This Site Can't Be Reached

[JenTTTT]

Hi all,

is there a way to fix this issue "This Site Can't be Reached" without having to unblock my VPN?

Site is currently only open to Australia, when I changed this to International - still didn't work.

Only thing that works is when my VPN is unblocked - I don't think I can expect customers to do this please HELP we have just launched

[mattsalsa]

Hi Jen,

Sounds like this could be tied to how Shopify handles geolocation and VPN traffic.

A few things to check:

1. Markets settings – Make sure “International” is fully set up under Settings > Markets, not just selected. Some countries might still be restricted under the hood.

2. VPN IPs – Shopify or your domain host might be blocking certain VPN IP ranges automatically. That could explain why it only loads when the VPN is off.

3. Apps or theme scripts – If you’ve got a geolocation app, country redirect, or anything custom in the theme, it might still be limiting access even if Markets is open.

4. Cache issues – Try a hard refresh or incognito mode after changing the settings. Shopify sometimes holds on to old location data per session.

If all that checks out and it’s still blocked, worth reaching out to Shopify support to see if anything’s getting flagged at their end. Let me know if you want help reviewing the setup.

[JenTTTT]

Hello Mattsalsa,

thanks so much for your response.  We have followed above and I definitely think its to do with #2 - any idea on how to resolve?

I've adjusted as per item #1, I don't believe i have anything added that affects #3. When trying item #4 in incognito, the error message slightly changes to below i.e. "Running Windows network Diagnostics" no longer comes up.

[mattsalsa]

Thanks for the update, Jen.

If it’s looking like VPN IPs are the issue, there are a couple of things you can try:

1. Test with different VPN servers or providers – Some VPN IP ranges are more likely to be blocked if they’re shared or flagged. If it works on one server but not another, that confirms the block is IP-based.

2. Check with your domain host or firewall – If you’re using a custom domain with DNS or CDN services (like Cloudflare), see if there are any region restrictions or security filters active. Even some default DNS setups have basic geo filtering.

3. Ask Shopify Support to check server-side logs – They can see if the traffic is being blocked or flagged by Shopify’s edge security. It’s not always visible on your end, but they may be able to confirm what’s happening.

It’s frustrating for sure, especially right after launch. 

[SEOAnt-Jeffery]

Hi @JenTTTT

Let me share with you another idea after checking your issue:

If you set up the store available for Australian users only, this means the visitors outside Australia will be unable to access this store, including yourself. Currently, you would like to have a test if the store is available in the Australia area via VPN connection, you need to pay more attention to the settings of your VPN and check if it is working fine or not.

Sometimes I will use a VPN to test the store's performance as well. When receiving store issues from different areas, you can consider changing the proxy mode from Rule to Global, then select the Australia area-related proxies and restart the VPN again. Lastly, check your store under incognito mode to see if you can access it or not, as Incognito mode will not keep caches, and it is easier for you to check under real situations.

If my shared idea here is not working on your end still, you may need to switch to another VPN client and try again until you can visit the store to check page performance. Thank you!