"Account Suspended" on your website: what it means and how to fix it

If your site shows Account Suspended or This Account has been suspended, your hosting company has switched it off. It is almost always billing, and sometimes a security or resource problem.

What it means

This is a stock page from cPanel hosts such as Bluehost, HostGator, Namecheap and many smaller firms. Your files and database are usually intact for a while after suspension.

What to do, in order

1. Search your email for messages from your host in the last month. The reason is usually in one of them: unpaid invoice, expired card, malware found, or too much server load.
2. Log in to the host's billing area and pay any open invoice. Many hosts lift the suspension within minutes of payment.
3. If the reason was malware, do not just ask them to switch it back on. Change your hosting, admin and email passwords first, then ask the host for the list of infected files.
4. If the reason was resource use, ask the host which part of the site caused it. A single plugin is often the cause.
5. Once it is back, take a full backup and download it to your own computer.

If you cannot reach the host

Open a support ticket and phone them if they offer a number. Ask how long they keep suspended accounts before deleting them, and get the answer in writing.

Want the rest of your site checked after it is back? Run a free 40-point check at tinkeraudit.com.