Best Practices for Getting Help
Introduction
The better you describe your problem, the faster we can solve it. A clear, detailed support ticket lets staff understand your issue right away instead of going back and forth asking for more information. This guide covers how to get the most out of the support system and get your issues resolved as quickly as possible.
Before Opening a Ticket
Before reaching out to support, a few quick checks might save you time:
- Search the Knowledge Base – your question may already be answered. The Knowledge Base covers common setup steps, billing questions, and troubleshooting guides.
- Check your server console – if your server is crashing or not starting, the console often shows error messages that point to the cause. Look for lines marked
ERRORorWARN. - Try basic troubleshooting – restart your server, clear your browser cache, or try a different browser. Many issues resolve themselves with a fresh start.
- Check for known outages – if multiple servers are affected, there may be a platform-wide issue being worked on. Check the Discord for announcements.
When you create a ticket, the system automatically suggests Knowledge Base articles based on what you type. Give those a quick look before submitting – your answer might be one click away.
Writing a Good Ticket
Choose the Right Category
Picking the correct category routes your ticket to the right team member. If your server is crashing, choose Technical Support, not Other. If you have a billing question, choose Billing. A miscategorized ticket may take longer to get picked up.
Write a Clear Subject
Your subject line is the first thing staff sees. Make it specific enough to understand the issue at a glance.
| Instead of… | Try… |
|---|---|
| “Help” | “Server crashes on startup after installing plugin” |
| “Not working” | “Can’t connect to server – connection timed out” |
| “Billing issue” | “Charged twice for March renewal” |
| “Bug” | “File manager shows blank page on Firefox” |
| “Please help ASAP” | “Server offline since this morning – won’t start” |
Describe the Problem in Detail
In your description, cover these points:
- What happened – describe the issue clearly. What did you see? What error message appeared?
- What you expected – what should have happened instead?
- When it started – did it just start, or has it been going on for a while? Did anything change before the issue appeared (new plugin, config change, resource adjustment)?
- Steps to reproduce – if the issue happens consistently, explain how to trigger it. For example: “Start the server, wait 2 minutes, server crashes with OutOfMemoryError.”
- What you’ve already tried – mention any troubleshooting steps you took. This prevents staff from suggesting things you’ve already done.
What to Include
The more relevant information you provide upfront, the fewer follow-up questions staff need to ask:
| Information | Why It Helps |
|---|---|
| Link your server | When creating the ticket, select your server from the dropdown so staff can look up its configuration instantly |
| Exact error messages | Copy-paste the error text rather than paraphrasing – exact wording matters |
| Screenshots | A screenshot of an error or unexpected behavior is worth a thousand words |
| Log files | Server logs often contain the root cause. Attach them or paste the relevant section |
| Steps to reproduce | If staff can recreate the problem, they can fix it much faster |
| Browser and device | For dashboard or UI issues, mention your browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari) and device |
You can attach files directly to your ticket using the attachment button in the reply composer. Screenshots, log files, and configuration files are all helpful.
What to Avoid
| Avoid | Why |
|---|---|
| Vague descriptions (“it doesn’t work”) | Staff can’t help without knowing what “it” is and what “doesn’t work” means |
| ALL CAPS or excessive punctuation | It doesn’t speed things up and makes the message harder to read |
| Opening duplicate tickets | Multiple tickets for the same issue split the conversation and slow things down. Stick to one ticket per issue |
| Misusing Urgent priority | Urgent pings staff immediately and is reserved for critical outages. Using it for general questions may result in warnings |
| One-word replies | When staff asks a question, give a full answer. Replying “no” or “yes” without context creates more back-and-forth |
During the Conversation
Once your ticket is open and staff is helping you:
- Reply promptly – when your ticket shows Answered, staff is waiting on you. The faster you respond, the sooner they can continue working on your issue.
- Answer questions fully – if staff asks for specific information (logs, screenshots, steps), provide everything they ask for in one reply rather than spreading it across multiple messages.
- Stay on topic – keep the conversation focused on the original issue. If you have a separate problem, open a new ticket for it.
- Be patient – staff handle many tickets at once. If your ticket is Open or In Progress, it’s in the queue and will be addressed.
You can use Markdown in your replies to format code blocks, lists, and bold text. This makes technical information much easier to read.
After Resolution
When your issue is resolved:
- Close the ticket – once everything is working, close the ticket so staff knows the issue is resolved. You can always reopen it later if the problem comes back.
- Rate your experience – after a staff member has helped you, you can rate their support on helpfulness, professionalism, knowledge, and speed. This feedback helps us improve.
Related Articles
- How To Use the Support Center – full guide to navigating the support system, creating tickets, and managing them