Is that website actually down? This essential web tool will tell you

Everyone’s always talking about new tools, but some of the best tools are the classic ones—incredibly useful things that have been around for ages. These are the tools that have stood the test of time and are just as handy today as they were 20 years ago.

They’re also the kinds of things you won’t hear about from most people or publications. And it’s easy to see why: They’re not the hot new thing. They’re just quietly helpful for anyone in the know.

So today, let’s take a look at one of those web-wide classics. It’s the ideal way to tell, in an instant, whether a website is actually down or not. I’ve used it for nearly two decades, and I still rely on it regularly.

Psst: If you love these types of tools as much as I do, check out my free Cool Tools newsletter from The Intelligence. You’ll be the first to find all sorts of simple tech treasures!

Is it down for everyone—or just for me?

Sometimes, no matter what you do, a website just won’t load. The question is obvious: Wait, is the website actually down for everyone? Or will it just not load for me for some reason?

It’s an important question to ask. Sometimes, the problem may very well be with your computer, phone, or internet connection. Other times, the website may indeed be completely down for everyone. And these days? It can even be somewhere in between: A website might go down only for people in your region but be accessible elsewhere at the same time.

➜ The way to get to the bottom of whatever’s going on is with a simple little site called ​Down for Everyone or Just Me. To use it, just pull up the site in your browser of choice—on your phone, computer, or any other web-connected contraption.

Then, plug in a website address—an address like fastcompany.com or theintelligence.com, a social media service, the name of an app, or anything else that doesn’t appear to be working right.

Plug in any website’s address to answer the age-old question: Is it down for everyone, or just for me?

You’ll learn whether the website appears to be down for everyone—or just for you. And it’s not only a one-way interaction, either: You can also report what you’re seeing. And you can see what problems other people have reported recently, too.

It really is that simple—no accounts, no paid subscriptions, and nothing but a few ads on a single page. It’ll help you troubleshoot website connection problems in a snap, exactly as it has since the internet’s early era.

• You can access Down for Everyone or Just Me directly in your browser​.
• It’s completely free—the website just has a few ads and accepts donations.
• You don’t have to provide any private information, and the ​privacy policy​ says the service won’t sell your personal data.

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