Fix guides for non-technical people

41 guides. Each one starts with the plain-English version, then the easy fix, then a block you can hand to your IT person, then the exact commands.

A business tool is down: what to do while you waitA practical plan for when accounting, payments, email or phones go down: what to tell staff and customers, how to keep trading, and how to catch up afterwards.Also for: Accounting software, Payments and card terminals, Email provider, Phones and internet
My website is down: what to check firstA plain-English checklist for a business website that is not loading: confirm it is really down, find the cause (DNS, server, certificate), and who to call.Also for: cPanel hosting, WordPress, Cloudflare, Nginx on your own server, Apache on your own server
SSL certificate expiring: how to renew itYour website certificate expires soon. How to find who issues it, renew it on common hosts, and check it worked, in plain English with the exact commands.Also for: cPanel hosting, Cloudflare, Nginx on your own server, Apache on your own server
SSL certificate expired: fix the browser warning nowYour site shows a full-page security warning because the certificate expired. What visitors see, how to renew on each kind of hosting, and how to fix mixed content afterwards.Also for: cPanel hosting, Cloudflare
Certificate name mismatch: the certificate is for a different addressWhy browsers say the certificate is not valid for this site, the www and non-www trap, and how to issue a certificate that covers both.
Incomplete or untrusted certificate chainThe certificate is valid but some browsers and phones warn because the intermediate certificate is missing or the chain is self-signed. How to fix it on Nginx, Apache, cPanel and Cloudflare.
Domain name expiring: renew it before the website and email stopHow to renew a domain name at the common registrars, where to find the expiry date when the registry hides it (.au), and how to spot renewal scams.
Nameservers or mail servers changed: migration or hijack?What a nameserver, MX or registrar change on your domain means, how to tell a planned migration from a hijack, and what to do in the first hour.
No SPF record: anyone can send email as your domainWhat SPF is, why a missing or weak record lets scammers send invoices in your name, and the exact records for Microsoft 365, Google Workspace and common senders.Also for: Microsoft 365, Google Workspace
No DMARC record, or DMARC not enforcingWhat DMARC does, why p=none protects nobody, the record to publish, and how to move safely from none to quarantine to reject.
WordPress is out of date: update core, plugins and themes safelyHow to update WordPress without breaking the site: backup first, update in the right order, with WP-CLI commands and what to do if an update fails.
A WordPress plugin on your site has a known vulnerabilityWhat to do when a plugin you run has a published security flaw: update to the fixed version, or disable it, and check for signs of a break-in.
Your website runs a PHP version that no longer gets security fixesWhat end of life means for PHP on a website, how to find your version, and how to move to a supported version on cPanel or your own server without breaking the site.
Software on your website or server has a known vulnerabilityHow to read a CVE alert as a business owner, decide how urgent it is, and get the software updated or protected.
Google says your site is unsafe: clean it and get the warning removedWhat the red warning page means, how to find and remove malware from a hacked website, and how to request a review in Google Search Console.
Your site is hidden from Google (noindex)A noindex tag on the homepage removes your site from search results. Where it comes from on WordPress, Shopify, Wix, Squarespace and Webflow, and how to turn it off.
robots.txt is blocking your whole siteA Disallow: / line in robots.txt tells search engines to stay out. What the file should contain for WordPress and common platforms, and how to fix it.
A staff email address appears in a data breachWhat to do when an employee's work email shows up in a published breach: change passwords, turn on two-factor sign-in, warn about phishing, check forwarding rules.
A lookalike of your domain was registeredSomeone registered a domain that imitates yours. How to judge the risk, warn customers and suppliers, and report it to the registrar and authorities, with a ready-made abuse email.
A phishing site is impersonating your businessA site pretending to be yours is live. How to get it taken down fast: hosting abuse, registrar abuse, Safe Browsing report, Netcraft, and what to tell customers.
Power outage at your location: prepare and keep tradingA checklist for a planned or unplanned power outage at a shop, office, clinic or venue: before, during and after, with what to tell staff and customers.
BAS due soon: lodge on time, and what to do if you cannot payThe Australian Business Activity Statement in plain English: what it reports, the due dates, lodging through ATO online services or your agent, and payment plans.
Payday Super: super must reach the fund within 7 business days of paydayFrom 1 July 2026 Australian employers pay super with each pay run. What changes, how payroll software handles it, and what happens if you are late.
ASIC annual review: confirm details and pay the feeWhat the ASIC annual statement asks, the two-month window to pay, the solvency resolution, late fees, and how to spot fake ASIC invoices.