We've designed Rocketspark to be simple to use but from time to time you may encounter challenges with your website not working as you’d expect. We’ve prepared this guide to help you identify the common issues you might come across and some quick troubleshooting options to try.
Major outages of Rocketspark are very rare but you can always check the status page here if your website is down: www.rocketspark.com/status.
Table of Contents
My site is loading slowly
Clearing your browser's cache
My website is not showing
Basic internet browser troubleshooting
Disabling browser extensions
Using Private Browsing or Incognito mode
How do I contact Rocketspark Support?
Getting a JavaScript console error
Taking a screenshot
Common error messages in Rocketspark
Starting over
Supported web browsers
I can't edit my site
Tip: If you're new to Rocketspark, visit the Getting Started section to learn the basics of site editing.
Step 1 - Are you on a mobile phone or tablet?
Rocketspark websites are great on touch screen devices for your visitors but we didn’t design the editing tools for use on mobile. If you're experiencing issues editing on a mobile browser, it's because this isn't currently supported. Although you are “able” to edit your Rocketspark website on mobile phones and tablets, the experience is not optimised for those devices. For the best Rocketspark experience, we always suggest editing your website on a desktop or laptop computer
Step 2 - Check if you're logged in
Editing your website only works when you're logged in, and our system doesn't always keep you logged for security reasons.
To check if you're logged in:
- Visit your site.
- If you can see the Rocketspark bar at the top of your page (Dashboard, Editor, Preview), you’re logged in.
- If you cannot see this bar, you're logged out. Go to your website login page, and log into your site.
Step 3 - Check if your site has expired
At Rocketspark we offer a free 30-day trial to get your website built. After this period, you will need to upgrade your account to either go live or continue building your site. If your trial expires, you will not have access to edit your website until you have upgraded your website.
You will need to go to https://www.rocketspark.com and log in to your site's Dashboard. Once logged in, follow our guide here to Upgrade your account.
Step 4 - Check if your web browser is up to date
When editing your website in Rocketspark, it's important to use the most recent version of your web browser available.
If you are using an old browser, Rocketspark will pop up an alert when you are logged into Dashboard. If you see this you need to upgrade your browser.
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Check if your browser is up to date using www.whatbrowser.com or follow our guide here to update to a new browser http://support.rocketspark.co.nz/customer/portal/articles/1364296
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Check if cookies are enabled. Blocking cookies may limit your ability to edit your site.
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Check if JavaScript is enabled. Blocking JavaScript interferes with our editing tools.
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Make sure your browser zoom level is set to 100% or Actual Size—this is found on the View menu of your browser.
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Make sure your browser is maximised to the full-screen width and height.
If you're still having trouble, follow the next step.
Step 5 - Disable browser extensions
Browser extensions can be very helpful but can also interfere with Rocketspark’s editing tools. If you're using extensions or add-ons, try temporarily disabling them, then try editing your site again. If you can edit your site now, that means the extensions are the culprit.
To avoid this issue in the future, don't use browser extensions if you can avoid it. You can also log in using a private or incognito window or use a different supported browser to edit your site.
Step 6 - Remove custom code
Custom code can interfere with site editing at times. If you followed all steps above and still can't edit your site, your site might have custom code that's blocking our editor controls.
To troubleshoot:
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Temporarily remove the code altogether:
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Find the code either in a code block or tracking code that has been added. Copy and paste the code into a safe place outside of Rocketspark on your computer. e.g. in a Text editor or Notepad software.
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Remove the code and save.
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Refresh the page.
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Try to edit the page again. If you can successfully edit, there’s a good chance that the code is the issue.
For more on using custom code with Rocketspark, read Code block editing or about tracking code and third party scripts.
Step 7 - Were you set up by a Rocketspark Partner?
At Rocketspark, we have a huge network of great design partners who may have helped you set up your website for you. If this is the case, they may have disabled some of the editing functionality. If this is the case, you will need to contact the Partner directly to discuss getting the editing functionality added.
Typical areas that can be disabled are the Edit Design & Change Template areas. Also advanced font styling controls and certain stacks of content.
Step 8 - Contact the Rocketspark support team
If after completing all of these steps, you are still unable to edit your website, please contact the Rocketspark support team with as much information as possible and we will look into it for you.
My site is loading slowly
Rocketspark does everything possible to make sure that all of the sites we host load quickly. All of our sites are hosted locally for maximum speed and our developers continuously monitor the performance of our servers so we can respond to problems before they become noticeable. Rocketspark can easily handle sites that have a lot of traffic to them so you won't have to worry that the load times of your site will increase as your site becomes more popular.
