Why Can’t People See My WordPress Website?
In a nutshell, the issue is that your WordPress website isn’t accessible from within Germany. Yes, as incredible as it may sound, Germany currently doesn’t want to see your blog posts. And yes, you can argue that this is incredibly unfair. But that’s the way it is at this early stage of the pandemic.
How can you fix this? There are a few solutions, but they all require a little bit of work. If you’re feeling adventurous and want to give it a try, continue reading. But if you’re looking for a quick and easy fix, I’ve got some bad news for you: you’re out of luck.
The Only Solution At This Point Is To Export Your Blog
If you’re looking for a solution, your best bet at this point is to export your blog. What exactly does that mean?
Simply put, when someone from Germany lands on your website and tries to read a blog post, the WordPress software will alert you that someone from Germany is trying to access your site. At this point, you need to determine whether or not the person in question is a real German citizen, and if they are, whether or not you want to let them view your site. From within Germany. Yes, you can try some of the simpler fixes below, but don’t expect them to work.
Export Your Site As A Blogger-Friendly XML File
One of the simplest ways to let people from Germany read your blog is to convert it to an XML file. What is an XML file? Think of it as a static version of your blog’s content that can be downloaded in a clean and easy-to-understand format. In other words, when someone from Germany lands on your site, they will see some text and maybe a few images. They will not see any fancy stuff like videos or interactive elements. Which is exactly what you want. You don’t want someone from Germany to stumble onto your site and see all the bells and whistles that make it look more like a traditional web page. Not at this point, anyway. Once you’ve exported your blog as an XML file, you can upload it to any website that provides a free blog hosting service. Usually these websites allow you to import posts from various sources. So you can use this service to import your XML file and have all your posts appear on the new site. Some of the more popular blogging platforms that provide this service are Bluehost, Campatible, and Wix ($30/month). Once you’ve got your blog up and running on a new platform, you can go back and edit the text on your existing site to make it look more like a traditional blog.
Use A VPN To Unmonitize Your Blog
Another solution you can try is to use a VPN to unmonitize your blog. A VPN is a virtual private network that was created to allow users to access services or content that they might not be normally allowed to access due to country or location restrictions. Using a VPN to unmonitize your blog means that all the countries that you connect to using the VPN will see that you’re from the UK and will therefore have no issues viewing your content (as long as they’re not from Germany). If you’re accessing the site from within Germany you’ll still get the alert from WordPress that there’s a user from Germany trying to access your site, but you can choose whether or not to let them in. A good VPN will also mask your true IP address so that even if someone did find out that it is you, it would not be noticeable. When using a VPN, the world will see you as someone else. So if you’re feeling worried that someone might discover your secret blog, using a VPN to unmonitize it is a safe bet. If you’re still using the free blog hosted on your existing mobile phone, you can use one of the various apps available to connect to your VPN (and therefore gain access to unmonitized content) when you’re in Germany. For instance, you could use the OpenVPN app on your Android device or download the PureVPN app to connect to a server located in the UK.
Use An Anonymous Proxy To Unmonitize Your Blog
Some people opt for the simpler option, while others go the extra mile. If you decide to go the extra mile and want to allow users from Germany to view your blog, you can use an anonymous proxy to unmonitize it. An anonymous proxy keeps track of the websites that you visit and stores them in a log file. Think of it as a virtual private browser. When you use an anonymous proxy to unmonitize your blog, the world will see you as someone else. So if you’re accessing the site from within Germany you’ll still get the alert from WordPress that there’s a user from Germany trying to access your site, but you can choose whether or not to let them in. An anonymous proxy is easy to use and very affordable. For instance, you could use the free VPN service available through any of the popular email clients to connect to an anonymous proxy when you’re in Germany. This will allow you to access any website you want without getting flagged as someone from Germany. You’ll also be able to view any media content that you might want without worrying about Germany’s stance on certain subjects.
Use A Virtual Private Server For Blogging
A virtual private server is a service that allows you to rent a physical server from a web hosting company. When you use a VPS you get a lot of flexibility. For example, you can install various software on it, set up your blog, and start blogging away. What’s great about a VPS is that you get a lot of bandwidth. So you can pretty much do whatever you want with it. While you’re still technically paying for the server, many web hosting companies offer a free domain as part of their package. This means you get to choose from a variety of top-level domains, e.g.,.com,.org, and.net. Furthermore, many VPSs offer additional perks like free backups, free domain privacy (to keep your personal information hidden from online stalkers and hackers), and free security (to keep your site safe against hack attacks). You can use most major web browsers and applications on a VPS. The main downside is that you need to have at least 2GB of RAM to run a WordPress blog, 4GB for a medium-sized blog, and 8GB for a large-sized blog. Fortunately, memory is cheap these days and you can find good deals if you’re looking to purchase some.
Comb Through All The Countries That You Visit
The last and arguably the most reliable solution is to comb through all the countries that you visit. Yes, you read that right. If you travel to Germany frequently enough, you’ll eventually run into a situation where you get flagged for access by the WordPress software (or another form of content filtering). Once you’re flagged, you’ll receive a notification that there’s someone from Germany trying to access your site. At this point, you can choose whether or not to let them in. To prevent this from happening to you, you need to keep your trips to Germany to a minimum. If you’re planning on traveling to Germany any time soon, you should probably just stay away. But as previously stated, this is incredibly unfair. If Germany doesn’t want to let you in, then you should really feel outraged that something like this happens to you. Especially since, from what I’ve read, many Germans have adopted a very open-minded and accepting attitude when it comes to COVID-19. So in the name of openness, it’s time that Germany allows you to have your say.