Get unstuck with AI or a human

Preserve the store while you investigate

When something fails, record the page or step, time, expected result, and exact non-sensitive error. Note the last change. The fastest useful first move is often to read the existing state rather than repeat the action.

If the problem could affect real money or order integrity, use your documented incident process and seek help. Store Care’s normal email response is not an emergency channel.

Pick the closest symptom

Symptom	First check	Avoid
Local shop will not open	Docker running, npm run status, correct local port.	Deleting volumes or stopping unrelated projects.
Product copy looks wrong	Compare the saved Admin field with the approved wording.	Restoring an entire database for a text correction.
Checkout is stuck	Read the original cart/order and provider status.	Creating a new payment just because the first result is unclear.
Images vanish after deploy	Check the delivered release’s media storage and deployment configuration.	Repeatedly uploading without knowing where files persist.
An update breaks the shop	Preserve logs and compare with the last known working version.	Upgrading more dependencies to see if it fixes itself.
Backup or restore fails	Identify the exact backup, checksum, version, and failed step.	Deleting the original data or your only backup.
A credential may be exposed	Use the provider’s supported revocation/replacement process with a responsible human.	Pasting the credential into another chat to ask whether it is valid.

Ask AI for a diagnosis first

Diagnose one problem in my AI Commerce Starter store. Read the delivered
README and operational notes first. Start with read-only checks.

Expected result: [WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN]
Actual result: [NON-SENSITIVE ERROR]
When it began: [TIME AND TIME ZONE]
Last change: [CHANGE OR NONE KNOWN]
Environment: [LOCAL / TEST / LIVE, VERSION]

Explain the likely cause, evidence, unknowns, and smallest reversible fix.
Use short redacted logs. Do not print .env, credentials, customer data,
or resolved configuration. Do not delete volumes, reseed databases,
change another project, expose local ports, or repeat uncertain payment
operations. Wait for review before any action that changes live state.
After a fix, rerun the original failing check and show its result.

For the local sample, npm run status is the starting point. npm run stop preserves data; npm start starts it again. Restarting is not a diagnosis, and repeated restarts can erase useful transient evidence.

Send a support note someone can act on

Use this template in your email. Sending is your choice; this tutorial does not send messages or upload logs.

Subject: AI Commerce Starter support — [short symptom]

Package version:
Environment: local / test / live
Operating system or supported hosting path:
Failing page or documented step:
Expected result:
Actual result and non-sensitive error:
Time and time zone:
Last successful check and most recent change:
What I tried, with results:
Current impact: browsing / checkout / Admin / recovery
Is the original data preserved?
Redacted screenshot or short log excerpt, if useful:

Crop or redact names, addresses, cookies, keys, and payment details from screenshots. Keep backups and full settings private. If access is necessary, agree on a limited, revocable invitation through the provider’s normal access controls.

Know where the support boundary is

Standard includes an initial installation/defect support period. Launch Assist is hands-on setup. Store Care is a bounded ongoing service. Larger repairs, migrations, custom features, and emergency arrangements need their own scope. Read the service guide.

When a helper finishes, keep a record of the change and checks, confirm you can operate the store yourself, and revoke access that is no longer needed.

Ready when

You can describe the failure clearly, preserve the relevant data, and identify the next safe step or person to contact. You have reached the end of the course. Revisit the maintenance and recovery lessons when you need them; finishing lessons is not a substitute for completing your real launch checks.