How to fix DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN

Chrome shows DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN (and sometimes ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED) when it asks the internet's address book, DNS, for a website's IP address and gets back "no such domain". The page never starts loading because your browser doesn't know where to send the request.

Usually the fault is on your side: a typo, a stale DNS cache, a VPN or your internet provider's DNS server. Sometimes the domain really has stopped working, for example because it expired or its DNS settings were changed.

First, check whether it's just you

Enter the address in our website checker. We look the domain up from our own servers. If our check works, the site is fine and the problem is your device or network, so carry on with the steps below. If our check also fails, the domain itself is broken and only the site owner can fix it.

Quick fixes, in order

1. Check the spelling. NXDOMAIN literally means the name doesn't exist, so one wrong letter is enough.
2. Try another network. Load the site on mobile data instead of Wi-Fi. If it works there, your router or internet provider is the problem.
3. Clear your computer's DNS cache. On Windows, open Command Prompt and run ipconfig /flushdns. On a Mac, open Terminal and run sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder.
4. Clear Chrome's own DNS cache. Go to chrome://net-internals/#dns and click Clear host cache, then restart Chrome.
5. Turn off your VPN or proxy, then try again. Some VPNs use their own DNS servers, which can fail or block sites.
6. Restart your router. Many home routers cache DNS answers and can keep an out-of-date one for hours.
7. Switch to a public DNS server such as Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) or Google (8.8.8.8). In Windows go to Settings, Network & internet, your connection, DNS server assignment, Edit, and choose Manual.

Still not working?

Check your hosts file: an old entry can point a domain at the wrong place or nowhere. On Windows it's C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts; on a Mac it's /etc/hosts. Also check that your device's date and time are correct and that no parental-control or security software is blocking the site.

If you own the website

Check that the domain hasn't expired at your registrar, that its nameservers are the ones your DNS host expects, and that there's an A, AAAA or CNAME record for the exact name visitors use (both example.com and www.example.com). After a nameserver change, some internet providers keep the old answer for up to 48 hours.