What should I do if my host has suspended my website?
Do not panic, and do not simply pay for a bigger plan or restore an old backup. A suspension is your host protecting its other customers, usually because of malware, spam or heavy resource use. Read the suspension email carefully, save a copy, and get the cause fixed properly. Hosts normally reinstate a site once they see evidence that the problem has been removed.
Most suspension emails fall into one of a few types. The wording varies by host, but it usually looks something like this:
# Typical reasons given in a suspension notice
Account suspended: malicious files detected in /public_html
Account suspended: outbound spam sent from this account
Account suspended: excessive CPU usage affecting other users
Account reinstated: issue resolved, thank youIf malware is mentioned, a quick delete of the flagged files is rarely enough, because a hidden backdoor will put them back. Our hacked website repair service finds the way in as well as the files, and we give your host the evidence they ask for.
How do I find out who hosts my website?
You can usually find your host from public records, even if a web designer set everything up years ago. A domain's DNS records show which servers it points to, and those servers normally belong to a named hosting company. Your bank or card statements are another good clue, as hosting is usually billed monthly or yearly.
- Search your email for words like "hosting", "cPanel", "renewal" or "welcome to"
- Check bank statements for payments to companies such as GoDaddy, IONOS, 123 Reg, SiteGround or Hostinger
- Ask your old web designer or agency, in writing, which account the site sits on
- Look up your domain's DNS records (we can do this for you in minutes)
If the hosting account is in someone else's name, we help you request access or move the site to an account you own. See domains, ownership and DNS if the domain itself is also out of your control.
Why is my hosting slow or hitting resource limits?
Slow hosting and resource limit warnings usually mean your site is asking the server for more than your plan allows. The cause is often a heavy plugin, a flood of bot traffic, an out-of-date PHP version, or malware quietly using the server to send spam or mine cryptocurrency. Cheap shared hosting makes all of these worse, because you share the server with many other sites.
| What you see | Common cause | What we do |
|---|---|---|
| "CPU limit reached" or "Resource Limit Is Reached" | Heavy plugin, bots or malware | Find the process or page using resources and fix it |
| Slow admin area and pages | Old PHP version, no caching | Upgrade PHP safely and set up sensible caching |
| Site fine at night, slow by day | Plan too small for real traffic | Advise on a better plan or a move |
| Sudden spikes with no extra customers | Bot traffic or hidden malware | Scan for malware and block abusive traffic |
For slow pages that are not a hosting problem, see website repair and slow loading.
Do I need to upgrade PHP and check my backups?
Yes. PHP is the language most small business websites, including WordPress, run on, and older versions stop receiving security fixes. Hosts increasingly force upgrades, which can break an older site without warning. Backups matter just as much: many owners discover their host's backups are missing, out of date or stored on the same server as the site.
- Check your current version. We look at the PHP version your site runs and whether it is still supported.
- Test on a copy. We test the site on a newer version first, so nothing breaks in front of your customers.
- Upgrade and verify. We switch the live site, then check forms, checkout and key pages.
- Confirm backups. We make sure recent backups exist away from the server and can actually be restored.
How do you move my website to a new host safely?
We move your website by copying it to the new server, checking it works there, and only then pointing your domain at it. That way your existing site keeps running during the move and there is little or no downtime. Before anything is copied, we scan it, so malware and backdoors are not carried across to the new hosting.
# Clean server migration, in order
1. Scan and clean the site on the old host
2. Copy files and database to the new server
3. Test on the new server before going live
4. Move email and DNS records carefully
5. Switch the domain and monitor for problemsWe work with cPanel, Plesk and most mainstream hosts, including GoDaddy, IONOS, 123 Reg, SiteGround, Hostinger and AWS Lightsail. We confirm a fixed price before any work starts.
Tip: If you move hosts, your email may be set up there too. We check your email records first, so messages keep arriving during the move.