Are you seeing the "ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT" error in your browser? Not a very helpful error message, is information technology? If you are a daily WordPress user, and so it's e'er skillful to be aware of mutual errors like these that might prevent yous from getting access to your website.

In today'south postal service, we're going to take a deep dive into the "ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT" error and examine why you might see this and what you tin can do to fix it speedily. Only put, it'due south an indication that the organisation is unavailable and the fourth dimension given for one to connect has elapsed, and now the asking has timed out. Just what does that actually hateful?

Let'southward detect out!

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What is the ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT Fault?

An ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT error typically means there is something wrong with your local network connection. However, that's non always the case.

According to the WordPress support documentation, a connection timed out error appears when your website is trying to exercise more than your server can manage. It's particularly common on shared hosting where your retentivity limit is restricted.

When yous visit a website and it doesn't load, your browser volition try for effectually 30 seconds or so until it terminates the connectedness. Afterward which it will return an "ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT" error, indicating a communication problem. In Google Chrome y'all might encounter this as "This site can't be reached. Domain.com took likewise long to respond."

ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT error in Chrome
ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT error in Chrome

Due to all the dissimilar web browsers, operating systems, and servers, the error can nowadays itself in a number of different means. Merely virtually of them have the same or similar meaning. "ERR_NETWORK_CHANGED" and "ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED" are 2 very closely related errors that tin ordinarily exist solved with the same troubleshooting steps below.

Another common error code that appears under 'This site can't be reached' is the DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN, which is a DNS fault that substantially ways the domain that was requested doesn't exist.

Below are a few examples of how the fault might present itself in different browsers.

Mozilla Firefox

In Mozilla Firefox the error will show as "The connection has timed out." The server at domain.com is taking too long to answer.

ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT error in Firefox
ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT fault in Firefox

Microsoft Edge

In Microsoft Border, the error will show as "Hmmm… can't achieve this folio. Domain.com took besides long to answer." In Edge, however, it does likewise incorporate the "ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT" error.

ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT error in Edge
ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT mistake in Edge

Safari

In Safari, the mistake will evidence equally "Safari Tin't Open up the Page. Safari can't open the page domain.com because the server where this page is located isn't responding."

ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT error in Safari
ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT error in Safari

How to Fix the ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT Mistake

Where should you beginning troubleshooting if you see this error on your WordPress site? Without a great deal of context, it can sometimes be frustrating and overwhelming where to even begin. Typically these are either customer-side issues (issues with your network connection or firewall) or an issue with the server at which the site is hosted (memory limits, execution times, etc.).

one. Check Your Connectedness

Google Chrome, Firefox, and Edge all recommend that you should check your network connexion. While this might sound obvious, they all point to checking your connectedness first every bit it's one of the most mutual reasons for the error. Here are a few things we recommend:

  • Restart your dwelling or part router. This only takes a few minutes and solves more problems than a lot of people would like to admit. To completely power cycle it, disconnect the power supply and and then look 30 seconds before plugging it back in.
  • Check to meet if yous're on a bad or boring wifi connexion. This is a common occurrence on decorated public wifi hotspots such every bit coffee shops or airports.

two. Disable Firewall and Antivirus Software Temporarily

Firewalls and antivirus software are intended to protect users and their systems. They scan your device regularly and automatically block any suspicious activeness. However, this type of security can at times lead to connectedness issues.

This is because firewalls can frequently block pages they don't need to or refuse content that is completely safe. We've seen this happen many times with software like AVG. To check whether this is the case for you, effort disabling your firewall and antivirus programs. Of course, this is only brash if you know for sure that the site yous're intending to visit is condom.

Additionally, you should only disable this kind of software temporarily. Switch it back on after you've finished checking to encounter whether the error has been resolved, so you don't become vulnerable to attacks. If you repeatedly encounter errors because of your firewall or antivirus software, yous may desire to consider changing what yous're using.

These types of tools also have what is called a "false-positive" report you can fill out. If you lot're 100% positive that a site your visiting is blocked and shouldn't be, you lot tin allow the software developer know. Here are a few quick links:

  • AVG imitation positive form
  • Norton simulated positive course
  • Sophos false positive class

3. Disable Proxy Settings

Sometimes you might run across the ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT error if yous are utilizing a proxy service. This is commonly pretty rare, especially on the client-side. Notwithstanding, ane might take been set without you fifty-fifty knowing it. To disable or check to ensure no proxy settings are enabled, follow these steps.

