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Troubleshooting decision tree

Troubleshooting decision tree

Use this guide when a dotBlast dashboard does not show what you expect on a screen. Start with the symptom, follow the branch, and then open the specific troubleshooting article for the likely cause.

Target audience: dashboard owners, office managers, IT support, and anyone responsible for a shared display. Goal: route common display issues to the right fix quickly. Key assumption: the user can see the affected screen or access the dashboard editor.

<screenshot: troubleshooting overview with common symptoms>

First check: is the screen on and connected?

Before changing dotBlast settings, confirm the physical display path works.

Check the screen power, input source, HDMI cable, network connection, and device power. If the display uses a Raspberry Pi, kiosk device, Fire TV, Chromecast, or mini PC, confirm that device is awake and connected. If the screen says there is no signal, the issue is likely hardware or input selection, not the dashboard.

If the screen shows a browser or device home screen instead of dotBlast, the device may not be launching the dashboard automatically. Open the dashboard display URL manually, then fix kiosk autostart or device pairing after the content loads.

<screenshot: screen showing no signal or wrong input selected>

Branch 1: the dashboard never loads

Symptom: the screen is on, but dotBlast does not load. You may see a browser error, spinner, blank page, or network message.

Check network access first. On the display device, open another website. If nothing loads, reconnect Wi-Fi, plug in Ethernet, or move the device to the correct network. Public displays often fail because they are on guest Wi-Fi, behind a captive portal, or blocked by a firewall rule.

If other websites load but dotBlast does not, reload the display URL. Confirm the URL is the display view or paired device URL, not an editor URL copied from another account. If the dashboard requires sign-in, complete the sign-in from an account with access.

If the dashboard loads on your laptop but not on the display device, compare browser versions, network, and device time. Incorrect system time can cause authentication and certificate problems.

Next article: dashboard loading or device setup troubleshooting.

Branch 2: the dashboard loads, but one widget is blank

Symptom: most of the dashboard appears, but a single calendar, weather, or iframe widget is empty, stuck, or showing an error.

Do not rebuild the whole dashboard. The issue is probably limited to that widget or integration.

For calendar widgets, check calendar permissions, selected calendar, timezone, and whether there are events in the displayed range. If the widget uses a shared calendar, confirm that the connected account still has access.

For weather widgets, confirm the location setting and reload the dashboard. If the screen is on a restricted network, make sure the device can reach the required service.

For iframe widgets, open the source URL directly. If it requires a login, blocks embedding, or looks wrong at the target screen size, follow the iframe troubleshooting guide.

Next articles: calendar setup, weather setup, iframe blank troubleshooting.

<screenshot: dashboard with one blank iframe widget and other widgets working>

Branch 3: an embedded page is blank

Symptom: the dashboard works, but an embedded page or iframe area is empty, white, black, or showing a refusal message.

This is usually caused by the source page, not the dashboard layout. Many websites prevent embedding by setting security headers. Others require a login session that is not available to the display device. Some pages block third-party cookies or scripts, which can also break embedded rendering.

Open the iframe URL directly on the display device. If the page does not load directly, fix the source URL, authentication, or network access first. If the page loads directly but not inside dotBlast, check the iframe troubleshooting article for allowed domains, proxy support, and source-site restrictions.

If the page contains sensitive data, confirm that it is appropriate for a shared display before finding a workaround. A wall display is not the right place for private personal data or unrestricted admin views.

Next article: iframe blank or iframe proxy troubleshooting.

Symptom: you cannot sign in, do not receive the magic link, do not receive the OTP, or the code is rejected.

First, confirm you are using the email address attached to the correct dotBlast workspace. Check spam, quarantine, and email security tools. If your company filters automated emails, ask IT to allow the dotBlast sending domain listed in your account or support documentation.

If you received a code but it does not work, check whether it expired or was replaced by a newer code. Use the most recent email or message. Avoid requesting several codes in a row because that makes it harder to know which one is valid.

If the sign-in succeeds on your laptop but not on the display device, check the device clock, browser cookies, and whether the display browser is in a locked-down mode that blocks the authentication flow.

Next articles: magic link troubleshooting, OTP troubleshooting.

<screenshot: sign-in or OTP prompt with generic support-safe example>

Branch 5: device pairing fails

Symptom: the display shows a pairing code, but the code is rejected, expires, or connects to the wrong dashboard.

Confirm that you are signed in to the right workspace and have permission to manage devices. Pairing should be done by someone who owns the dashboard or administers the workspace.

Check that the pairing code is current. If the code has expired, refresh the display pairing screen and enter the new code. If the device was previously paired with another dashboard, remove or reset the old pairing before pairing it again.

If the screen pairs successfully but shows the wrong content, check whether the device was assigned to the wrong dashboard or whether the dashboard itself has not been updated. Publish or save the intended dashboard changes, then refresh the display.

Next article: device pairing troubleshooting.

Branch 6: dashboard is stale after restart

Symptom: the screen shows old content, a previous dashboard, or a browser error after the device restarts.

For browser kiosks and Raspberry Pi setups, confirm the autostart command uses the correct display URL. If someone copied a temporary preview URL, the device may not recover after restart.

Check network reconnection. Some devices start the browser before Wi-Fi is ready, causing the dashboard to fail on boot. Restart the browser after the network connects or adjust the kiosk startup sequence.

For casting devices, confirm the cast session or display app survives restart. If it does not, consider a dedicated kiosk device for permanent unattended displays.

Next articles: Raspberry Pi kiosk setup, display device selection, device pairing troubleshooting.

What to include in a support request

If the decision tree does not resolve the issue, collect the details support needs before escalating:

  • Dashboard name and workspace.
  • Display device type.
  • Browser, OS, or app version if known.
  • Network type: Ethernet, office Wi-Fi, guest Wi-Fi, or home network.
  • Exact symptom and when it started.
  • Screenshot or photo of the screen.
  • Whether the dashboard works on another device.

This information helps separate dashboard configuration problems from network, hardware, authentication, and source-site restrictions.

Follow the branch that matches the first visible symptom. If more than one thing is broken, start with network and dashboard loading before debugging individual widgets. A stable display path makes every other troubleshooting step easier.