Troubleshooting & FAQ

Find solutions to common issues and get answers to frequently asked questions about Parslinks.

Common Issues

Deployment Issues

Build Failed

Symptoms:

• Red "Failed" status
• Error in build logs
• Deployment stops mid-build

Common Causes & Solutions:

1. Dependencies Installation Failed

Error: Cannot find module 'package-name'

Solution:

• Add missing package to package.json
• Verify package name spelling
• Check package version compatibility
• Clear cache and redeploy

2. Build Command Failed

Error: Build script failed with exit code 1

Solution:

• Check build logs for specific error
• Test build command locally
• Verify build command in settings
• Check environment variables

3. Out of Memory

Error: JavaScript heap out of memory

Solution:

• Upgrade to higher plan (more memory)
• Optimize build process
• Reduce bundle size
• Use NODE_OPTIONS=--max_old_space_size=4096

4. Timeout

Error: Build exceeded timeout of 30 minutes

Solution:

• Optimize build time
• Upgrade plan for longer timeout
• Remove unnecessary build steps
• Enable build cache

Deployment Stuck

Symptoms:

• "Building" status for extended time
• No log updates
• Deployment not progressing

Solutions:

1. Wait 5-10 minutes (queued builds)
2. Cancel and redeploy
3. Check status page for incidents
4. Contact support if persistent

Wrong Code Deployed

Symptoms:

• Old version showing
• Changes not visible
• Wrong branch deployed

Solutions:

1. Check Deployment

   • Verify correct commit hash
   • Check branch in deployment details
   • Confirm deployment is promoted to production

2. Clear Cache

   • Purge CDN cache
   • Hard refresh browser (Ctrl+Shift+R)
   • Clear browser cache

3. Verify Git

   • Check Git connection
   • Verify production branch setting
   • Ensure code is pushed to Git

Domain Issues

Domain Not Working

Symptoms:

• Domain doesn't resolve
• Shows error page
• SSL certificate error

Solutions:

1. DNS Not Configured

# Check DNS
dig yourdomain.com

# Should return Parslinks IPs

Solution:

• Add DNS records at registrar
• Wait for propagation (up to 48h)
• Verify CNAME points to cname.parslinks.app

2. DNS Not Propagated

# Check propagation globally
dig @8.8.8.8 yourdomain.com

Solution:

• Wait longer (can take 48 hours)
• Flush local DNS cache
• Test from different network
• Use lower TTL values

3. Wrong DNS Configuration

Common mistakes:
- Wrong CNAME value
- Proxy enabled (Cloudflare)
- Missing A record (apex domain)

Solution:

• Double-check DNS records
• Disable Cloudflare proxy during setup
• Use ALIAS/ANAME for apex domains

SSL Certificate Not Working

Symptoms:

• "Not secure" warning
• SSL certificate error
• HTTPS not available

Solutions:

1. Certificate Pending

• Wait 5-10 minutes for issuance
• Verify domain DNS is correct
• Check domain status in dashboard

2. Certificate Failed

Reasons:
- Domain not pointing to Parslinks
- CAA records blocking Let's Encrypt
- Rate limit reached

Solution:

• Fix DNS configuration
• Check CAA records: dig CAA yourdomain.com
• Wait 24h if rate limited
• Contact support

3. Certificate Expired

• Should auto-renew
• Check renewal logs
• Contact support if auto-renewal failed

Environment Variable Issues

Variable Not Available

Symptoms:

• undefined value
• Application errors
• Missing configuration

Solutions:

1. Wrong Variable Name

• Check spelling (case-sensitive)
• Verify in dashboard
• Check for typos

2. Wrong Environment

• Ensure set for correct environment
• Check production vs preview
• Verify deployment environment

3. Missing Prefix (Public Variables)

# ❌ Wrong
API_URL=https://api.example.com

# ✅ Correct (Next.js)
NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL=https://api.example.com

4. Need to Redeploy

• Environment variables set at build time
• Trigger new deployment
• Changes apply to new deployments only

Variable Showing in Browser

Problem: Secret visible in client-side code

Cause: Variable bundled into client code

Solution:

// ❌ Don't do this
const config = {
  apiKey: process.env.API_KEY, // Bundled!
};

// ✅ Do this (server-only)
// In API route or getServerSideProps
const apiKey = process.env.API_KEY;

Performance Issues

Slow Build Times

Solutions:

1. Enable Build Cache

• Go to Project Settings → Build
• Enable build cache
• Redeploy

2. Optimize Dependencies

# Remove unused dependencies
npm prune

# Use lockfile
npm ci instead of npm install

3. Reduce Build Steps

• Remove unnecessary scripts
• Optimize build command
• Use incremental builds

4. Upgrade Plan

• Higher plans have faster builders
• More concurrent builds
• Better resources

Slow Site Performance

Check:

