, and thus directing web traffic to a new server is not as straightforward as it might first seem. If you're planning to publish a website on Seravo's servers and the domain has been transferred to us, and DNS is in our control, typically we are able to publish your website in couple hours. However, it's always a good idea to get in touch with us and agree on a go-live time with us beforehand, so that we can make preparations to ensure the publishing process of your Seravo WordPress website will be as smooth as possible.
Are You Publishing a Multisite?
The configuration of multisite addresses and the necessary steps for publication differ from a normal website in many ways. To ensure that everything runs smoothly and without unnecessary interruptions, learn about multisite address configuration and publication here!
Do You Need More Information or Help?
Has your website stopped working, and you are not sure where to start? We are happy to help!
To help us process your request faster, please let us know:
Which domain name (URL) the issue concerns.
What kind of error message the browser displays (e.g., DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN or 502 Bad Gateway). You can also attach a screenshot of the error.
Please contact our customer service by email at [email protected].