So, you’ve got a website. Or maybe you had one. It served its purpose. Maybe it was a blog, a small business, or just an idea you tried out.
But now? You’re ready to hit pause or stop completely.
Shutting down a website might sound technical, but don’t worry. You don’t need to be a tech wizard. You just need the right steps. Whether you want a short break or you’re closing the doors for good, we have got you.
Today, we will walk you through both temporary and permanent shutdowns.
Why Do You Want to Shut Down a Website?
Before you shut down your website, it’s important to know why you’re doing it. Your reason will help you choose the right way to do it. Are you planning to take it down for a short time? Or are you closing it for good?
Is it temporary? (Maintenance, rebranding)
If it’s a temporary thing, you don’t need to delete the whole website. You may want to do maintenance or rebranding. You can just put it on pause. A simple “coming soon” or “we’ll be back” page? This will let your visitors know what’s happening. Then you can get back online when you’re ready.
Is it forever? (Business closure, switching platforms)
But if you’re shutting it down forever, that’s a different story. Maybe your business is closing. Or you’re moving to a new platform. In that case, you’ll want to remove your site the right way. It should be clean, safe, and without leaving anything behind.
If you manage WordPress websites, you know the struggle—endless duplicate files, broken thumbnails, and a cluttered mess slowing you down.
Our Media Library Tools plugin fixes all that.
Temporary Disabling (Maintenance Mode)
This is the easiest way to take your site offline for a while. Most CMS platforms, like WordPress, offer a maintenance mode plugin.
It shows a message to visitors while you work behind the scenes. Customize your message (like “We’ll be back soon”). No need to mess with your actual content.
If you have wordre
Manually Disable Pages
Here, you’re turning off pages one by one. Good if you don’t want the whole site offline.
- We’ll show you how to temporarily disable pages without deleting them.
- Rename your homepage (like index.html to index-temp.html).
- Replace it with a simple message page (like maintenance.html).
- You can hide other important pages by renaming or removing their links.
- Keep a backup of everything so you can go live again anytime.
Return a 503 HTTP Header
This tells search engines, “Hey, we’re down for maintenance. Come back later.”
Why does it matter? It stops Google from thinking your site is broken.
Edit your .htaccess file (on Apache servers).
Add this line:
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} !/maintenance.html$
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ /maintenance.html [R=503,L]
Then, add this to show the 503 status:
Header always set Retry-After “3600.”
Make sure you have a maintenance.html page ready.
Permanent Shutdown
Here’s how to close your website completely and cleanly.
Cancel Web Hosting
If you’re done with your website for good, there are a few important steps to follow.
- First step, stop paying for hosting.
- Log in to your hosting provider.
- Find the option to cancel your hosting plan.
- Some hosts may ask for a reason or confirmation. Just follow the steps.
- Make sure to download any backups you might need before this.
Cancel Domain Registration
Next, cancel your domain registration if you no longer want the web address.
- Log in to your domain registrar.
- Turn off auto-renewal.
- Your domain will expire at the end of the billing period.
- Or, delete it right away if the registrar allows.
Remove Website Files and Databases
Make sure to delete all your website files and databases. This clears your content from the internet and protects your data. You can do this through your hosting control panel or using an FTP tool. If your site had a database, like with WordPress, don’t forget to delete that too.
Comply with Legal Obligations
Also, remember to handle any legal responsibilities. If your site collects user data, you may need to inform users. Only then can you delete their information. This also depends on where you are. The privacy laws, like GDPR, may apply. It’s smart to double-check with a legal expert if you’re not sure.
Keep Domain if Needed
Lastly, if you think you may use your domain again someday, you can keep it. There’s no need to keep the hosting plan if you’re not using it. Just hold onto the domain. Then renew it each year. Or point it to a new site or page if needed.
If you wanted to redesign your website, please read our blog: How to Redesign a Website Without Losing SEO
Verdict
Shutting down a website doesn’t have to be stressful.
Just know what you need. Temporary break or full goodbye? Then follow the steps.
Keep backups. Handle your data. Cancel what’s not needed. And if there’s even a small chance you’ll be back, keep that domain.
