Fix “ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED” Error (For Website Visitors & Site Owners)

Key Takeaways

• The ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED error is triggered when the browser fails to translate a website’s domain name into its correct IP address.
• Regular everyday visitors can fix this error by flushing their system’s DNS cache, restarting the router, or switching DNS servers.
• Website owners with this issue should verify their domain registration expiry and make sure their DNS records are pointing to the right server IP.

When you visit a website and see the “ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED” error, it means the browser failed to locate the domain. This happens when the Domain Name System (DNS), fails to convert a website URL into a valid IP address.

The error is mostly triggered due to simple issues like misconfigured internet settings, outdated DNS cache, or unstable router connection. Or, on the server side, the error could be due to incorrect DNS records, nameserver settings, or an expired domain registration.

If you’re just browsing the web, this can be a frustrating error to deal with. But for a website owner, this could mean lost traffic, or even revenue.

In this guide, I’ll share with you tested solutions for both regular website visitors and site owners to fix this issue in just a few simple steps.

What Is the “ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED” Error?

As I mentioned earlier, “ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED” error is triggered when a browser can’t match a website’s domain name to its corresponding IP address. This matching process I just mentioned, is handled by a Domain Name System (DNS).

Here’s how the error looks like on Chrome:

Every website has an address made up of numbers. Since people can’t remember long numbers, we use domain names instead. When you type a URL into the browser, the DNS looks up that name and finds the right IP address.

But when the browser is unable to complete DNS name resolution, the connection drops and you see the error.

This specific error message is common in Google Chrome and other Chrome based browsers like Edge, Brave, etc. But, this error can appear on other browsers as well.

Non-Chromium browsers like Firefox or Safari show a different error message such as “Server Not Found” or “Safari Can’t Find the Server.”

No matter which browser you use, the error means the same thing: the browser tried to reach a website but couldn’t locate its IP address on the internet.

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Why Does the Error Happen?

This error can be caused by different issues, depending on whether you’re visiting a website or managing one.

For website visitors, the problem is caused by local network settings, DNS issues, or outdated cached data on the device. For website owners, it can often be caused by the domain itself, DNS, or issues in server configurations.

Let’s look at some common reasons for this error for both website visitors and website owners.

If You’re a Website Visitor:

• Outdated DNS cache: Your device is probably using old DNS data from its local cache, which might be pointing your browser to an incorrect or dead IP address.
• Router glitches: A network issue with your router can also interrupt DNS resolution. Especially when your router is stuck with faulty DNS data from your internet service provider’s side.
• ISP blocks: Your ISP may have blocked access to specific domains at the DNS level, causing the connection to fail. Some sites are just blocked in some regions.
• VPN or Proxy interference: Security apps like VPNs or proxies can sometimes misroute DNS requests or cause too much latency. This can stop your browser from reaching the site, triggering the error.
• Android Private DNS settings: On mobile devices, a misconfigured or unreachable Private DNS server will trigger this exact error across your apps.

If You’re the Website Owner:

• Misconfigured DNS records: Your domain’s DNS settings may be incorrect. For example, an A, AAAA, or CNAME record may be pointing to the wrong server. This can prevent your website from loading properly.
• Cloudflare proxy issues: If you’re routing your traffic through a CDN like Cloudflare, a misconfiguration or server communication can trigger the error.
• Expired domain: If your domain name registration has expired, your registrar can pull your nameservers down, causing all DNS queries to fail immediately.
• DNSSEC failures: DNSSEC is a security feature that protects DNS records from being tempered. If this is set up incorrectly, it can prevent your domain from resolving, even when DNS records themselves are correct.
• Propagation delays: If you’ve recently changed your nameservers or updated your DNS records, the changes can take up to 48 hours to spread across the internet. During this time, some of your visitors may see the updated website while others may come across DNS errors.

Fix “ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED” Error (For Website Visitors)

Now, we’ll go through some common fixes for website visitors. Just to give you heads up, the solutions covered below will range from simple checks to advanced fixes like adjusting your local DNS settings.

Regardless, most of these will not take you a minute or two to try.

1. Check for Typos in the URL

Typos in the domain name is a very common cause of this error. Browsers need the exact domain name to run a successful DNS lookup. So, if you accidentally type extra, miss a letter, or use a wrong extension, the request will fail.