Access the Settings menu in your Chrome browser. This will open up up the complete carte du jour of options. Under the Arrangement department (you'll need to click Advanced at the bottom to encounter this), you should find an entry titled Open up proxy settings. By selecting information technology, you'll be taken to the corresponding menu:

Open Proxy Settings in Chrome
Open up Proxy Settings in Chrome

Your next step depends on the system y'all're currently using. Windows users will want to click on LAN Settings and uncheck the Use proxy server for LAN selection. If you're a Mac user, you lot should immediately find yourself in the relevant card. You'll and so have to uncheck all selectable proxy protocols and check to see if the ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT message has been resolved.

Uncheck proxies on Mac
Uncheck proxies on Mac

If you're on Windows, you lot will see a "Local Surface area Network (LAN) Settings" window appear. Y'all will want to ostend that the "Utilize a proxy server for your LAN" option is unchecked.

Disable Chrome proxy settings in Windows
Disable Chrome proxy settings in Windows

The same goes if yous're using a VPN like ExpressVPN or TunnelBear. Make sure y'all're not connected by blow.

4. Change DNS Servers

The next thing you can effort is changing your DNS servers. By default, DNS servers are automatically assigned by your Isp. Just you could try temporarily irresolute these to a public DNS server, such as Google or Cloudflare.

  • Some prefer to use Google'due south public DNS (8.8.8.8 and 8.eight.4.4) long-term due to them sometimes beingness more reliable.
  • Cloudflare as well offers secure and blazing fast free DNS (1.i.1.ane and one.0.0.ane) which we will be using in this example. If you want to employ Google's the steps are the same, y'all only replace the DNS server addresses with Googles.

Tip: If yous're already using a free DNS server and having issues, removing it and defaulting back to your Internet access provider's DNS servers too sometimes fix things.

Google and Cloudflare aren't perfect 100% of the time and at that place have been a few instances where we've noticed switching back has resolved the issue. This is peculiarly truthful if y'all're using a Wifi hotspot in an airport or java shop.

Windows

In Windows simply open up Command Prompt by pressing the Windows logo key and R. Then type "control panel" and hit Enter.

Run Control Panel Windows
Run Control Console Windows

Click on "Network and Internet" and then "Network and Sharing Eye." On the left-hand side, click on "Change Adapter Settings."

Change adapter settings
Change adapter settings

Right click on your electric current connection, this will either be Local Area Connectedness or Wireless Network Connection based on how y'all're connecting. Then click on "Properties."

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Wireless connection properties
Wireless connectedness properties

Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (or Version six if desired) and click on "Properties."

IPV 4 properties
IPV four properties

Make a note of any existing settings in case you demand to revert back. Click "Apply the following DNS server addresses." Enter the following, or replace the existing with these:

For IPv4:1.ane.1.1 andane.0.0.1
For IPv6:2606:4700:4700::1111 and2606:4700:4700::1001

DNS server addresses
DNS server addresses

Click OK, then Shut. Restart your browser.

Mac

To change DNS servers on a Mac, go to System Preferences…

Mac system preferences
Mac system preferences

Click on the network icon and so click "Advanced."

Mac network advanced
Mac network advanced

Click on the "DNS" tab.

Mac DNS
Mac DNS

Then add together Cloudflare'due south DNS server addresses.

For IPv4:ane.ane.1.1 andane.0.0.1
For IPv6:2606:4700:4700::1111 and2606:4700:4700::1001

5. Flush/Renew DNS

You can besides endeavor flushing your local DNS cache. This is similar to clearing your browser cache. It could be that the site you're trying to visit isn't resolving to the correct IP address. If you've just migrated your WordPress site to a new host, information technology'southward important to wait for things to fully propagate. This can sometimes take upwardly to 24 hours, although information technology can be as piddling every bit a few minutes. This depends on your DNS provider and the TTL value of your DNS records.

Windows

In Windows just open up Control Prompt and enter the following:

ipconfig /flushdns
Command prompt - flush DNS
Command prompt – flush DNS

Y'all should see a "Successfully flushed the DNS resolver Cache" if it worked.

Mac

For macOS users, you tin enter the post-obit in the last:

dscacheutil -flushcache
dscacheutil -flushcache
Mac flush enshroud

Notation: In that location is no success message on Macs.

vi. Bank check Your Hosts File

Every estimator has what they call a local hosts file. This is a file that contains manual DNS entries which are mapped to specific IP addresses. Typically this is just edited when you lot want to preview your DNS before switching over domains to a new host. Or perchance you lot have a local development site running using a tool like DevKinsta, Vagrant or Docker.

At that place is a multitude of different ways this file could have been changed or edited. Therefore, it'southward always expert to check to ensure the website you're trying to admission isn't in there. Only follow the steps beneath.