1. Bundle Size

   • Analyze bundle
   • Code split
   • Lazy load components

2. Images

   • Optimize images
   • Use image optimization
   • Lazy load images

3. API Calls

   • Reduce API calls
   • Implement caching
   • Use CDN

4. Database

   • Optimize queries
   • Add indexes
   • Use connection pooling

Authentication Issues

Cannot Login

Solutions:

1. Forgot Password

• Click "Forgot Password"
• Check email (including spam)
• Reset password

2. Wrong Credentials

• Verify email address
• Check caps lock
• Try password reset

3. Account Locked

• Too many failed attempts
• Wait 15 minutes
• Contact support

4. 2FA Not Working

• Check time sync on device
• Try backup code
• Disable 2FA via email link

SSO Not Working

Check:

1. SSO configured correctly
2. Provider credentials valid
3. User email matches
4. Domain verified

Contact IT admin for provider issues.

Team & Permissions Issues

Cannot Invite Member

Reasons:

• Team member limit reached
• Invalid email address
• Lack permissions
• Email already in use

Solutions:

• Upgrade plan for more members
• Verify email is correct
• Contact owner/admin
• Check if already member

Member Cannot Access Project

Check:

1. Member added to organization
2. Project access granted
3. Correct role assigned
4. Not suspended

Solution:

• Add project access in Project Settings → Team
• Verify member role
• Check member status

Billing Issues

Payment Failed

Reasons:

• Insufficient funds
• Card expired
• Incorrect card details
• Bank blocking transaction

Solutions:

1. Update payment method
2. Contact bank
3. Try different card
4. Check card limits

Incorrect Charge

Check:

• Overage charges
• Prorated charges (plan changes)
• Multiple organizations
• Review invoice details

Contact support if charge is incorrect.

Cannot Cancel Subscription

Reasons:

• Not organization owner
• Payment issues pending
• Trying to cancel Free plan

Solution:

• Must be owner to cancel
• Settle payment issues first
• Contact support

Frequently Asked Questions

Getting Started

Do I need a credit card to start?

No! The Free plan requires no credit card. Only needed when upgrading to paid plans.

Can I deploy any framework?

Yes! Parslinks supports:

• Next.js, React, Vue, Angular
• Svelte, SvelteKit, Nuxt
• Static sites (HTML, Jekyll, Hugo)
• Node.js backends
• And more!

How do I connect my Git repository?

1. Go to Project Settings → Git
2. Connect your Git provider (GitHub/GitLab/Bitbucket)
3. Select repository
4. Choose branch
5. Enable auto-deploy

Can I import an existing site?

Yes! Either:

• Import from Git repository
• Upload files via CLI
• Deploy existing Next.js/React app

Deployments

How long do deployments take?

Typical deployment times:

• Small site: 1-3 minutes
• Medium app: 3-7 minutes
• Large app: 7-15 minutes

Can I rollback a deployment?

Yes! Instantly:

1. Go to Deployments tab
2. Find previous deployment
3. Click "Promote to Production"
4. Done!

What happens to old deployments?

• All deployments kept indefinitely
• Each has unique URL
• Can promote any deployment to production
• Can delete preview deployments

Can I deploy manually?

Yes! Multiple ways:

• Dashboard deploy button
• CLI: parslinks deploy
• API call
• Git push (if auto-deploy enabled)

Domains & SSL

Do I need to buy a domain from Parslinks?

No! Use any domain registrar (GoDaddy, Namecheap, etc.). Just point DNS to Parslinks.

Is SSL free?

Yes! All domains get free SSL certificates from Let's Encrypt, including auto-renewal.

How do I add a custom domain?

1. Add domain in Project Domains
2. Configure DNS at your registrar:

   Type: CNAME
   Name: www
   Value: cname.parslinks.app

3. Wait for verification
4. SSL automatically issued

Can I use Cloudflare?

Yes! Disable proxy (gray cloud) during initial SSL verification, then re-enable.

Environment Variables

When do I need to redeploy?

Always redeploy after:

• Adding environment variables
• Changing environment variables
• Deleting environment variables

Changes apply only to new deployments.

How do I hide secrets?

Use server-side environment variables:

# Server-only (not exposed to browser)
DATABASE_URL=...
API_SECRET=...

# Public (exposed to browser)
NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL=...

Can I copy variables between environments?

Yes!

1. Go to Environment Variables
2. Select source environment
3. Click "Copy to..."
4. Choose target environment

Pricing & Billing

Can I start with Free plan?

Yes! Free plan forever. No credit card required.

