Companies House Outage: What to Do When the Service Isn’t Working
Seeing an error message when you try to file your confirmation statement or search the register can be frustrating, especially close to a deadline. If Companies House isn’t working right now, you’re probably wondering whether it’s a wider outage or just a problem on your end. This guide walks you through quick checks, common faults, and when it’s worth contacting support directly.
Is Companies House Down Right Now?
Before assuming the worst, take a look at the outage reports at the top of this page. If other users across the UK are reporting the same issue at the same time, there’s a good chance it’s a genuine service problem rather than something specific to your device or connection.
Companies House runs several connected services, including WebFiling, the Companies House service for filing accounts and confirmation statements, and the public register search. An outage might affect just one of these, so it’s worth checking exactly which part of the site isn’t responding.
Common Reasons Companies House Might Not Be Working
Most problems fall into a handful of familiar categories. Knowing what’s likely causing the fault helps you decide whether to wait it out or look for a workaround.
- Scheduled maintenance, often carried out overnight or at weekends
- High demand around common filing deadlines, such as the end of the financial year
- Browser compatibility issues, particularly with outdated browser versions
- Problems with your own internet connection or firewall settings
- Temporary server issues affecting one specific service, such as WebFiling
What You Can Try Yourself
Before reaching out to customer support, there are a few simple steps that resolve most everyday problems. These take only a couple of minutes and often get you back on track without any waiting.
- Refresh the page or try again after a few minutes
- Clear your browser’s cache and cookies, then reload the page
- Try a different browser, such as Chrome, Firefox, or Edge
- Check your internet connection is stable
- Log out and log back into your Companies House account
- Try accessing the service from a different device
Frequent Faults and Practical Solutions
| Fault | Likely Cause | What to Try |
|---|---|---|
| Page won’t load at all | Server issue or scheduled maintenance | Wait 15-20 minutes and refresh, or check back later |
| Login page not responding | Browser cache or session conflict | Clear cookies and cache, then try logging in again |
| Filing won’t submit | Incomplete form fields or connection timeout | Check all required fields, save your progress, and resubmit |
| Search results not appearing | Temporary fault with the search index | Try a simpler search term or refresh the page |
| Very slow page loading | High traffic during peak filing periods | Try again outside of busy hours, such as early morning |
Common Error Messages and What They Mean
| Error Message | What It Usually Means | Suggested Action |
|---|---|---|
| Service temporarily unavailable | The system is down for maintenance or experiencing high demand | Wait and try again later; check the outage reports above |
| Session has expired | You’ve been logged out due to inactivity | Log back in and start your task again |
| Page not found | A broken link or an outdated bookmark | Go back to the main Companies House homepage and navigate from there |
| Unable to process your request | A temporary server-side fault | Refresh the page and try again in a few minutes |
If a fault persists across multiple browsers and devices, and other users are reporting the same problem, it’s most likely a service-wide outage rather than something you can fix on your end.
When to Contact Companies House Support
If you’ve worked through the checks above and the problem still hasn’t cleared up, it’s time to get in touch directly. This is especially important if you’re close to a filing deadline, since delays caused by a service outage are handled differently to late submissions.
You can find current contact details and guidance on the official Companies House website. They can confirm whether there’s a known issue affecting their systems and advise on next steps for your specific filing.
Keep an Eye on Reports From Other Users
Outages don’t usually last long, but they can be inconvenient if you’re working to a deadline. Checking recent reports from other UK users at the top of this page gives you a quicker sense of whether the problem is widespread before you start troubleshooting on your own.
If you’re experiencing issues with Companies House today, take a moment to add your own report above. It helps other users get a clearer picture of what’s happening and makes this page more useful for everyone checking in.