For example, typing clloudways.com instead of cloudways.com means the browser is looking for an address that does not exist.

Before doing anything technical, go ahead and check the URL in your address bar for typos. If this fixes the issue, great. If not, move to the next solution.

2. Restart Your Router

Sometimes, the error is due to your internet connection and has nothing to do with your device or browser.

A temporary communication issue between your router and your internet service provider can interfere with the DNS resolution process, triggering the error.

This can happen when your router is holding onto outdated or incorrect DNS information.

To fix this, you can simply restart your router. This will force establish a fresh connection and clear temporary network issues that may be preventing DNS requests from completing properly.

Here is how to properly restart your router:

• Unplug your router from the power source and wait for about 30 seconds to let the power drain completely.
• Plug it back in and once your connection is back online, reload the webpage to see if the error is gone.

3. Clear Your OS DNS Cache & Network Stack

Whether you use a Mac, Windows or Linux, your operating system stores DNS records locally to help websites load faster.

But…if these records become outdated or corrupted, your browser may try to connect using incorrect information.

To fix this, clearing the DNS cache. This’ll force your system to request fresh DNS records, which can often resolve the issue.

Here is how to do this based on your operating system.

On Windows

• Open Command Prompt, type ipconfig /flushdns and press Enter.

• Type netsh winsock reset and press Enter. This step is important as it fully resets your network adapter software.

• Finally, restart your computer and try loading the site again.

On macOS

• Open the Terminal app, and type the following command: sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder
• Hit Enter and then enter your Mac admin password to run this command.

• After flushing, check if the error is gone.

On Linux

• Open your terminal, type resolvectl flush-caches and press Enter.
• You can verify if the command worked by typing resolvectl statistics. If you see that the current cache size is back to zero, it means it worked. Go ahead and reload the site to see if it’s working now.

4. Clear the Chrome Host Cache (chrome://net-internals/#dns)

Even after you clear your computer’s DNS cache, your browser might still hold onto old data. Google Chrome actually keeps its own internal DNS cache, and if it gets stuck on a bad record, it will trigger the ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED error.

To fix this, you need to clear the Chrome host cache.

Here is exactly how to do it:

• Open Google Chrome, paste chrome://net-internals/#dns into the address bar and press Enter.
• Click the button that says Clear host cache.

• Next, from the left-hand side menu, click on Sockets.
• Click the Flush socket pools button. This step closes any active but broken connections that Chrome might be trying to reuse.

Once both steps are done, restart your browser completely and try visiting the website again.

5. Change Your DNS Server (Bypass ISP Blocks)

Sometimes the DNS servers provided by your internet service provider (ISP) fail or struggle with high traffic. In other cases, your ISP might actively block access to certain websites at the DNS level.

If you notice this error only happens on specific websites, switching to a free public DNS like Google or Cloudflare is the fastest way to bypass these blocks and get the site to load.

Here is how to change your DNS settings on both Windows and Mac.

On Windows 11

• Open Settings and click on Network & internet.
• Click on Wi-Fi or Ethernet, depending on how you’re connected to the internet.

• Look for the DNS server assignment and click Edit.

• Change the dropdown from Automatic to Manual, and then toggle on IPv4.

• For the Preferred DNS, use 8.8.8.8 for Google or 1.1.1.1 for Cloudflare.

• Click Save, then restart your browser.

On macOS (Ventura or later)

• Open System Settings and click on Network.
• Select your active network connection and then click the Details button.
• Select the DNS tab.

• Click the + button under DNS Servers and paste 8.8.8.8 or 1.1.1.1, whichever one you wanna use.

• Click OK to save your changes.

Once you update these settings, try loading the website again.

6. Disable Your VPN, Proxy, or Antivirus

Using VPNs and proxies can sometimes interfere with the DNS resolution process. This happens when the server you are connected to has high latency or blocks certain types of web traffic.

To rule this out, go ahead and turn off your VPN or proxy temporarily.

If you use a third-party antivirus program as well, check if it has a built-in DNS monitor or web shield.

Security tools are designed to keep you safe, but they can sometimes block completely safe DNS requests by mistake. Try turning off your antivirus web protection for just a few minutes.

Once your security tools are disabled, reload the page. If the site loads fine, you can try switching to a different VPN server location or changing your antivirus settings to whitelist the site.

