🔍 Overview
If you see a "Failed to load projects" error when opening Website Studio, your projects are not lost. This error is usually caused by a temporary loading issue, a stale browser session, or a sync problem between the platform and your project data. Follow the steps below to resolve it.
🗺️ How to Get to Website Studio
To confirm you are in the right place, navigate to Website Studio using the left sidebar. Click Website Studio in the left navigation menu, or go directly to /website-studio in your browser's address bar.
⚙️ Step-by-Step Troubleshooting
- Hard refresh the page. Press Ctrl + Shift + R (Windows/Linux) or Cmd + Shift + R (Mac) to force the browser to reload all assets from scratch, bypassing the local cache.
- Clear your browser cache and cookies. Go to your browser settings, clear cached images, files, and cookies for the Search Atlas domain, then reload the page. Stale session data is a common cause of this error.
- Try a different browser or Incognito/Private window. Open an Incognito or Private window and log in again. This rules out browser extensions or cached data interfering with the platform.
- Check your internet connection. A weak or unstable connection can interrupt the project-loading request. Switch networks or disable a VPN if you are using one, then reload the page.
- Log out and log back in. Click your account menu, select Log Out, then sign in again. This refreshes your authentication token and often resolves persistent loading failures.
- Wait a few minutes and retry. Occasionally, a temporary platform issue may prevent projects from loading. Wait 2–5 minutes, then return to /website-studio and try again.
- Check if a specific project fails or all projects fail. If only one project fails to open while others load normally, the issue is isolated to that project. Note the project name so you can share it with our team.
🚫 Common Causes at a Glance
- Stale browser cache or cookies — prevents the platform from loading fresh project data.
- Expired authentication session — logging out and back in resolves this.
- Browser extensions — ad blockers or script blockers can interfere with the builder.
- Temporary platform sync issue — usually resolves on its own within a few minutes.
- Single project rendering failure — isolated to one project and requires team investigation.
✅ After the Error Is Resolved
Once your projects load successfully, verify the following to avoid a recurrence:
- Make sure you are using a supported, up-to-date browser (Chrome or Edge are recommended).
- Avoid keeping the Website Studio tab open for very long periods without refreshing, as sessions can expire silently.
- If you use a WordPress integration, confirm that the Sync to WordPress connection is still active under your project settings. A broken WordPress connection can sometimes prevent project data from loading correctly.
💬 Still Seeing the Error?
If none of the steps above resolve the issue, our team can investigate your specific account and project data directly. If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.
When you reach out, please share the following to help us resolve it faster:
- The name of the affected project(s)
- The exact error message displayed on screen
- The browser and operating system you are using
- Any steps you have already tried from this guide