Windows

The hosts file typically requires additional access. So the first step is to open up up your text editor as an administrator. Simply click on your outset menu, search for your text editor, correct-click on it and select "Run every bit ambassador." This tin be done in any text editor such equally Notepad, Notepad++, Cantlet, etc. We are using Sublime in our example below.

Run text editor as administrator
Run text editor every bit administrator

Within your text editor click File → Open and browse to the following location:

C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\

Click on the hosts file and "Open."

open hosts file
Open hosts file

Double-cheque and brand certain the website yous're trying to visit isn't listed in there. If it is, remove it.

Mac

To check your hosts file on a Mac, we recommend getting Gas Mask. It's a free application which tin be used as hosts file manager, hosts files editor, and switch betwixt them. Information technology makes everything quick and easy! Otherwise, you tin can follow the steps below to edit your hosts file on Mac manually.

Go to Utilities and then click on "Last."

Mac utilities terminal
Mac utilities terminal

Enter in the following command and press Enter (you will most likely be prompted for your administrator password likewise).

sudo nano /private/etc/hosts

Double-check and make certain the website y'all're trying to visit isn't listed in your hosts file. If it is, remove information technology.

Edit hosts file on Mac
Edit hosts file on Mac

7. Check the DNS of Your Domain

You should likewise verify that the DNS of your domain is correctly pointed to your hosting provider. If you're a Kinsta client we have an in-depth post on how to signal your domain and or DNS to Kinsta. If you recently migrated your WordPress website to a new host, information technology could be the DNS was cached incorrectly on your computer. In which instance, step 5 above should resolve that. Or information technology may just exist as well shortly and you demand to await a few hours for the DNS to fully propagate.

8. Clear Browser Cache

Web browsers store information in cache on your computer. This includes your browsing history, saved login data, and cookies – all of which are recorded in lodge to load the relevant pages more quickly the next time they're visited.

Although they're useful, caches can crusade numerous problems when they go outdated. Fortunately, this problem is hands solved past immigration your cache.

But earlier you practice that, you tin easily check to see if information technology's a browser cache consequence by first opening upwardly your browser in incognito fashion. Or you can try a different browser. If you're notwithstanding seeing the error, then you lot will want to keep with immigration your cache.

In this example, we'll exist using Google Chrome. Begin by opening up the main menu (in the peak-correct corner of your browser window). From there, select More than Tools: You lot can and so click on Clear browser data.

Chrome clear browsing data
Chrome clear browsing information

On the resulting page, you'll demand to brand sure that all listed file categories are selected. If they aren't, Chrome won't exist able to empty the entire enshroud. Instead, it will simply remove the near recent entries, which won't outcome in the desired result:

Clear browsing data
Articulate browsing data

An alternative method of completing this process is to enter the following URL into your address bar:

chrome://settings/clearBrowserData

The resulting screen should grant you admission to the same options nosotros've outlined above. Here are some other helpful links for clearing cache.

  • How to Force Refresh a Unmarried Page for All Browsers
  • How to Clear Cache for Google Chrome
  • How to Clear Enshroud for Mozilla Firefox
  • How to Clear Cache on Mac (Safari)
  • How to Clear Cache for Internet Explorer
  • How to Clear Cache for Microsoft Edge
  • How to Clear Cache for Opera

9. Look at The Maximum Execution Fourth dimension

The residuum of the troubleshooting steps we'll be diving into are those that have to do with the configuration of your WordPress site or server that may help set up the "ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT" error.

The first is the maximum execution time set for your site. On most servers, the default fourth dimension is set to xxx seconds. This is the amount of time a PHP script is allowed to run (later on which information technology times out). On shared hosts, this is typically set low or left at the default.

You can't easily modify this from WordPress as the php.ini file is located on your server. To alter this, nosotros recommend reaching out to your hosting provider to see if they can assist. At Kinsta, we set the default maximum execution time to 300 seconds.

If you want to endeavour and alter this yourself, information technology can usually be done with one of the following options. Both will depend on how your hosting provider configures their servers.

Option i – Modify Max Execution Time in php.ini File

If you accept a php.ini file in your home directory, observe the max_execution_time parameter and modify it. For example, if it'southward set to 30 seconds, you can increment information technology to 300 seconds.

max_execution_time = 300

Selection 2 – Change Max Execution Fourth dimension in .htacess File

If the above selection doesn't work, you might be able to change it within your .htaccess file. Only like with the php.ini file, this is typically located inside your abode directory. Identify the following in the height of your .htaccess file:

php_value max_execution_time 300

10. Temporarily Disable Your Plugins

As with most WordPress errors, a plugin can definitely exist the root of the problem. To determine if that's what's happening, you'll need to disable all of your site's plugins. Yet, if you're getting the "ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT" fault it means you don't accept access to your WordPress admin area. This means you will need to SFTP into your site. We recommend using FileZilla.

