Website migration is the process of moving a website from one environment to another environment. For example, transferring from one hosting server to another. Many people assume migration is easy and expect the website to go live immediately. However, this does not always happen.
Sometimes, after a migration, the website fails to load. The page stays blank, or the browser keeps loading forever. This situation concerns many website owners.
One of our clients has also experienced the same issue. They migrated a website from one hosting to another. However, after the migration, the website stops loading. The problem came from the DNS settings. This article explains how we resolved the issue and brought the website back online.
The Problem After Website Migration
After the migration, the website did not open. The client told us that they have checked everything. To them, the domain name looked fine. The hosting server worked properly. The website files were also present.
Still, the website did not load in the browser. There was no clear error message. The browser showed no warnings.
After hearing the client’s story, we advised them to calm down and let us take a look. The client went offline.
We often deal with such issues. We decided to review the website’s DNS records. Unfortunately, we did not have access to the DNS settings. Only the client controlled that area.
So, we could not directly check the DNS records. We had to find another way.
Simple Checks We Did First
Before blaming DNS, we checked basic things again.
First, we checked the hosting server. The server was active and running. Next, we checked the domain name. The domain had not expired. Then, we tested the website on different devices. After that, we cleared the browser cache and DNS cache.
The website still did not load. Because of this, we knew the issue was deeper. At this stage, DNS became the main suspect.
During migration, DNS changes often happen. Old records may stay active. New records may get added twice. When this happens, DNS becomes confused. Some servers show one result. Other servers show another result.
This confusion breaks website loading.
Why DNS Issues Are Common After Migration?
Migration often happens in a hurry. Many people focus only on files and hosting. They forget DNS cleanup. As a result, duplicate or misconfigured records stay behind.
When Name Server records are misconfigured, the domain fails to resolve. As a result, the website fails to load.
Using DNS Record Checker
Since DNS access was not available, we needed an external tool. This is where the DNS record checker by Whatsmydns.me was very helpful. This website lets users easily check DNS records.
First, we checked all DNS records by running the domain through the specified DNS record checker. The tool instantly displayed all DNS records configured for that domain. After reviewing those records carefully, we find evidence that the NS record values are misconfigured. A digit in one record is missing.
For further validation, we used the NS lookup tool to check Name Server records on the same website. The results were very clear. The same NS records appeared, with one record missing a number.
That was the catch for us and confirmed a DNS problem. More importantly, it clearly showed the difference between the two configured NS record values.
After finding the issue, we collected proof. We shared screenshots from the Whatsmydns.me. We explained the problem in simple words.
We informed the client that misconfigured NS records were causing the website issue. We asked the client to add the missing digit in the relevant record. The client then fixed the DNS setup.
After that, we waited.
Waiting for DNS to Update
DNS changes do not work instantly. They take time to update across the internet. This process is called DNS propagation, and it typically takes 24 to 48 hours to fully propagate across global public DNS servers.
Thanks to Whatsmydns.me, it helped us with checking DNS propagation status as well. Once the propagation status was confirmed, we tested the website on multiple devices from multiple locations via Fastest VPN. The website started loading again. It worked on different networks and locations. The issue was fully resolved.
The fix did not involve hosting changes. It did not involve file changes. A simple DNS cleanup solved everything.
Lessons Learned From This Experience
This experience taught us many important lessons. First, we should always verify DNS after a website migration, as many issues often start there. We should not trust first impressions, since things may look fine but still be broken.
Also, hosting may not be the real problem in many cases. DNS issues can remain silent and cause problems without showing clear errors. As a result, external tools such as Whatsmydns.me are very helpful for debugging.
Final Thoughts
Website migration problems can look scary. However, the cause can be very small. In this case, misconfigured Name Server records caused the website to fail.
A simple DNS checker helped find the issue fast. The website started working after fixing the DNS issue. If a website fails to load after a migration, check DNS first. A few minutes of DNS checking can save hours of stress and confusion.
