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Troubleshooting Website & Domain Issues

Common author website issues — custom domain not working, SSL errors, pages not loading, and design not applying correctly.

Updated April 10, 20261 views

If your author website isn't working as expected, this guide helps you diagnose and fix common issues.

Domain Issues

Custom Domain Not Connecting

  1. Verify DNS records — ensure CNAME/A records are correctly configured at your registrar
  2. Wait for propagation — DNS can take up to 48 hours (typically 15 min - 6 hours)
  3. Check for conflicting records — remove any old A/CNAME records for the same name
  4. Verify in BookAuth — check Website > Domain for verification status

SSL Certificate Not Working

  • SSL is provisioned automatically after DNS verification
  • If "Not Secure" appears, wait 30 minutes after DNS verification
  • If still failing: remove and re-add the domain in Website > Domain
  • Contact support if SSL isn't provisioned within 2 hours

"This site can't be reached"

  • Domain DNS not propagated yet — wait and try again
  • Your DNS records may be incorrect — re-check them against BookAuth's requirements

Website Content Issues

Pages Not Appearing

  1. Check page status — Draft pages aren't visible publicly
  2. Check navigation settings — the page may not be in the menu
  3. Clear your browser cache and refresh

Books Not Showing on Website

  1. Verify books are set to "Published" status
  2. Check that you have at least one published book
  3. Wait a few minutes for the website to rebuild after publishing a book

Blog Posts Not Appearing

  1. Check post status — Draft posts aren't publicly visible
  2. Verify the published date is today or earlier (not scheduled)
  3. Clear browser cache

Design Issues

Custom CSS Not Applying

  • Verify you're on the Pro or Business plan
  • Check for CSS syntax errors (missing semicolons, unclosed brackets)
  • Ensure your selectors match the actual page elements
  • Use browser DevTools (F12) to verify CSS rules

Mobile Layout Broken

  • Custom CSS may conflict with responsive styles
  • Remove custom CSS temporarily to see if defaults work
  • Add @media queries in your custom CSS for mobile-specific overrides

General Troubleshooting

  1. Clear browser cache (Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + R for hard refresh)
  2. Try in an incognito/private window
  3. Check if the issue appears on different devices
  4. Contact support with screenshots and your website URL

Related Articles

  • Your Author Website — Overview
  • Connecting a Custom Domain
  • Customizing Your Website Theme & Design

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