> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.digitalfyre.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Creating Support Tickets

Get help by opening a support ticket through the client portal. Tickets are the primary support channel for all service-related requests.

## When to Open a Ticket

**Use a support ticket for:**

* Technical issues with services
* Billing questions or disputes
* Service configuration help
* Account access problems
* Service cancellation requests
* General inquiries

**Use direct email or department contact for:**

* Sales questions → `sales@digitalfyre.com`
* Abuse reports → `abuse@digitalfyre.com`
* Network issues → `noc@digitalfyre.com`

## Opening a Ticket

<Steps>
  <Step title="Log In">
    Log in to `console.digitalfyre.com`.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Go to Support">
    Click **Support** → **Open New Ticket** in the main menu.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select a Department">
    | Department            | Use For                                                                       |
    | --------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
    | **Technical Support** | Server issues, service configuration, technical errors, performance, security |
    | **Billing**           | Invoice questions, payment issues, refund requests, pricing, account credits  |
    | **Sales & Upgrades**  | Plan selection, upgrades, product questions                                   |
    | **Abuse & Security**  | Phishing, spam, malware, attacks                                              |
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set Priority">
    | Priority   | Use When                                                                             |
    | ---------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
    | **Low**    | General questions, feature requests, non-urgent issues                               |
    | **Medium** | Service is impacting some users, with non-critical technical issues                  |
    | **High**   | Service is completely down, security incidents, and critical functionality is broken |
  </Step>

  <Step title="Write Your Ticket">
    Add a clear subject line and detailed description. See [Getting Support](/support/getting-support) for tips on writing effective tickets.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Attach Files and Submit">
    Attach screenshots, logs, or supporting documents (max 10 MB per file — `.jpg`, `.png`, `.gif`, `.pdf`, `.txt`, `.doc`, `.docx`, `.log`), then click **Submit**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## After Submitting

<Steps>
  <Step title="Confirmation">
    You receive a confirmation email with your ticket number.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Assignment">
    The ticket is reviewed and assigned to the appropriate technician.
  </Step>

  <Step title="First Response">
    The support team responds based on your selected priority level.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Resolution">
    The issue is investigated and resolved. You receive email notifications for each reply.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Closure">
    The ticket is closed once resolved. You can reopen it if the issue persists.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Tracking and Responding

View your tickets at any time via **Support → My Tickets**. When support replies, log in to the portal and respond directly in the ticket thread. Answer all questions asked, provide any requested information, and confirm once your issue is resolved.

## Reopening a Closed Ticket

If an issue persists after closure, reopen the ticket, click **Reopen Ticket**, and explain why it still exists, along with any new details.

## Best Practices

**Do:**

* One issue per ticket
* Be specific — include service names, IPs, error messages, and steps to reproduce
* Attach screenshots of errors
* Use the correct priority level
* Update the ticket with new findings

**Avoid:**

* Vague descriptions (`it's broken`)
* Opening duplicate tickets for the same issue
* Replying multiple times without new information
* Setting High priority for non-critical issues

## Ticket Examples

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Technical Issue">
    <Warning>
      **Bad:** Vague, no details, nothing to act on.

      **Subject:** `website broken`

      **Message:** My website isn't working. Please fix it ASAP.
    </Warning>

    <Check>
      **Good:** Clear scope, relevant details, steps already tried.

      **Subject:** `500 Internal Server Error on example.com after updating WordPress to 6.5`

      **Message:** Since updating WordPress to 6.5 this morning around 9:00 AM ET, my site at `example.com` (hosted on VPS `vps-nyc-204`, IP `203.0.113.45`) is returning a 500 Internal Server Error on all pages.

      The error log at `/var/log/nginx/error.log` shows:

      `FastCGI sent in stderr: PHP message: PHP Fatal error: Cannot redeclare stripe_init()`

      I have already deactivated all plugins via FTP and the error persists. WordPress and PHP (8.2) versions are unchanged. The site was working fine before the update.
    </Check>
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Billing Issue">
    <Warning>
      **Bad:** No invoice reference, no specifics.

      **Subject:** `charge is wrong`

      **Message:** I was charged the wrong amount. I want a refund.
    </Warning>

    <Check>
      **Good:** Invoice number, expected vs actual amount, clear ask.

      **Subject:** `Incorrect charge on Invoice #10482 — billed for annual, should be monthly`

      **Message:** Invoice #10482 dated June 1, 2025, charged me **\$120.00** for an annual plan. My account is set to monthly billing at **\$12.00/mo**. I did not change my billing cycle and did not authorize an annual charge.

      Could you review and correct the invoice? If a refund is needed, my payment method on file is the Visa ending in 4242.
    </Check>
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Server Not Responding">
    <Warning>
      **Bad:** No server details, no troubleshooting attempted.

      **Subject:** `server down`

      **Message:** My server is down, please help urgently!!!
    </Warning>

    <Check>
      **Good:** Server identified, diagnostics included, impact stated.

      **Subject:** `VPS vps-nyc-69 (192.168.42.69) unreachable via SSH since ~14:30 ET`

      **Message:** My VPS `vps-nyc-69` (primary IP `192.168.42.69`) has been unreachable since approximately 2:30 PM ET. SSH times out, and ping returns 100% packet loss.

      Steps already taken:

      * Confirmed the server shows **Powered On** in the portal
      * Attempted SSH from two different networks — same result
      * Opened the iKVM console — screen is black, no output
      * Attempted a Reboot from the Power Control tab 10 minutes ago — server still unresponsive

      This is a production server running our customer-facing API. Impact is ongoing.
    </Check>
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Sensitive Information

<Danger>
  Never attach files containing passwords, private keys, credit card numbers, or other sensitive credentials. Use the Sensitive Data tab inside the ticket instead.
</Danger>

See [Sharing Sensitive Data](/client-portal/support/sharing-sensitive-data) for the correct process.