Can I change plans anytime?

Yes!

• Upgrade: Takes effect immediately
• Downgrade: Takes effect next billing cycle

What happens if I exceed limits?

Free plan:

• Deployments queue until next day
• Build minutes refill monthly

Paid plans:

• Automatic overage charges
• Continue working normally
• Billed on next invoice

Do you offer refunds?

• Monthly: Cancel for next month (no refund)
• Annual: Prorated refund
• First 30 days: Full refund

Team Collaboration

How many team members can I have?

• Free: 1
• Pro: 3
• Team: 10
• Enterprise: Unlimited

Can I control what team members see?

Yes! Use:

• Role-based access (Owner, Admin, Member, Viewer)
• Project-level access
• Fine-grained permissions (Team plan+)

Can I invite clients as viewers?

Yes! Invite with Viewer role for read-only access. They can:

• View projects
• See deployments
• Access preview URLs
• Cannot deploy or edit

Security

Is my code secure?

Yes!

• Code stored encrypted
• Secure Git connections
• Private repositories supported
• SOC 2 compliant

Is my data backed up?

Yes!

• Continuous backups
• Multiple redundancy
• Geographic distribution
• 99.9% uptime SLA (Team plan+)

Can I use private npm packages?

Yes! Add .npmrc with your auth token, or set in environment variables.

Do you support 2FA?

Yes!

• Personal 2FA available on all plans
• Required 2FA for team (Team plan+)
• Supports authenticator apps

Performance

Do you have a CDN?

Yes! Global CDN included on all plans:

• 275+ edge locations worldwide
• Automatic static asset caching
• DDoS protection
• HTTP/3 support

Can I choose deployment region?

• Free/Pro: Auto-selected
• Team+: Choose primary region
• Enterprise: Multi-region deployment

How do I make my site faster?

1. Enable image optimization
2. Use code splitting
3. Implement caching
4. Optimize images
5. Use CDN (automatic)

Support

How do I get help?

• Free: Community forum, documentation
• Pro: Email support (24h response)
• Team: Priority support (4h response)
• Enterprise: 24/7 support, account manager

Do you have a status page?

Yes! Check status.parslinks.com for:

• System status
• Planned maintenance
• Incident history

Can I request features?

Yes!

• Submit via feedback form
• Community voting on features
• Enterprise: Direct feature requests

Error Messages Explained

Build Errors

"Command failed with exit code 1"

Meaning: Build command failed Fix: Check build logs for specific error

"Module not found"

Meaning: Missing dependency Fix: Add to package.json and redeploy

"Timeout exceeded"

Meaning: Build took too long Fix: Optimize build or upgrade plan

Deployment Errors

"Failed to deploy: Invalid output directory"

Meaning: Output directory doesn't exist Fix: Check output directory in settings

"Cannot resolve domain"

Meaning: DNS not configured Fix: Add DNS records at registrar

"SSL verification failed"

Meaning: Cannot issue SSL certificate Fix: Verify DNS points to Parslinks

Runtime Errors

"503 Service Unavailable"

Meaning: Deployment not ready or failed Fix: Check deployment status

"404 Not Found"

Meaning: Page doesn't exist Fix: Check routing configuration

"500 Internal Server Error"

Meaning: Application error Fix: Check runtime logs

Getting More Help

Documentation

• Guides: Step-by-step tutorials
• API Docs: Complete API reference
• Examples: Sample projects and templates

Community

• Forum: Community Q&A
• Discord: Real-time chat
• GitHub: Issues and discussions

Support

Email Support:

• [email protected]
• Include: Project ID, deployment ID, error logs

Live Chat (Team plan+):

• Click chat icon in dashboard
• Business hours: 9am-5pm PT

Emergency Support (Enterprise):

• 24/7 phone support
• Dedicated Slack channel
• Account manager

Reporting Issues

When reporting issues, include:

1. Description: What's wrong?
2. Steps to Reproduce: How to trigger the issue?
3. Expected Behavior: What should happen?
4. Actual Behavior: What actually happens?
5. Logs: Relevant error logs
6. Environment: Project ID, deployment ID
7. Screenshots: If applicable

Example:

Issue: Deployment fails during build

Steps:
1. Push code to main branch
2. Deployment triggers
3. Fails at npm install step

Expected: Dependencies install successfully
Actual: Error "Cannot find module '@types/node'"

Logs: [Paste relevant logs]

Project ID: proj_abc123
Deployment ID: dep_xyz789

Still Need Help?

If you can't find a solution:

1. Search Documentation: Check relevant guides
2. Check Status Page: Verify no ongoing incidents
3. Community Forum: Ask the community
4. Contact Support: Email or chat support