What to Do When the Conference Website Is Down

Encountering a broken or non-responsive conference website can be frustrating, especially as a submission deadline approaches. Here's what you should do:

• Clear Your Cache and Try a Different Browser: This is the quickest first step. Sometimes, a browser's cache or a temporary glitch can prevent a site from loading correctly. Try using a different browser (like Firefox or Chrome) or even a different device (your phone).

• Check the URL for Typos: A simple mistake in the URL can lead to an error page. Double-check that you've typed the address correctly.

• Use a Website Uptime Checker: Websites like IsItDownRightNow.com can tell you if a site is down for everyone or just for you. This helps you determine if it's a local issue on your end or a server problem with the conference's host.

• Search for a Different Website: Many conferences use a primary host website and a secondary site. A quick Google search for the conference name (e.g., "ICRA 2026") might reveal an alternative domain or a page on a publisher's site (like IEEE or ACM).

• Contact the Organizers: If the problem persists, try to find the conference organizers' contact information on other platforms like LinkedIn, their university's website, or a previous year's program. Send a polite email to inquire about the website issue.

How to Verify a Conference's Authenticity

Unfortunately, the academic world has its share of "predatory" conferences that are more interested in registration fees than in publishing quality research. Here's a checklist to verify a conference's legitimacy before you submit your paper.

1. Check the Organizers and Committees: A legitimate conference will list its organizing committee, including a chair, a program committee, and a steering committee. Look up these individuals to see if they are established researchers with credible academic profiles. Be wary of conferences where the organizers are unknown or lack a strong academic background.

2. Examine the Publication History: Does the conference have a history of publishing in reputable proceedings? Use databases like Scopus or EI Compendex to search for previous years' conference titles. If the conference has been running for several years but has no indexed publications, it's a major red flag.

3. Evaluate the Call for Papers (CFP): A credible CFP is specific and outlines the conference's scope, topics, and peer-review process. Predatory conferences often have a generic, broad CFP that accepts papers from every field imaginable.

4. Review the Fees and Deadlines: Be cautious of conferences that have exceptionally high registration fees or those with an extremely short review period. A rigorous peer-review process takes time, often several weeks. A conference with a submission-to-acceptance time of just a few days is highly suspicious.

5. Search for Reviews and Opinions: Search for the conference name on Google, social media, or academic forums. Look for feedback from past attendees or authors. Hearing about positive experiences can provide reassurance, while negative reviews or warnings should make you reconsider.