If your static HTML site isn’t displaying correctly or throws errors after uploading, here’s a comprehensive checklist to help you identify and fix the most common problems.

1. ⚙️ Homepage Not Loading

Issue: Your site shows a blank page or directory listing.

Cause: Your homepage file is either named incorrectly or not located in the root directory.

Fix:

• Your main landing page must be named index.html or index.php (one of these two).

• It must be placed directly in the root folder, not inside a subfolder.

• Avoid naming your homepage something else (like home.html) unless explicitly linked from elsewhere.

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2. ⚠️ .htaccess File Errors

Issue: You see a 500 Internal Server Error, redirect loops, or your site doesn’t load at all.

Cause: The .htaccess file contains bad code or rules that aren’t appropriate for static HTML hosting.

Fix:

1. Go to File Manager in your PBN LTD dashboard.

2. Locate the .htaccess file and rename it (e.g., .htaccess-broken) to disable it.

3. Create a new .htaccess file in the same folder.

4. Paste in the following clean default code:

# Use index.html as the default file
DirectoryIndex index.html

# Prevent directory listings
Options -Indexes

# Enable rewrite engine (optional, only if you're using rewrites)
<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
  RewriteEngine On
</IfModule>

✅ If your site now loads correctly, the issue was with your old .htaccess file.

Next Step:

Carefully review your previous custom code. If needed, add pieces back one at a time to isolate the problem. Avoid using complex rewrite rules unless necessary, as improper syntax can easily break a static site.

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3. 🔤 File Case Sensitivity

Issue: Images or links are broken.

Cause: Linux-based servers are case-sensitive. That means Logo.PNG and logo.png are treated as completely different files.

Fix:

• Use lowercase letters consistently in both your filenames and your HTML references.

• Double-check spelling and extensions exactly.

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4. 🧱 Corrupted or Incomplete File Uploads

Issue: Your site shows random characters, blank screens, or fails to load.

Cause: Files were partially uploaded or corrupted during transfer.

Fix:

• Reupload your website files via File Manager.

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5. 🎨 Missing CSS, JS, or Images

Issue: Site loads without styling or interactivity.

Cause: The paths in your HTML are incorrect, or asset folders weren’t uploaded properly.

Fix:

• Check that your HTML correctly references the /css/, /js/, and /images/ directories.

• Make sure those folders exist and the referenced files are present.

• Inspect in your browser’s Developer Tools (F12) → Console or Network tab for 404 errors.

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6. 🚫 Avoid Manual Redirects

Issue: You added manual www or HTTPS redirects via .htaccess and now the site is broken.

Fix:

• Don’t attempt to force redirects manually unless you're experienced.

• Use PBN LTD’s built-in HTTPS setup during domain addition instead.

• If you must add redirects, make sure they’re written correctly. You can optionally use these (but leave commented if unsure):

# Force HTTPS
#<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
#  RewriteEngine On
#  RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off
#  RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]
#</IfModule>

# Redirect www to non-www
#<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
#  RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^www\.(.*)$ [NC]
#  RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://%1/$1 [R=301,L]
#</IfModule>

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Need more help? If you’ve run through this checklist and are still having issues, please open a support ticket with full details and a screenshot. We’re here to help—but often, it’s a small code tweak that does the trick.