Getting the actual text before anything else.
WHY THE EXACT TEXT MATTERS
"My site is broken" has fifty causes. The exact error usually has one or two.
Copy the error rather than describing it. A single word difference changes the diagnosis.
WHERE ERRORS APPEAR
On the page itself, for visible errors In the browser console, press F12 and read the Console tab In cPanel > Metrics > Errors, which holds server and PHP errors In your application's own log In a bounce message, for email problems
THE MOST USEFUL PLACE
cPanel > Metrics > Errors. Most site failures leave an entry there naming the file and the line.
If the page shows nothing, the log usually shows everything.
WATCHING LIVE
Over SSH, tail the error log and reproduce the problem in a browser. The error appears as it happens.
This is the fastest diagnosis available.
WHAT TO NOTE
The exact text The time it occurred What you did immediately before Whether it affects everyone or only you
WHEN OPENING A TICKET
Include the copied error and the timestamp. That turns a long exchange into a short one.