If your site is loading slowly, here are some common issues you may be having that you can fix.
Images
Rocketspark has a built-in image engine to automatically resize and optimise your images to be downloaded over the internet. When images are first uploaded there can sometimes be a small delay on the first load of the live site as we prepare these images for your visitors. If this happens, you might just need to wait. The load time of images after the initial load should be a problem unless you have more than 15 large images on a page. The next section, "Too Much Content", talks about reasonable amounts of content for last loading times.
Too much content
When you first load a website page, your internet browser downloads all of the page's content. This can affect load times if your page has a lot of text, image and video content on it. Load time also depends on the internet speed of the computer or device a visitor uses to view your website. Depending on the internet browser, some of your website's content may be stored on your computer to decrease load times for the next page visit on the website. This is called “caching”.
Rocketspark automatically optimises images for the web so that you get the best visual experience for your users and the best loading time for them as well. We are also regularly updating the entire system to make it as quick as possible on all devices and all internet connections.
If you are using a design that incorporates a large full-width image in your feature area, we would recommend keeping these images limited to 2 or 3 as this can cause slower load times as there are bigger images to be downloaded.
To avoid loading issues, we recommend:
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Spreading out content across multiple pages
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Limiting photos in slideshows to 7 and galleries to 25
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Limiting full-width feature area images to 2 or 3.
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Using Blog blocks and Product blocks to link to key content
Older browsers
We support the Internet browsers versions listed in this guide for viewing and editing your site. Viewing or editing a site on an older internet browser version could cause loading issues.
Check if your browser is current and if needed, download the latest version.
Internet connection
If you're having loading issues on pages after checking all the above steps, this could indicate an issue with your internet connection.
Try viewing your site on another internet connection, or ask a friend using a different internet connection to view your site.
You can also see what your internet speed is with a speed test. If your upload and download speeds are lower than what your Internet service provider has promised, contact them to see if there might be an issue. A good download speed should be above 30mbps.
Custom code
Custom code on your website including Code block editing or tracking code and third party scripts may cause your site to load slowly. When trying to figure out load time issues, we would suggest removing all custom code from your site, saving it in a text document for safekeeping, then refreshing the page.
If you are experiencing strange behaviour such as pages not loading, parts of the site missing or the pages loading very slow we recommend removing any custom code to see if that code is the cause of the issue and contact the provider of the code for help in the first instance.
Other Factors
A lot of other factors go into the load time of your site. This includes:
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Your devices memory/capacity
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Network Firewalls
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Anti-virus software on your device
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Internet browser add-ons & extensions
If you’ve checked all of the above and are still having page load speed issues, please contact our support team for more assistance.
Clearing your browser's cache
Your internet browser stores a lot of data about where you have been on the Internet and what websites and content you’ve viewed. This is to try and give you the best experience when returning to previously visited websites. This can, however, get your browser “confused” and slow at times. Clearing your cache and browsing history can be very beneficial to solve a few browsing errors.
These links will help you with clearing your browser's cache.
Check if it's a domain issue
If your site isn't loading when you enter your domain name, try entering your Rocketspark short name (temporary address) which will be either your-name.rocketspark.co.nz, your-name.rocketspark.co.uk, or your-name.rocketsparkau.com as was emailed to your when your site was first created.
If your site opens using your Rocketspark short name (temporary address), this suggests that there's an issue with your domain name.
To check if your domain name is linking and working, log into your Rocketspark Dashboard and go to the Domains section.
If green dots appear next to your domain names, that shows that your domain name is pointing to Rocketspark and should be working.Red dots This means that there is an issue with your domain name pointing to Rocketspark and you should check the settings with your domain name host.
You can also check where the domain name is pointing by using the free MX Toolbox lookup tool. Open https://mxtoolbox.com/DNSLookup.aspx and enter your domain name and it will show you where your A Record (website traffic) is pointing. Check it is pointing to a Rocketspark IP address. You can find out what this IP address should be by checking our DNS setting guides for your hosted location.
You also want to make sure that adding www. to the front of your domain name is pointing to the correct IP address. If there are no CNAME or A records for “www” then your website will not load when using your domain name.
Website Not Active (Expired)
If your site has expired or is not active, you'll see a "Website not Active" message when you visit it from any of your domains. Sites can be set as not active for a number of reasons including:
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You’ve requested the site to be shut down
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Payment has not been received for the ongoing Rocketspark subscription
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Your domain name has expired
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You’ve simply set your site offline. http://support.rocketspark.co.nz/customer/en/portal/articles/2047635-how-to-set-my-website-online-or-offline
To get your site back online, either log into your dashboard and reactivate it or contact the support team.