Once your SFTP customer is set up, connect to your website through it and navigate to your WordPress root folder. In case you lot can't find it, it's usually called public_html, html, public, www, or your site's proper noun. If you're a Kinsta client, it's your public folder.

WordPress root folder SFTP
WordPress root folder SFTP

Open that folder, and navigate to the wp-content directory. Inside, you lot'll see a binder calledplugins, which contains individual subdirectories for each of the plugins installed on your site (both active and inactive).

What you lot're going to do now is correct-click on the plugins folder, and rename information technology to something else. We recommendplugins.sometime orplugins.deactivated, and so you lot tin easily recognize it after.

WordPress plugins folder renamed
WordPress plugins folder renamed

WordPress volition at present not be able to find any of your plugins. When that happens, it will automatically disable those plugins.

Now, attempt accessing your WordPress dashboard. If the timeout error is gone, so you tin presume that 1 of your plugins was the culprit. All you have to do is figure out which one was at fault.

Render to thewp-content directory, and rename your original plugins folder correctly. Then, yous'll need to disable each of your plugins one by ane, until yous detect the culprit.

To do this, open thewp-content/plugins directory. Inside, y'all'll observe i folder for each of your plugins. The process you're going to follow is much the same as before:

  1. Start with the kickoff folder, and rename it to anything you lot similar.
  2. Check your website to meet if the mistake is gone.
  3. If information technology isn't, return the plugin folder from the previous step to its original name.
  4. Move on to the next plugin on your list, repeating the above steps.

This process can have a while if you have a lot of plugins, but it's vital to check each plugin in plow. If at any betoken you place the plugin that's causing the error, you can uninstall it or replace it with another tool.

If you make it to the end of these steps without finding a solution, y'all tin movement on to the next stage of troubleshooting.

11. Temporarily Revert to Default Theme

Now that you've ruled out your plugins as the cause of the timeout error, information technology's fourth dimension to do the same with your active theme. In fact, your theme could also be creating compatibility issues.

Unfortunately, the process doesn't work the same every bit above. WordPress won't revert to the default theme if simply rename the theme folder, you would end upwards with an error like "The theme directory "theme name" does not exist." Or if yous try to rename the entire theme directory folder, you end up with "ERROR: The themes directory is either empty or doesn't be. Delight check your installation."

Therefore, you lot need to access your WordPress database by logging into phpMyAdmin. If you're a Kinsta customer, this tin exist plant inside the "Info" section of the MyKinsta dashboard.

MyKinsta phpMyAdmin
MyKinsta phpMyAdmin

Click into the "wp_options" tabular array, then click on the "Search" tab. You will want to search nether the "option_name" fortemplate.

phpMyAdmin wp_options table
phpMyAdmin wp_options tabular array

Under the "option_value" cavalcade you will see the current name of your theme. Alter this to ane of the default themes, such every bit "twentynineteen."

wp_options template name
wp_options template name

Cheque your website again to encounter if this has fixed the error. If it did, information technology but means it'southward a trouble with your WordPress theme and y'all might want to endeavour reinstalling it or reverting to your most recent fill-in.

12. Increase the Memory Limit

The WP_MEMORY_LIMIT parameter allows you to specify the maximum amount of memory that tin can be consumed by PHP. If you are using shared hosting, it's near likely ready to a low value such equally 64M. At Kinsta, we set the default memory limit to 256M.

You can increment the retentiveness limit by adding the following to your wp-config.php file. This must be placed above the wp-settings.php inclusion.

define( 'WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M' );
WP_MEMORY_LIMIT in wp-config.php
WP_MEMORY_LIMIT in wp-config.php

Not sure what your current PHP retention limit is gear up to? If yous accept access to your WordPress dashboard and are running WordPress five.2 or above, y'all can meet the PHP memory limit under the "Site Health" tool.

WordPress site health PHP memory limit
WordPress site health PHP memory limit

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Summary

Connexion and timeout errors are never fun to troubleshoot, but hopefully, you have a little more than knowledge in your toolbelt now to assistance resolve it chop-chop.

It's important to recall that the "ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT" error exist a result of a client-side problem such equally your network connexion, or an issue with the server where your WordPress site is hosted. Have any other tips to resolve this error? Let us know below in the comments.

(Suggested reading: Acquire how to set up the ERR_CACHE_MISS fault in Chrome)


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