> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.hackgate.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Enable and disable a HackGATE site

> Enable or disable a HackGATE site to control researcher access. Enabling makes the proxy subdomain live; disabling serves an offline page instead.

Enabling a site makes the proxy subdomain live so researchers can connect. Disabling it takes the proxy offline — requests to the `hackgatedName` subdomain return a default page until you re-enable it.

## Enable a site

Send a `GET` request to `/api/sites/enable/{id}`:

```bash theme={null}
curl https://api-admin.hackgate.io/api/sites/enable/SITE_ID \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer <token>"
```

The site's `isActive` field becomes `true`. The activity log records a **Started** event with the current timestamp.

## Disable a site

Send a `GET` request to `/api/sites/disable/{id}`:

```bash theme={null}
curl https://api-admin.hackgate.io/api/sites/disable/SITE_ID \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer <token>"
```

The site's `isActive` field becomes `false`. Researchers connecting to the proxy subdomain receive a default offline page. The activity log records a **Stopped** event.

## Response

Both endpoints return the updated site object:

```json theme={null}
{
  "id": "a1b2c3d4-...",
  "originName": "https://www.example.com",
  "hackgatedName": "www-myorg.hackgate.net",
  "isActive": true,
  "isDeploymentProgress": false
}
```

## Constraints

| Condition                                              | Result                                          |
| ------------------------------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------- |
| Site is still deploying (`isDeploymentProgress: true`) | Cannot enable. Wait for deployment to complete. |
| Site is already active                                 | Cannot enable again.                            |
| Site is already disabled                               | Cannot disable again.                           |

<Note>
  If you want the site to activate or deactivate at a specific future time without manual intervention, use [scheduling](/sites/scheduling) instead.
</Note>