# Troubleshooting, Recovery & Reference

Fixing problems, recovery options, and a quick reference of where everything lives.

# Troubleshooting & Recovery

## First steps for any problem

1. **Is it just you?** Try another browser or an incognito window, or ask a second user.
2. **Which environment?** Confirm you're in Production vs. Sandbox.
3. **Recent change?** If the problem began right after a change, that change is the prime suspect — and structural changes should have been Sandbox-tested first.

## Common problems

| Symptom | Likely cause / first fix |
|---|---|
| A user can't sign in | Account inactive or wrong password — check the user and reset it ([Managing Users](https://docs.clevelandbusinessmentors.org/link/43)). |
| Reset / notification emails not arriving | Outbound email or the Google connection — see [Chapter 5 — Integrations](https://docs.clevelandbusinessmentors.org/books/espocrm-system-guide/chapter/integrations). |
| Calendar / Gmail not syncing | Google authorization expired — re-authorize ([Google, Email & Website Integrations](https://docs.clevelandbusinessmentors.org/link/52)). |
| Someone sees too much or too little | Role or team misconfigured — [Roles, Teams & Permissions](https://docs.clevelandbusinessmentors.org/link/44). |
| Records "missing" | Usually a filter or permission, not deletion — clear filters and check the user's role; if truly deleted, act fast (below). |
| Certificate warning in the browser | Flag it — see [Backups & Updates](https://docs.clevelandbusinessmentors.org/link/55). |
| CRM slow or unreachable | May be the server — escalate (below). |

## If data was deleted or badly changed

**Stop making changes.** The fix is usually to **restore from backup** — a technical, time-sensitive operation. The sooner you raise it, the more recoverable it is. See [Getting Help and Next Steps](https://docs.clevelandbusinessmentors.org/link/60).

## Recovery operations (technical — usually not you)

The deployment tooling can perform powerful recovery actions, listed here just so you know they exist:

- **Admin credential reset** — regain admin access if locked out.
- **Full reset / rebuild** — tears the instance down and rebuilds it. **This destroys data and is only safe with a good, recent backup.**

> ⚠️ These are **destructive, technical operations** run via the CRM Builder tool by whoever maintains the deployment — **not** routine admin tasks. Never run a "full reset" to fix an everyday problem. If you think recovery is needed, **escalate**.

## When you escalate

Note **exactly** what you did, what you expected, what happened, the **time**, and the **environment**. Technical logs (server and API) are available to whoever maintains the deployment.

# Environments & Where Things Live

## Environments

| Environment | Address | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| **Production CRM** | `crm.clevelandbusinessmentors.org` | The live system |
| **Sandbox CRM** | `crm-test.clevelandbusinessmentors.org` | Safe testing copy |
| **Documentation site** | `docs.clevelandbusinessmentors.org` | These guides (public) |

## Where things live  *(pointers — no secrets here)*

| Thing | Where |
|---|---|
| CRM configuration (fields/layouts/record types, as files) | The CBM repository + the CRM Builder tool |
| Deploy / upgrade / recovery procedures | The CRM Builder tool + CBM repository runbooks |
| Documentation-site deploy & maintenance | `infrastructure/CBM-Documentation-Site.md` (CBM repository) |
| Credentials & connection settings | A secure store (password manager / the deployment tool's secret storage) — **never** in documentation or spreadsheets |
| Account & recovery information | The CBM repository's secure account-information area |

> This guide never contains passwords, keys, or secrets — and neither should any page you add. Record *where* a credential lives, never *what* it is.

## Key tools & people

- **CRM Builder tool** — provisions, configures, upgrades, and recovers the CRM.
- The CBM implementation team / deployment maintainer — for configuration changes and technical operations (see [Getting Help and Next Steps](https://docs.clevelandbusinessmentors.org/link/60)).

# Getting Help and Next Steps

## Handle it yourself, or escalate?

**Do it yourself**

- Adding and deactivating users; password resets
- Settings, Tab List, and dashboard tweaks
- Data imports and cleanup (Sandbox-tested); tidying duplicates

**Escalate**

- Configuration / structure changes ([Chapter 3](https://docs.clevelandbusinessmentors.org/books/espocrm-system-guide/chapter/configuration-customization))
- Server or deployment issues; anything destructive (resets)
- Suspected **data loss**
- Persistent integration failures (email, Google, website)

## How to get help

- For **configuration changes and technical / deployment issues**, contact the CBM implementation team / deployment maintainer.
- When you ask for help, include: what you were doing, what you expected, what happened, the **time**, and the **environment** (Production or Sandbox).

> **To be filled in:** CBM's actual support contact(s) and any ticket/escalation path. Left generic on purpose — provide the names/addresses and they'll be slotted in here.

## The other guides

- **[CRM Introduction Guide](https://docs.clevelandbusinessmentors.org/books/crm-introduction-guide)** — start here, for everyone
- **[Mentor Guide](https://docs.clevelandbusinessmentors.org/books/mentor-guide)** — for mentors
- **[Client Administration Team Guide](https://docs.clevelandbusinessmentors.org/books/client-administration-team-guide)** and **[Mentor Administration Team Guide](https://docs.clevelandbusinessmentors.org/books/mentor-administration-team-guide)** — for staff teams
- *(You're in the System Administration guide.)*

## Keep this guide current

When the CRM changes, update the matching page here — editing is covered in [The Documentation Site](https://docs.clevelandbusinessmentors.org/link/53). Good documentation is maintained, not written once.