New websites start with a simple placeholder page. It shows your domain name and the words "is ready. Upload your website, or install WordPress from your hosting dashboard." If you still see that page after uploading, your domain is working. Your files just are not where the web server looks for them.

Check these in order

1. Is the file named exactly index.html?

The server looks for index.php, then index.html, then index.htm. Names are case-sensitive: Index.html or index.HTML will not be found. On Windows a file called index.html may really be index.html.txt because file extensions are hidden. Show file extensions in File Explorer and check.

2. Is it in the right folder?

  • For your main domain, upload into httpdocs. This is the folder the File manager opens in.
  • For a subdomain such as blog.yourdomain.com, upload into the folder named after the subdomain. It sits next to httpdocs, not inside it. Click Up in the File manager to reach it. See Add a subdomain.

3. Did you extract your zip?

Uploading a .zip does not open it. Click Extract next to the file. See Upload files and extract a zip in the File manager.

4. Is index.html inside an extra folder?

Some zips contain one folder that holds everything. After extracting, open the File manager and check that index.html is directly in httpdocs. If it is inside a folder, open that folder and move the contents up, or zip the contents again without the outer folder.

5. Is there an index.php as well?

index.php is used before index.html. If WordPress was installed, or an old index.php is in the folder, it wins. See Install WordPress.

6. Is Node.js turned on?

When Node.js is running for a domain, your Node.js app answers the requests and a plain index.html is not shown. See Run a Node.js app.

7. Is your browser showing an old copy?

Press Ctrl+F5 (Cmd+Shift+R on a Mac), or open the site in a private window.

Still seeing it?

If the domain does not load at all, that is a different problem. See My website isn't showing yet. Otherwise open a support ticket from your dashboard and say which domain it is.