7. Check Your System’s “hosts” File

Your computer has a local file called the hosts file, which acts like a manual override for DNS. If any website is added to this file and pointed to a dead IP address, your browser will always fail to load it.

So, no matter how many times you clear your DNS cache or restart your router, the hosts file will block the site.

Here’s how to check and fix this.

On Windows

• Open Notepad, click on File, then Open.

• Paste this file path: C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc.
• Change the file type dropdown from Text Documents to All Files. Then click Open.

• Now, open the hosts file.

• Look for the website you are trying to visit. If you see it listed in the file, delete that entire line.
• Save the file and restart your browser.

On macOS

• Open the Terminal app, paste sudo nano /private/etc/hosts and hit Enter.
• Enter your Mac’s admin password.
• Use the arrow keys to scroll through the file until you see the website you’re unable to access.
• Delete that line and press Control + O to save, Enter to confirm, and Control + X to exit.

8. Turn Off “Private DNS” (Android & Mobile)

If you’re using an Android phone and run into this error, there’s a feature on your phone called Private DNS that may be the culprit.

Android uses this setting to secure your network queries, but if the private DNS server you’re connected to goes down or can’t be reached, it blocks your phone from loading any websites.

When this happens, you’ll see the ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED error across all your browsers and apps.

To fix this, you just need to turn it off temporarily.

Here is how to do it:

• Open the Settings app on your phone and tap on Network & internet.

• Tap on Private DNS and switch the setting from a custom hostname to Off or Automatic.

• Tap Save, when you’re done.

Once it’s turned off, try loading the website again on your mobile browser. If this was the problem, the site should load right up.

Fix “ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED” Error (For Website Owners)

If you manage a website and your visitors are seeing the ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED error, the problem is likely due to DNS misconfigurations, domain issues, or server settings.

Let me walk you through a few solutions you can try to fix this error and get your site back online for your visitors.

1. Verify DNS Records (A, AAAA, CNAME)

First, check your domain’s DNS settings. If there are missing or incorrect A, AAAA, or CNAME records, this will trigger the error.

To fix this, make sure:

• The A record points your domain to the correct IPv4 address of your hosting server.

• If you use IPv6, make sure the AAAA record is properly configured.
• For subdomains, check CNAME records to make sure they’re correctly pointed to the right domain.

Log in to your domain registrar’s DNS management panel and check if the IP addresses in there match the ones provided by your hosting provider.

Once that’s checked, use a free tool like DNSChecker to confirm that your DNS changes have propagated correctly around the world.

If you’re hosting your site on Cloudways, our DNS Made Easy addon can help manage your records easily and improve overall DNS reliability.

2. Check Cloudflare Proxy Status & Settings

If you’re using a CDN like Cloudflare, a misconfiguration in your proxy settings can easily trigger the ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED error.

To find out if Cloudflare is the problem in your case, you can temporarily bypass its proxy. This routes your visitors directly to your server instead of Cloudflare so you can isolate the issue.

Here is how to test it:

• Log into your Cloudflare dashboard and go to your DNS settings.
• Find your main A record and CNAME records. If you see an orange cloud icon next to them, it means the proxy is active.

• Click that orange cloud so it turns gray, which will set it to “DNS only“.
• Wait a few minutes and then try loading your website.

If the site loads now, the issue is linked to your Cloudflare setup. Go ahead and check your SSL settings or clear your Cloudflare cache. If the site still doesn’t load, the problem is likely on your web host’s end.

3. Check Nameserver Settings

Nameservers tell the internet where to find your domain’s DNS records. If they point to the wrong DNS provider, your browsers will be unable to look up the correct IP address for your website. This can trigger the error.

This can happen if you recently migrated your website to a new host and forgot to update your nameservers. Or, if there was a typo when you entered them.

To fix this, log into your domain registrar’s dashboard. Find the DNS or Nameserver settings and check the addresses listed there. They should look something like this:

• ns1.yourhost.com
• ns2.yourhost.com

Make sure these match what your current web hosting provider gave you. If they aren’t matching, update them. Just keep in mind that nameserver changes can take a little time to fully propagate, so this fix is not instant.

4. Inspect Domain Expiration & Renewal

It’s easy to forget domain renewal dates, especially if you manage multiple websites. When your domain name registration expires, your registrar will take down your nameservers.

