Drupal is an incredibly powerful platform for websites as its vast array of themes and modules allow for endless website design and development possibilities to be made for updating the look and functionality of a website. Occasionally, when making these updates and changes, you may find that your Drupal website goes down. In this article, we will explain how to really know if your Drupal website is down, and the steps to take to get it back up and running.
What causes a Drupal website to go down?
While Drupal is a highly trusted platform that powers thousands of websites online today, it still may crash for a few reasons. Normally, if you are making updates to website code using quality Drupal website development services, you shouldn’t suffer a website crash. Other issues such as updates to the website’s functionality (through modules) or outward appearance (through themes) might also cause issues. But a small unnoticed mistake can indeed make your website go down. Below are a few causes of a Drupal website to go down.
- Accidental deletion of critical files, modules, theme files, user profiles, or content necessary to the function of the WordPress website
- Installation of an unsecure or unfamiliar module
- Use of an unrecognized or cheap theme
- Updates made to an existing module
- Expired Domain names
- Issues with website hosting availability (often experienced from shared hosting)
- Unexpected surges in website traffic
How Do You Check if Your Drupal Website is Down?
So now that we understand some of the causes of a Drupal website to go down, below are the steps to take to check if the website is really down or not:
1. Run an update script and clear your cache
Sometimes, the cause of a Drupal website error may be as simple as installing necessary updates on your end. First, try clearing your cache using the following steps:
[d8-root]/admin/config/development/performance (then click button “Clear all caches”
Or clear the cache in your database using
drush sqlq “TRUNCATE cache_default;TRUNCATE cache_bootstrap;TRUNCATE cache_container;TRUNCATE cache_discovery;TRUNCATE cache_data;” -l <uri> –no-interaction
For updates, use the “update.php” script
2. Use a website status checker to confirm that it really is down
Sometimes, your Drupal website may appear to be down but really isn’t. A quick search on any of the website status checkers below will confirm whether or not it is really down or if it is just an issue on your end.
https://downforeveryoneorjustme.com
https://www.isitdownrightnow.com
3. Check for expired domains
Another common cause of a Drupal website to go down is an issue with domain validity. Every domain name purchased will have an expiration date, so it is important to keep up with the necessary maintenance for updates to your website domain. Many domain registrations have a grace period of about 30 days for expiration, but it is imperative to keep on top of this to avoid your Drupal site going down. Some website hosting providers also include domain registration and maintenance as part of their services if this is something you don’t want to have to worry about.
You can check the current status of your website domain using the following website:
4. Check your connectivity
Your Drupal website may appear to be down, but it could be as simple as a connectivity issue on your end. First and foremost, check that your internet connection is up and all cords are properly connected for the technology you are using to access your Drupal website.
5. Check for hosting-related issues
If your Drupal website still does not appear to be running properly after checking for any connectivity issues on your end, the next step would be to check and potentially update your hosting. There are a few causes for hosting related issues:
-Using shared hosting. Instead choose dedicated hosting services as shared hosting can cause poor website performance and not enough data storage for the website to load properly
-Maintenance updates might be in progress for your hosting server
-Detection of a security threat causing the hosting to go down to prevent data theft or loss
-Repairs might be needed for server hardware
-Suspended hosting account for not keeping up with hosting-related billing
6. Server issues
If your server lacks the capabilities to keep your Drupal website up and running this may cause issues. Drupal websites are often very complex, and therefore require a high level of data storage to function properly. First, refresh your website to ensure the server is connected properly. Another server related issue could be your hardware, so make sure any necessary maintenance is taken care of for this. If neither of these steps solve the problem, you may need to reconsider your hosting services as they may not be providing enough data storage to allow for your Drupal website to perform correctly.
7. Problems with accessibility
Sometimes problems with accessibility on your end may cause your Drupal website to go down. Drupal now follows web content accessibility guidelines established by the World Wide Web Consortium. Some modules that will assist in keeping up with these accessibility standards include:
CKEditor Accessibility Checker
By going through each of the steps mentioned above, you should be able to check whether your Drupal website is really down, as well as have some suggestions about how to resolve it. It might be something as simple as a connectivity issue on your end, or might require some updates to your website hosting in order to accommodate the necessary data storage needs for your website to function at an optimal level.
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