Joomla! Documentation™

There may be occasions when you will make your Joomla! website completely unavailable to visitors for a short time. There is a simple switch in the Administrator back-end that enables you to take your website offline very quickly. It can be returned to service at a later time just as easily.

To take your Joomla! website temporarily offline

To make your Joomla! website unavailable to visitors, replacing it with a simple message, do this:

1. Log in to the Administrator back-end. To learn how to do this read: Logging in or out of the Administrator back-end.
2. Click on the Global Configuration button in the main Control Panel or click the Site > Global Configuration menu item.
3. Find where it says Site Offline and change the radio button from No to Yes (see the screenshot below).
4. Optional: Change the Offline Message to give your visitors some explanation about why your website is unavailable.
5. Click the Save or Apply toolbar button to implement the new settings:
   • The Save toolbar button will save your changes and return you to the Administrator Control Panel.
   • The Apply button will save your changes but leave you in Global Configuration.
6. Visitors to your website will now see a page with the Joomla! logo and your offline message.

File:Global config.png

To put your Joomla! website back online

1. Log in to Administrator back-end. To learn how to do this read: Logging in or out of the Administrator back-end.
2. Click on the Global Configuration button in the main Control Panel or click the Site > Global Configuration menu item.
3. Find where it says Site Offline and change the radio button from Yes to No.
4. Click the Save or Apply toolbar button to implement the new settings:
   • The Save toolbar button will save your changes and return you to the Administrator Control Panel.
   • The Apply button will save your changes but leave you in Global Configuration.
5. Your website will now be back in service.