The first thirty minutes
Before anything: do not start changing settings. Most of the damage we are called to repair happened after the outage, not during it, because somebody began clicking under pressure.
In order
- Minute 1. Check it is really down. Try it on your phone with Wi-Fi switched off. If it loads there, the problem is your own network or a cached version on your computer, and your customers are fine.
- Minute 5. Look for an expiry. Two renewals quietly end a site: the domain and the hosting. Search your inbox, including spam, for anything from the registrar or host in the last two weeks. An expired card is the single most common cause we see.
- Minute 10. Read the error. Write down the exact words on the screen. Not secure, 500, database connection, account suspended and this domain is for sale each point somewhere different.
- Minute 15. Ask what changed yesterday. Updates, a new plugin, a payment, a staff member leaving, a password rotation. Sites rarely fall over spontaneously.
- Minute 20. Preserve what you can. If you have access to a backup, make a copy before anyone attempts a fix. A copy costs nothing and has saved many afternoons.
When to stop and call
If you cannot get in, if money is not reaching you, or if customers are seeing anything alarming, stop. Those are the hours when a wrong click turns an afternoon into a week.
What we do when you call: a short consult, agreements signed in minutes, access, and work starts immediately. The fix lands within 24 hours of signing and comes with a certificate of guarantee. Pricing is discussed at the consultation. That is the service on emergency fixes.