Troubleshooting common issues

Most snags have a quick fix. Work through the one that matches your problem below — and if none of these do it, contact support and we'll dig in with you. Each fix is safe to try; none of them delete anything.

I can't find a setting

In a store, most settings live under the Settings tab of your Store Dashboard. At the top there's a Search settings… box — type what you're after (e.g. menu, checkout, branding, domain) and it jumps to the right panel. Settings are grouped into Store details, Branding, Navigation & menu, Catalog & fields, Categories, Discounts, Sales boosters, Checkout, Shipping, Payments & invoices, Pages & policies, SEO & sharing, Tracking & code and Integrations.

In the website editor, scroll the left panel: General Settings (site name and slug) and Custom Domain sit above your sections. Anything about the content itself — text, images, colours — is inside the section it belongs to.

Looking specifically for your store's menu links? See Edit your store menu & navigation. For a full map of the tabs, see the Store dashboard tour.

My changes aren't showing

If an edit isn't appearing on your live site, check these in order:

1. 1Did you Save the change? In the website editor, wait for ✓ Saved in the toolbar (it autosaves a couple of seconds after you stop typing). In a store's Settings or Design tab, look for a Save button with unsaved changes next to it — nothing goes live until you click it.
2. 2Did you click Publish? A store stays a Draft until you do. Edits to an already-live site go out on their own, but clicking Publish again is the fastest way to push them (see Publishing & sharing).
3. 3Give it a minute or two. Live sites are cached briefly so they load fast; a saved change can take up to a couple of minutes to reach everyone.
4. 4Do a hard refresh of your live site — Ctrl + Shift + R (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + R (Mac) — to clear the cached old version in your own browser.

My site shows 'not found'

• The store is still a Draft — open the Store Dashboard and click Publish.
• The slug was changed after you shared the link. The old address stops working immediately; copy the new one from your Dashboard card and update your bio and status.
• A typo. Slugs are all lowercase with hyphens — my-shop, not My_Shop.
• You typed the address into a product page that has since been deleted. Open the store's home page instead.

My custom domain isn't working yet

After you point a custom domain at SitesPlaced, the change has to spread across the internet — this is called DNS propagation and it can take a few minutes to a few hours (occasionally longer). A short wait is completely normal. Until the domain is verified, the free sitesplaced.com address keeps working, so nothing is lost.

If it's still not loading after a while, double-check the records you added against our guide: Connect a domain manually (DNS records). If your registrar supports it, the one-click connect sets the records for you. Custom domains need the Starter plan (websites) or the Growth plan (stores) — the domain box tells you if your plan doesn't cover it yet. Got the records right and still waiting? Contact support with your domain name.

An upload is refused

• Image must be under 2MB (website editor) or Max 5MB per photo (store products): resize or compress the photo on your phone first. Phone cameras often produce 8–12 MB files.
• Only image files are allowed: the file is a PDF, a HEIC or a video. Export it as JPG or PNG.
• Storage limit reached: the Free plan includes 500 MB across a site. Delete unused images, or upgrade for more room — see Free vs premium store.

Publish opens a payment popup

Websites and stores publish free. The one exception is celebration invitations (wedding and event templates), which need a one-time unlock per invitation — the popup is that unlock, not a subscription. If you see an upgrade popup on an ordinary website or store, take a screenshot and contact support; we'll check the account.

The editor says 'Desktop Only'

The website editor needs a laptop or desktop screen, so on a phone or tablet it shows a Desktop Only notice with Back to Dashboard and Visit Site buttons. This is expected. The store dashboard — products, orders, settings, design — works fully on a phone, and so does the Android app.

I didn't get an email

If an expected email (sign-in code, password reset, order alert or a reply from us) hasn't arrived:

• Check your spam / junk folder, and any Promotions tab.
• Confirm you're checking the same email address linked to your account — click your profile picture to see which one is signed in.
• Add hello@sitesplaced.com (our notifications) and admin@sitesplaced.com (support replies) to your contacts so future emails come straight through.
• Sign-in and reset codes expire quickly. If a few minutes have passed, request a new one rather than hunting for the old email.

Still nothing? Contact us — we'll check it from our side and resend. For order emails specifically, see Order notifications.