If your website still isn't loading, there is a chance it could be a system-wide issue we're fixing. While we strive for 100% uptime and availability, in rare circumstances, we could be experiencing an issue that affects a lot of our clients. If this happens, we would get things back up and running as quickly as possible.
Basic internet browser troubleshooting
If you’re having issues with viewing or editing your website, the issue might be related to your internet browser. The internet browser is the programme you use to connect to the internet (e.g. Google Chrome, Microsoft Explorer, Apple Safari) When you contact us for support, we might ask you to go through some steps to help us sort out the cause of the issues.
Before you contact us, it's helpful if you've already taken these steps:
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Check that you’re using a supported internet browser. We recommend downloading the latest version of Google Chrome. https://www.google.com/chrome/browser/desktop/
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Check that your internet browser is up to date.
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Open or log into your site in a different internet browser. If you don’t have the same issue, it is likely the problem is related to the first internet browser. If you contact us, let us know which browsers you tried.
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Try opening your website in a private or incognito window. Private browsing allows you to see your site how website visitors see it. It also turns off any internet browser extensions and add-ons that may be interfering with Rocketspark. If doing this fixes the issue, follow the next steps.
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Clear your cache.
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Check that cookies and Javascript are enabled in your browser. Rocketspark relies on these to help you edit and browse your site.
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Disable browser extensions that might be interfering with your site.
If you’ve tried all of the steps above and you’re still having trouble, contact the Rocketspark support team. Let us know which of the above steps you’ve tried so we can continue to help sort the problem. A screenshot of the issue would be very helpful to help identify the problem.
Disabling browser extensions
While internet browser add-ons and extensions can give you a lot of great extra functionality when you are browsing the internet, some of them might interfere with editing your Rocketspark website. If you're having issues with your website and how it is working for you, we may ask you to disable these extensions.
These links will help you with disabling add-ons and extensions.
Using Private Browsing or Incognito mode
Private or Incognito Browsing lets you view your website as visitors to your website would see it. Browsing in Private or Incognito mode means that your internet browser doesn’t remember any history, cookies or cache that you may have in your normal web browser. It’s like starting a fresh, new browser with no history.
You can find out what web browser you are using here and then follow the instructions below to use Private Browsing or Incognito Mode.
Chrome
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In the top-right corner of a Chrome window, click the Chrome menu icon. (Three Vertical dots)
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Select New Incognito Window.
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A new window will open with the message “You’ve gone incognito”
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You are now free to use as a normal browser but any history, cookies or cache will not be used.
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Close the window to end Incognito mode.
For more information about Chrome’s Incognito mode, visit Google’s documentation.
Safari
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From a Safari window, click the File menu.
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Select New Private Window.
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A new window will open with a dark address and search field and white text.
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You are now free to use as a normal browser but any history, cookies or cache will not be used.
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Close the Private Browsing window to end Private Browsing.
For more information about Safari’s Private Browsing, visit Apple’s documentation.
Firefox
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From a Firefox window, click the Firefox menu icon.
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Select New Private Window.
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A new window will open with a purple mask icon in the top-right corner.
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You are now free to use as a normal browser but any history, cookies or cache will not be used.
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To stop using Private Browsing, close the Private Window.
For more information about Firefox’s Private Browsing, visit Mozilla’s documentation.
Internet Explorer
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From an Internet Explorer window, click the Settings menu icon
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choose Safety, then InPrivate Browsing.
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A new window will open with an InPrivate icon to the left of the address bar.
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You are now free to use as a normal browser but any history, cookies or cache will not be used.
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To end your Private Browsing session, close the window.
To learn more about Internet Explorer’s InPrivate Browsing, visit Microsoft’s documentation.
Contacting Rocketspark Support
If you have a Rocketspark account, first log into your website dashboard. This helps us answer your question faster by identifying who you are and which website you are contacting us about.
When you are logged in, click the blue Get Help button on your Dashboard and search the help guides or click Contact Us to send us a message.
(To make this tour bigger, click the arrows on the right or zoom in)
This will start a message to our support team.
Tips for describing questions and issues
Please be very specific about any questions and issues you are having. The more details you can provide the Rocketspark support team with the more helpful they will be able to be. Make sure you include information about the page you are on or the part of your website you have questions about.
