This Site Can't Be Reached: What Each Error Code Means

Chrome shows This site can't be reached when the browser never got a reply from the server. The small code underneath tells you why: the name did not resolve, the server refused, or the attempt timed out. Visitors fix network-side causes; site owners fix DNS records, a stopped server or a firewall.

Chrome error codes under 'This site can't be reached'
CodeWhat failedMost likely fix
DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAINThe domain has no DNS recordCheck spelling; owners check DNS and renewal
ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVEDLookup failed on this networkFlush DNS or switch DNS server
ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSEDServer said no on that portOwner starts the server or opens the port
ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUTNo reply at allFirewall, VPN or a server that is down
ERR_ADDRESS_UNREACHABLENo route to that addressWrong IP or a private address off your network

Updated

Unlike a 404 or 500 page, this screen comes from the browser itself, because no web page arrived. That narrows the fault to three stages: turning the name into an address, opening a connection, or waiting for the answer. The code tells you which stage failed and whether the fix sits with you or the site.

Check DNS and the connection yourself

Look up the domain and test the port

No answer from dig points at DNS; a fast 'Connection refused' from curl points at the server; a long wait points at a firewall.

dig +short example.com A
dig +short example.com AAAA
curl -sv --max-time 10 https://example.com -o /dev/null

Fixes for site owners

Start with DNS: the A or CNAME record must point at your host, and the domain must be paid up. Then check the server: a stopped web server gives refusals, while a cloud firewall or security group that drops port 443 gives timeouts.

If only some visitors see the error, compare IPv4 and IPv6. An AAAA record pointing at an address your server does not answer on breaks the site for IPv6 users only.

Local development is a different case

If the address starts with localhost or 127.0.0.1, the server is on your own machine, so see the localhost refused to connect guide. Sites published with We.Inc are served from our hosting, so an owner who sees this error should first confirm the domain's DNS records match the ones shown in the domain settings.

How it works

  1. Read the code under the message; it names the failed stage.
  2. Open the same address on mobile data; if it works there, the problem is your network.
  3. For DNS codes, flush the cache or change DNS server; for refusals and timeouts, check VPN and firewall.
  4. If it fails everywhere, the site owner must fix DNS, hosting or the server.

Tips

  • A domain that lapsed loses its DNS and shows NXDOMAIN to everyone. Owners should check the renewal date before anything else.
  • Newly pointed domains can resolve for some people and not others for up to the record's TTL, which is often an hour.
  • Office and school networks block some sites with a refused or timed-out connection rather than a notice page.
  • Turning off a VPN or proxy extension for one test is the quickest way to rule it out.

Frequently asked questions

Is this site can't be reached my problem or the website's?

Try another network, such as your phone on mobile data. If the site loads there, the cause is your connection, DNS or VPN. If it fails everywhere, the site itself is down or misconfigured.

How do I fix DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN?

Check the spelling first. If it is right, flush your DNS cache and try a public resolver such as 1.1.1.1. If nobody can open it, the domain has no records or has expired, which only the owner can fix.

What does refused to connect mean?

The server's machine answered but nothing accepted the connection on that port, or a firewall actively rejected it. For a public site the owner needs to start the web server or open port 443.

Why does a site show refused to connect inside a frame?

That version comes from the site forbidding embedding with X-Frame-Options or a frame-ancestors policy, not from a network fault. Our iframe guide covers it.

I just connected my domain. Why can't the site be reached?

DNS changes take time to reach every resolver, up to the old record's TTL and occasionally longer. Confirm the records are correct with a DNS lookup tool, then wait.

Related: localhost refused to connect, iframe refused to connect, DNS server not responding, What happens when a domain expires.

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