Is Your Website Blocked or Slow in China? A Practical Diagnosis Guide for Western Companies

Many Western companies assume their website is “live worldwide” once it’s published. Then, Chinese users complain:
“The site won’t load.”
“It’s extremely slow.”
“I can’t access it at all.”

This isn’t a UX issue. It’s an infrastructure and compliance reality of operating online in China.

If your website feels broken in China, this guide will help you diagnose what’s really happening, why, and what you can do next.

Step 1: Understand the Three Most Common Scenarios

Before fixing anything, you need to identify which situation you’re in.

Scenario 1: Completely Blocked

Your website does not load at all in mainland China.

Common causes:

• Hosting on blocked platforms (Google Cloud, Vercel, some AWS regions, GitHub Pages)
• Use of blocked third-party services (Google Fonts, Google Analytics, reCAPTCHA)
• Embedded content from blocked domains (YouTube, Google Maps)

Symptoms:

• Timeouts or blank pages
• Works perfectly outside China
• No official error message

Scenario 2: Technically Accessible but Extremely Slow

Your website eventually loads—but only after 10–30 seconds.

Common causes:

• Hosting outside mainland China (US / Europe)
• No China-optimised CDN
• Heavy JavaScript or third-party calls blocked mid-request

Symptoms:

• Homepage loads slowly
• Images or fonts never fully render
• Inconsistent loading behaviour

Scenario 3: Partially Broken

The page loads, but key functions don’t work.

Common causes:

• Analytics scripts blocked
• Forms rely on Google services
• Embedded maps, videos, or tracking tools fail

Symptoms:

• White spaces where content should be
• Forms that never submit
• Missing fonts or styling

Step 2: Test Your Website Properly (Not From Abroad)

Testing from your own laptop in Europe or the US tells you nothing about the actual performance in China.

What Not to Rely On

• VPN-based browser testing
• “China simulation” tools
• Ping tests from Hong Kong

These do not reflect real mainland network conditions.

What Actually Works

• Real-device testing inside mainland China
• Synthetic monitoring from Beijing / Shanghai nodes
• Time-to-first-byte (TTFB) analysis from CN ISPs

If you don’t have access to China-based testing, you’re flying blind.

Step 3: Check for Hidden Blockers in Your Tech Stack

Many sites are technically “unblocked” but still unusable due to hidden dependencies.

High-Risk Services in China

• Google Analytics / Tag Manager
• Google Fonts
• Google Maps
• YouTube embeds
• Facebook pixels
• reCAPTCHA
• Salesforce services

Even one blocked request can delay your entire page load.

Tip: Open your site in DevTools → Network tab and look for stalled or failed requests.

Another tip: We maintain a comprehensive checklist of Western services and technologies that do not work in the Chinese market. Contact us to access the full list and start optimising your website for China.

Step 4: Review Your Hosting and Delivery Strategy

Your hosting location matters more in China than anywhere else.

Typical Western Setup (Problematic)

• Hosting: US / EU
• CDN: Global CDN without China nodes
• DNS: Overseas resolution

China-Compatible Approaches

• China-optimised CDN (with ICP support)
• Edge delivery via licensed partners
• Static asset separation
• Conditional loading for China users

Important: Serving content into China is not the same as serving content from China.

Step 5: Understand ICP and Legal Constraints (Briefly)

You don’t need to become a legal expert—but you must know the basics.

ICP Filing (备案)

• Required for hosting inside mainland China
• Tied to a Chinese business entity
• Not needed if hosting outside—but performance suffers

Learn more about ICP, read our guide on why and how to obtain an ICP filing for your China website.

The Reality

• ICP ≠ instant success
• No ICP ≠ instant failure
• Strategy depends on your business goals, traffic expectations, and risk tolerance

Step 6: Decide the Right Fix

Not every company needs a full China-hosted website.

Option A: Optimise Without Hosting in China

Best if:

• China is a secondary market
• You want faster access, not full localisation

Actions:

• Remove blocked services, or find alternatives
• Use China-friendly CDNs
• Optimise asset delivery
• Separate analytics

Option B: Hybrid Architecture

Best if:

• You need speed and flexibility
• You want centralised control of your content globally

Actions:

• Static content accelerated into China
• Dynamic services remain offshore
• Conditional loading by region

Option C: Full China Deployment

Best if:

• China is a strategic growth market
• You require performance, compliance, and scalability

Actions:

• Local hosting
• ICP filing
• China analytics, maps, and integrations
• Separate operational stack

Need a Clear Diagnosis?

At gala digital, we help Western brands:

• Audit website accessibility in China
• Identify hidden blockers
• Design the right China web strategy—without overengineering

If you’re unsure whether your site is blocked, slow, or simply misconfigured, start with a diagnosis. Everything else comes after.

FAQ

Here are some common questions that may help you.