When this happens, DNS resolution breaks completely, and anyone trying to visit your site will see the ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED error.

To check if this is the issue in your case, log into Namecheap or anywhere else you purchased your domain from. Look for your domain’s status and expiration date.

If it has expired, just renew it. Keep in mind that once you renew your domain, it can take a few hours for your domain to come back online and for the error to disappear completely.

5. Disable or Fix DNSSEC

DNSSEC is a security feature that protects your domain from being hijacked. The way it works is that it uses cryptographic keys to verify that your DNS records haven’t been tampered with.

However, if these keys are misconfigured or mismatched, which happens if you switch web hosts or DNS providers without updating DNSSEC settings.

If this is the case for you, the internet will reject your DNS records and trigger the ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED error for anyone trying to visit your site.

Here is how to troubleshoot this:

• Log into your domain registrar’s dashboard and look for DNSSEC options. You’ll usually find this option in advanced DNS settings or the security tab.
• If it is enabled, turn it off temporarily. And give some time for the DNS to propagate.

If your site comes back online, you’ve found the issue. Your options now are to generate new, correct DS records from your current hosting provider and re-enable DNSSEC to keep your site secure.

6. Wait Out DNS Propagation

Sometimes, the best fix is to simply wait. If you’ve recently updated your nameservers, migrated to a new host, or modified your DNS records, those changes don’t happen instantly. The new routing information needs time to spread to servers across the internet.

Usually, this only takes a few hours. But depending on your DNS provider and your visitor’s internet service provider, it can sometimes take up to 48 hours to fully update.

During this window, the results can be inconsistent. Some visitors might see your website perfectly fine, while others will see the ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED error.

To see if this is what is happening on your site, you can use DNSChecker to track your propagation status. If you see a mix of green checkmarks and red crosses, your DNS is still updating.

At that point, there is nothing left to configure. You just need to give it a little time.

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Other Common DNS-Related Errors

ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED is just one of several DNS-related errors you may run into. Depending on the exact issue, your browser may display a different error code, like the ones I’ve covered below:

• DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN: This is very similar to the error we looked at in this guide. It means the DNS lookup finished, but the domain name doesn’t exist (Non-Existent Domain).
• ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT: This error means that the browser found the correct IP address, but the destination server took too long to respond and the connection dropped.
• ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED: The one means that the server was found, but it rejected the browser’s attempt to connect, usually due to firewall settings or server downtime.
• DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NO_INTERNET: Your device does not have an active internet connection, so the DNS lookup could not even start.

Most of the fixes I covered in this guide, like flushing your DNS cache or changing your DNS servers, will actually fix these errors too.

How Cloudways Helps Fix and Prevent the ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED Error

Managing DNS records across different registrars can be confusing, which is exactly how misconfigurations and the ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED error happen in the first place. Cloudways offers native tools and integrations built right into the platform to streamline this process and ensure your site stays online.

• DNS Made Easy Add-on: Cloudways integrates directly with DNS Made Easy, which is a premium DNS service. If you manage your DNS through this premium add-on in your Cloudways dashboard, you get faster DNS lookup times and global redundancy. This removed any and all chances of routing failures that trigger resolution errors.
• Cloudflare Enterprise Integration: If you use Cloudflare, Cloudways offers an optional Cloudflare Enterprise add-on that helps keep your DNS and proxy settings in sync. This can reduce the risk of configuration issues that could interrupt your site’s connectivity.
• Dedicated Server IPs: Every Cloudways server is assigned a dedicated static IP address. This gives you a fixed IP to use when configuring your A records, making it easier to point your domain to the correct server.
• 24/7 Expert Support: If you run into problems while configuring your domain or DNS records, our support team is available 24/7 to help you troubleshoot common DNS configuration issues.

Final Thoughts

The ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED error prevents you from accessing a website or stops visitors from reaching yours. But because it’s usually caused by a DNS resolution issue, you often don’t need advanced server knowledge to fix it.

For visitors, a quick router restart, a DNS cache flush, or swapping to a public DNS like Google’s or Cloudflare’s will usually clear the error and load the page.

For website owners, verifying A and CNAME records, checking nameservers, and making sure the domain is actively renewed will get the site working again.

Always start with simple checks first before making any major changes to your network or hosting settings. And if you have any questions, let me know in the comments.