Troubleshooting topic type

Troubleshooting topics should be the last topics on a page.

If a page has more than five troubleshooting topics, put the content on a separate page that has troubleshooting information exclusively. Name the page Troubleshooting <feature> and in the left nav, use the word Troubleshoot only.

Troubleshooting can be one of three types.

An introductory topic

This topic introduces the troubleshooting section of a page. For example:

## Troubleshooting

When working with <x feature>, you might encounter the following issues.

Troubleshooting task

The title should be similar to a standard task. For example, "Run debug tools" or "Verify syntax."

Troubleshooting reference

This topic includes the error message. For example:

### The error message or a description of it

You might get an error that states <error message>.

This issue occurs when...

The workaround is...

If multiple causes or workarounds exist, consider putting them into a table format. If you use the exact error message, surround it in backticks so it's styled as code.

Troubleshooting headings

For the heading of a Troubleshooting reference topic:

  • Consider including at least a partial error message.
  • Use fewer than 70 characters.

If you do not put the full error in the title, include it in the body text.