How to fix the “website unreachable” error?

In this article, you'll learn how to fix the error "Your website is unreachable" that occurs when setting up Weglot or crawling your URLs.

While you are setting Weglot on your website, you get the error "Your website is unreachable."

Here are some common causes and solutions to help you fix the issue. ( Some technical parts can require the website developer's help):

Check if your Website is Online
Make your website public
Fix SSL verification problems
Investigate hosting-related issues
Check server performance
Check for Web Application Firewall (WAF) protections

1. Check if your website is online

You can check if your website is online and accessible on the internet. Weglot should access the website to set the subdirectory or the subdomain integration.

2. Make your website public

If your website is protected by authentication (e.g., .htaccess or login credentials), Weglot won’t be able to access it. You can allow Weglot’s user-agent to bypass them.

What is a user-agent?

A user-agent is a string that identifies the software requesting your website. To allow Weglot access, you’ll need to whitelist our user-agent in your security settings.

What is a Weglot User-Agent?

You can contact your host provider and ask to whitelist the following: api.weglot.com, weglot.com, weglot.io, dashboard.weglot.com, and also allow our user-agent WeglotBot/1.0 (compatible; Mozilla/5.0; + https://weglot.com/).

3. Fix SSL verification problems

Weglot checks your SSL certificate when connecting to your site. Issues with your SSL certificate can prevent the connection.

Temporarily Disable SSL Verification (on Weglot)

This option only disables SSL checks on Weglot’s side; it doesn’t turn off SSL on your site.

4. Check for Web Application Firewall (WAF) protections

Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) can block Weglot depending on their configuration.

What is a WAF?

A WAF protects your website by filtering and monitoring incoming traffic. Due to restrictions, it may block legitimate requests like Weglot ones.

How to Check if You Are Behind a WAF

For the tips below, you will have to use the cmd or terminal console on your computer.

Use a curl command to test your website’s response to external requests. For example:

curl -I https://yourwebsite.com

If you see a challenge or block message, this could indicate a WAF is in place.

Sometimes, restrictions set by your hosting provider can block Weglot. You can check with your host to ensure no IP-based rules prevent Weglot from accessing your site.

6. Check server performance

If Weglot connects but performs inconsistently, the traffic may overwhelm your server. This can happen if your server cannot handle multiple requests, similar to a DDoS scenario.

Recommendations:
- Optimize your server configuration.
- Consider upgrading your hosting plan for better performance.
- Monitor server traffic to identify any bottlenecks.

Pinging Your URL

Try pinging your site’s URL. If a challenge (e.g., CAPTCHA) is triggered, this confirms you’re using a service like Cloudflare.

Conclusion

By addressing the points above, you should be able to resolve the "Your website is unreachable" error in Weglot and integrate it seamlessly into your website. If issues persist, don’t hesitate to reach out to Weglot’s support team for further assistance.