How do you troubleshoot content delivery?

1 Check your content sources

The first step to troubleshoot content delivery is to check your content sources, such as your content management system (CMS), your database, or your file storage. Make sure that your content is updated, accurate, and accessible. Verify that your content sources are not corrupted, hacked, or compromised. Also, check if your content sources are compatible with your content delivery platforms and formats. For example, if you are using a headless CMS, make sure that your content is delivered in a suitable format, such as JSON or XML, for your front-end applications.

2 Check your content delivery network

The second step to troubleshoot content delivery is to check your content delivery network, if you are using one. A content delivery network (CDN) is a network of servers that cache and deliver your content to your users based on their geographic location. A CDN can improve your content delivery speed, scalability, and security. However, a CDN can also cause issues, such as outdated or missing content, slow loading, or broken links. To troubleshoot your CDN, you can use tools such as ping, traceroute, or curl to test the connectivity and performance of your CDN servers. You can also use CDN dashboards or logs to monitor the status and activity of your CDN.

3 Check your web server

The third step to troubleshoot content delivery is to check your web server, which is the software that handles the requests and responses between your content sources and your users. Your web server can affect your content delivery in various ways, such as configuration, security, caching, compression, and redirection. To troubleshoot your web server, you can use tools such as HTTP status codes, web server logs, or web server testing tools to identify and fix any errors or issues. You can also use web server optimization techniques, such as minifying, bundling, or lazy loading, to improve your content delivery performance.

4 Check your browser

The fourth step to troubleshoot content delivery is to check your browser, which is the software that renders and displays your content to your users. Your browser can affect your content delivery in terms of compatibility, functionality, and usability. To troubleshoot your browser, you can use tools such as browser dev tools, browser testing tools, or browser extensions to inspect and debug your content delivery. You can also use browser compatibility tables, polyfills, or fallbacks to ensure that your content works across different browsers and versions.

5 Check your device

The fifth step to troubleshoot content delivery is to check your device, which is the hardware that your users use to access your content. Your device can affect your content delivery in terms of screen size, resolution, orientation, and network. To troubleshoot your device, you can use tools such as device emulators, device testing tools, or device analytics to simulate and evaluate your content delivery. You can also use responsive design, adaptive design, or progressive enhancement to ensure that your content adapts to different devices and conditions.

6 Check your user feedback

The sixth and final step to troubleshoot content delivery is to check your user feedback, which is the information that your users provide about their experience and satisfaction with your content. Your user feedback can help you identify and prioritize any content delivery issues that affect your user engagement, retention, and conversion. To troubleshoot your user feedback, you can use tools such as surveys, ratings, reviews, or comments to collect and analyze your user feedback. You can also use user testing, user research, or user personas to understand and empathize with your user needs and expectations.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?