If there is something visual that might be able to help with the question, we’d love a screenshot or screen capture of it, which will help us diagnose much faster for you. In the messaging system, you will be able to add any attachments in terms of files or screenshots you need to help explain what you are having trouble with.
If you have multiple questions, we recommend creating a new message for each. This means we can be very specific in our replies to each message and there is no confusion or missed responses.
Why do we ask for ownership verification
For security, sometimes we'll ask you to verify information related to your websites, such as the details of your account, the credit cardholder name or the last four digits of the card on file for your website. We may also ask you to verify account ownership by emailing us from the specific email address on file for the site.
The safety and privacy of your account are our top priority, and we request this information to help protect you and your information.
Getting a JavaScript console error
On some occasions, we may ask that you send us a screenshot of your internet browser's JavaScript console. Below is how to bring up your Javascript Console in the main internet browsers we support:
Chrome
Use the keyboard shortcut:
On Mac ⌘ + Option + J
On Windows Ctrl + Shift + J
Or you can do it manually by:
Mac
- Click View.
- Select Developer.
- Select JavaScript Console.
Windows
- Click the menu icon.
- Select Tools.
- Select JavaScript Console.
Safari
Use the keyboard shortcut:
⌘ + Option + C
Or you can do it manually by:
- Click Safari.
- Select Preferences.
- In the Advanced tab, check Show Develop menu in the menu bar.
- Click Develop.
- Select Show Error Console.
Firefox
Use a keyboard shortcut:
Mac ⌘ + Shift + J
Windows Ctrl + Shift + J
Or you can do it manually by:
Mac
- Click Tools.
- Select Web Developer.
- Select Browser Console.
Windows
- Click Firefox.
- Select Web Developer.
- Select Browser Console.
Internet Explorer
Use this keyboard shortcut:
F12
Or you can do it manually by:
- Click the Settings Cog icon.
- Select F12 Developer Tools.
- Send us a screenshot
Taking a screenshot
Sharing a screenshot with the support team is often the quickest way to explain what you are seeing and any issues that you are having. Taking a screenshot, although easy to do, is different depending on the device you are on. This guide will explain how to take a screenshot on your device.
Common error messages in Rocketspark
There was an error. Would you like to reload the page?
This error occurs when you are editing your website and an action that has been made is still processing or taking longer than expected to process by Rocketspark. Sometimes connections between your computer and Rocketspark can get interrupted or have connection issues.
The message will disappear on its own when Rocketspark does respond, but if this message still remains your most recent changes may not have been saved. We recommend that you remember your last action and/or copy your changes. It’s then time to refresh the page by clicking “Reload” or by using the internet browser “Reload” button.
404 Page not found
The page you requested does not exist.
- The page may have been deleted or moved
- The address (URL) may not be correct
A 404 error means that someone has tried to go to a page on your website but the page is not available for them to see. Here is a full guide about 404 errors.
Sorry, the page you are requesting is not available. Shop not showing in Preview mode or on a live site.
When in the Editor mode of your website dashboard, you will be able to see and edit the Rocketspark E-Commerce shop system. When you move into Preview mode or on the live site, you will need to make sure that the Shop is turned to Live for it to be viewed. To make the shop live, there are a number of things you need to make sure are done to ensure that any purchases are processed correctly.
No blog posts found.
You may have a blog turned on but until you have any blog posts written and live for people to read, the blog won’t be visible in Preview mode or for anyone not logged in. To make them live, follow this guide.
Starting over
To start over with your site, you can start a new trial or choose a new template.
Start a new 30-day trial
The simplest way to start over is to start a new 30-day trial. This allows you to build a new site while still having the current site up as well. You won't be able to use the same email address on two accounts so you’ll need a new email address to create a new trial. Another thing to note is that it is not possible to easily transfer content between sites. You are able to copy and paste text and re-upload images to from the current site to the new site.
When your new site is ready:
- Upgrade the new site.
- Contact Rocketspark to move all domain names, emails and billing to the new site.
- If you no longer need your old site, cancel its subscription so you're not paying for two sites at once.
We also recommend creating URL redirects from the old pages to new pages to avoid broken links. This support guide will help with that process.
Option 2 - Switch templates (only if you signed up before 8th June 2023)
At any time, you can redesign your website by switching to a new Rocketspark template. Your pages will all stay as they are but with the new design applied. This support guide will give you more information about switching Rocketspark templates.
Supported web browsers
A web browser is a programme you use to view websites on the internet. This guide will explain what web browsers we support and how you can find out what web browser you are using.