Domain connection errors can occur for many reasons, some of which may be easily corrected.
If you're seeing a connection error when trying to visit your site, there may be an error within your domain's settings, within your browser, or with the domain itself. This article will cover some of the most common connection issues and their solutions.
New domain connection
If your domain name is newly purchased from Format, or newly connected from a third-party domain registrar, it will take up to 48 hours for the connection to propagate. Connection errors are common during this time and normally resolve on their own.
You might see an error code when trying to access your site via your domain name. These numeric error codes are called HTTP Status Codes. The most common error code when domains are newly connected is Error 1001: DNS Resolution Error.
What Error 1001 indicates is that your domain's DNS records have not finished propagating. In simpler terms, it means that your domain needs more time to finish connecting. If you see this error, please allow 24 hours before trying to access your site again.
HTTP Status Codes: HTTP status codes help determine the source of a domain connection error. For example, codes starting with 5 indicate a server-side (Format) error, whereas codes starting with 4 indicate a client (local) error. You can view a full list of HTTP status codes on Cloudflare.
If you need to escalate a domain connection issue, please include a screenshot of the error code in your message to us.
Old 4ormat.com CNAME record
This error is only seen with very old Format sites. Originally, when Format was still quite young as a service, domains were connected a bit differently. Instead of using a CNAME with your unique Format address, CNAMEs used the following value: 4ormat.com
To clarify, your domain will still connect to your Format site even if it's using an old 4ormat.com CNAME record. However, some devices might infrequently experience an insecure domain connection.
If you're experiencing an insecure domain connection or domain connection issues only on select devices, please log in to your domain registrar (e.g. GoDaddy, Hover, etc.) and check your domain's www CNAME. If it reads as 4ormat.com, you will need to update this.
You can check our domain connection guides for more info on what your new CNAME record should look like.
Please note: If your domain is managed and renewed through Format, you will never experience this issue, as your domain's DNS records will always be updated to the correct settings. If you have a Format domain but are still seeing intermittent connection issues or an insecure connection that cannot be easily resolved, please reach out to our Success Team via live chat or email at info@format.com.
Incorrect DNS records
Similar to the above section, your domain will not connect if its DNS records are incorrect. This will only occur if you use a third-party domain name, not a Format domain.
Please view our domain connection guides for more information on correcting your domain's DNS settings.
Please note: If you have recently changed your site's Format Address, you will also need to update your domain's www CNAME record within your domain registrar, following the steps in our domain connection guides.
Newly transferred domain names
If you recently initiated or completed transferring your domain to Format and are seeing a persistent connection error, there may be an issue with either the transfer or the domain settings.
Cancelled transfers: Domain transfers can be cancelled by your current (non-Format) registrar without notice. If your domain has been stuck in a pending transfer state for more than 10 days, please contact our Success Team so we can look into this for you.
DNSSEC records: Records from your previous domain registrar can carry over to Format, which can negatively impact your domain connection. These types of records are called DNSSEC records. If your domain has completed transferring to Format but you're still seeing a persistent connection issue, please contact our Success Team so that we can check if there is a DNSSEC record present.
SSL on root domain
Format does not provide an SSL on your root domain (your domain name minus the www.). As such, your site will not load at https://yourdomain.com. Your site will still be accessible from the following URLs:
- yourdomain.com
- www.yourdomain.com
- http://yourdomain.com
- http://www.yourdomain.com
- https://www.yourdomain.com
As well, your site will always be accessible via its Format address.
Connection errors only on specific pages
If you're experiencing an error when trying to access a specific page, it's likely that the error is with the page itself, and not with your domain name.
If this is the case, you'll likely see a three-number HTTP Status Code beginning with either 5 or 4. Some common examples are 500, 400, 404, etc.
Double-check that you've spelled your domain name correctly. If this doesn't solve the issue, please reach out to our Success Team so we can take a closer look.
Blocked or suspicious site
Your site may be blocked or considered suspicious if there is an issue with your domain's Cloudflare certificate (SSL). This could be due to a DNSSEC record or 4ormat.com CNAME record, which we mentioned previously. Rarely, it could also be an error related to the wifi network you're connected to.
If you are on a public wifi network (e.g. a public cafe, hospital, etc.) or a network in a place of work or school, your site may be blocked by the network itself, or wrongly marked as suspicious due to heightened security settings.
Try viewing your site on a different network, or have a friend or family member view your site on their wifi network. This can help determine if the connection issue is related to your current wifi network.
Expired domain
Of course, the most common cause of a domain connection issue (aside from incorrect DNS records) is domain expiry. If you use a domain managed by a third-party registrar, you should log in to your domain registrar and check your domain's status.
If you have a Format domain, you can log in to your Format account and check your domain's status by navigating to Settings > Domain and Email.
- Status: shows as Disconnected
- Expires: expiry date shows a date in the past
If your domain has expired and you would like to renew it, please reach out to our Success Team via live chat or email at info@format.com. Domain names can be renewed within 30 days of expiring.
General troubleshooting steps
If none of the above errors seem to match the issues you're seeing, there are a couple of general troubleshooting steps you can perform.
First, it is always a good idea to ask a family member or friend to try viewing your site on their devices.
If this fails, you can try clearing your browser's cache, then viewing your site again.
Still have questions? Reach us on our live chat or email us at info@format.com. We’re here to help!