⚡ Quick Fix — Chrome Error “This Site Can’t Be Reached”
- Reload the page and confirm the web address is spelled correctly (http/https, no typos).
- Open the same site in an Incognito window to rule out cache/extensions.
- Restart your router, then flush DNS — run ipconfig /flushdns (Windows) or restart Wi-Fi.
“This site can’t be reached” is Chrome’s catch-all message when the browser fails to load a page. It usually appears with a sub-code such as DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN, ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT, or ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED. The good news: most cases are local network or DNS hiccups you can clear in a couple of minutes.
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What Does “This Site Can’t Be Reached” Mean?
The message means Chrome could not establish a connection to the website’s server. That can be because your device cannot translate the domain name into an IP address (a DNS problem), the connection timed out, or the server itself is offline.
The exact sub-code under the message is the biggest clue. NXDOMAIN and NAME_NOT_RESOLVED point to DNS; TIMED_OUT and CONNECTION_REFUSED point to network or server reachability.
Severity: Low Category: Error Fix
Common Causes (Important Points)
- DNS issues — your DNS server can’t resolve the domain.
- A mistyped or outdated URL, or the site has genuinely moved.
- Router / Wi-Fi glitches or a dropped internet connection.
- Corrupted browser cache, cookies or host cache.
- A VPN, proxy, firewall or antivirus blocking the connection.
- The website server is down on its end.
How to Fix “This Site Can’t Be Reached” in Chrome
1Check the URL and your connection — Re-type the address, confirm other sites load, and reconnect Wi-Fi if needed.
2Restart your router and device — Power-cycle the router for 30 seconds and reload Chrome to clear temporary network faults.
3Flush the DNS cache — Windows: run ‘ipconfig /flushdns’. macOS: ‘sudo dscacheutil -flushcache’. Then in Chrome visit chrome://net-internals/#dns and clear the host cache.
4Switch to a public DNS — Set your DNS to Google (8.8.8.8 / 8.8.4.4) or Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) to bypass a failing ISP resolver.
5Clear Chrome cache and cookies — Open chrome://settings/clearBrowserData and clear cached images, files and cookies, then retry.
6Disable VPN, proxy and extensions — Turn off any VPN/proxy, and test in Incognito (extensions off) to isolate a blocking add-on.
7Reset network settings — Windows: ‘netsh winsock reset’ and ‘netsh int ip reset’, then reboot. This rebuilds a corrupt network stack.
8Update or reset Chrome — Update Chrome to the latest version, or reset settings at chrome://settings/reset if the error persists.
Open chrome://net-internals/#dnsGoogle Chrome Help
Error Sub-Code Cheat Sheet
| Sub-code under the message | Likely cause | Fastest fix |
|---|---|---|
| DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN | DNS can’t resolve the domain | Flush DNS, switch to 8.8.8.8 |
| ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED | Domain name lookup failed | Clear host cache, change DNS |
| ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT | Server/network not responding | Restart router, disable VPN/firewall |
| ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED | Server refused the connection | Try later; check if the site is down |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Is ‘this site can’t be reached’ my problem or the website’s?
If only one site fails while others load, it is usually that site’s server or a DNS entry for it. If every site fails, the problem is your own DNS, router or internet connection.
How do I flush DNS on Windows?
Open Command Prompt and run ipconfig /flushdns, then press Enter. You should see a ‘Successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache’ message. Reload the page in Chrome afterwards.
Will changing DNS to 8.8.8.8 speed things up?
It can. Google (8.8.8.8) and Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) are fast, reliable public resolvers and often fix NXDOMAIN-type errors caused by a flaky ISP DNS server.
Why does the site load on my phone but not my PC?
That points to a device-specific issue — typically a corrupted DNS/host cache, a VPN/proxy, or a firewall rule on the PC. Flush DNS and test in Incognito on the PC first.
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