Support Articles

Support articles are solution-focused, answer real questions users ask, and follow a specific structure. They help diagnose and resolve issues with clear, actionable guidance.

Avoid promotional language, speculation, unverified fixes, or assumptions of success.

Do not include marketing language, speculation, unverified fixes, or assumptions of success.

Support articles often address:

• Product errors or regressions
• Configuration issues
• Domain, DNS, networking, or authentication problems
• Platform behaviors that require clarification
• Common pitfalls
• Account-related issues

Writing Style and Tone

Lead with the resolution, diagnosis, or key information, and use clear, direct language. Be concise. Assume the reader is blocked and needs answers quickly.

Use plain language. Introduce technical terms only when necessary and explain them briefly.

Maintain a calm, neutral, and respectful tone. Describe only verified causes and solutions and avoid implying user error. Avoid language that might frustrate the user, such as just, easy, or simply.

Use of Examples and Commands

Include real command output only when it adds diagnostic value.

Preserve formatting and error messages exactly as users see them. Explain why a step is taken, not only what to run.

Avoid overwhelming users with multiple approaches unless necessary.

Troubleshooting Support Articles

Troubleshooting articles are a specialized type of support article focused on systematic diagnosis and resolution, helping users take corrective action in a controlled way. They must be methodical, present only verified information, and be explicit about uncertainty or limits.

Maintain a calm, neutral tone, and avoid alarmist language or implying user error.

Troubleshooting articles should:

• Break problems into discrete failure points.
• Present issues in the order users are most likely to encounter them.
• Separate errors from solutions.
• Encourage validation before escalation or redeployment.

Some good examples of troubleshooting support articles that guide readers through diagnosis and next steps are the App Platform troubleshooting article and the CoreDNS troubleshooting article.

Prerequisites or Decision Gates

Help users determine whether troubleshooting is appropriate.

Clearly state when migration, redeployment, or recovery may be safer. Call out required access, permissions, or prerequisites early.

Errors

Group errors by symptom or failure stage.

Show representative error messages exactly as users see them. Explain what the error means in plain terms and list only verified, common causes.

Solutions

Provide step-by-step actions to resolve each issue.

Use precise commands, paths, and configuration examples. Include recovery paths when normal access is unavailable (for example, the Recovery Console).

Escalation and Limits

Clearly state when troubleshooting may not succeed.

Explain risks of continued troubleshooting when applicable, and provide guidance for next steps or support escalation.