How to Fix: Website Not Showing After Upload

After uploading your website files to your hosting account, you might expect your website to go live immediately, but sometimes, it does not show up as expected. This guide will help you troubleshoot common reasons why your website is not displaying after upload.

*We will cover two types of website backup upload:
• Static websites (HTML files only)
• Dynamic websites (websites that use a database)

Follow the steps below based on the type of website you uploaded.

 

 

1. Static websites (HTML files only)

If your website was built using only HTML, CSS, and images without any content management system (CMS) or database, it is considered a static website. These websites are simpler to upload and maintain, but they still need to be placed in the correct folder with the right file format to show up properly.

• Wrong Folder:
Ensure your files are uploaded to the correct folder, typically public_html. If they are in another folder, your website will not load.

• Uploaded a ZIP file instead of the unzipped contents:
If you uploaded a .zip file, remember to extract it in the File Manager. Compressed files will not display as a website unless unzipped.

• Wrong file format or missing index file:
Ensure that a file named index.html or index.php exists. This is the default file browsers look for. If missing, your website may show a 403 error.

2. Dynamic websites (websites that use a database)

If your website uses a database-driven platform such as WordPress, Joomla, or another CMS, simply uploading the website files is not enough. You also need to set up and connect the database correctly for the website to work.

In this section, we will cover two common situations where database-related issues prevent your website from displaying after uploading.

• Situation 1: Migrating an existing website to a new hosting account (like Z.com)
You uploaded the website files but have not yet created and connected the database — a common issue during migration.

• Situation 2: Created a new database, but forgot to import the data
You created the database, but forgot to import the actual data from your backup, which results in an empty or broken website.

Please refer to the situation that matches your case to resolve the issue.

Situation 1: Migrating an existing website to a new hosting account (like Z.com)

This error occurs because the wp-config.php file attempts to connect to a database that does not exist or has incorrect credentials.

1. Create a new database. You may click here for a guide.

2. Once done, you can begin importing the database backup. cPanel > phpMyAdmin. Select your new database from the left sidebar and click Import at the top.

3. Click Choose file to upload the .sql file from your old hosting provider (part of your backup). Once done, click Import.

4. To update wp-config.php, go to File Manager > public_html. Right-click on the wp-config.php file and click Edit.

5. Update the following lines with your new database information. Once done, click Save Changes.
define( ‘DB_NAME’, ‘your_new_database_name’ );
define( ‘DB_USER’, ‘your_new_database_user’ );
define( ‘DB_PASSWORD’, ‘your_new_password’ );

6. Done! Once everything is set correctly, refresh your website, and it should load normally.

Situation 2: Created a new database, but forgot to import the data

This happens when you have created the database and connected it in wp-config.php, but forgot to import the actual data from your backup. As a result, the database is empty.

1. To import your database backup, cPanel > phpMyAdmin. Select your new database from the left sidebar and click Import at the top.

2. Click Choose file to upload the .sql file from your old hosting provider (part of your backup). Once done, click Import to upload the data.

3. Done! Once the database is imported successfully, refresh your website. It should load your content normally.