Unable to find URL/page errors

If you receive an error message from your browser saying your domain name or a specific page can’t be found, there are a few things you can check for. In this article, we’ll show you what to do if you can’t find your URL. 

Spelling

Sometimes the missing web page may have a misspelled name or spelled differently than the link a previous page uses. If a single link is causing the problem, it would be better to fix the code in the link. If all the links have a problem, you will need to update the actual file name of the web page.

Capitalization

An Internet address is only case sensitive for everything after the domain name. For example, it does not matter if you use uppercase or lowercase with “example.com,” it still reaches the same page. However, it is case-sensitive when typing the page’s name, file, or directory in the URL.

The only exception is the file called “index” (with a lower-case “i”). The name for that web page must always be entirely in lower case letters. Web browsers are programmed to look specifically for the “index” page when visiting a new site. Having all the links match the file name isn’t enough.

Syntax errors

These are just names (or parts of names) some computers don’t like. For example, a web page name cannot include special characters like a question mark (?), equal sign (=) or ampersand (&), as these characters have specific meanings to a browser and are usually included as part of programming.

Spaces in filenames are also problematic. Some servers will replace the space with “%20,” which means the file name will not match the link which connects to the file. It is best to avoid spaces in file names, not just web pages. If you need to leave a space to make the name understandable, use an underscore (_) instead, such as https://www.yourdomain.com/yourfirstfolder/your_second_folder/index.html.

If you need help with your HostPapa account, please open a support ticket from your dashboard. 

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