Troubleshooting
Find the symptom, read the cause, apply the fix. For signing problems, see E-signature troubleshooting.
Authoring
Section titled “Authoring”| Symptom | Cause and fix |
|---|---|
| Validation shows “All checks passed” but the proof is missing fields | The test record has no value for those fields. The validator confirms the field exists and is readable; it cannot confirm a particular record has data. |
| ”The repeat source X is not a known accessible child relationship” | The relationship name does not match any of the parent object’s child relationships, or the running user does not have permission to read the child object. |
The proof shows raw {{Account.Field}} text | The merge field could not be substituted: the field was deleted after publish, or the running user no longer has permission to read it. Re-proof to surface the cause. |
| ”Create draft” is missing from the editor | The template has no active release yet. Create draft only appears for published templates, designed or Word-file. |
| ”Generate a proof to review the PDF, then publish.” | Allow PDF output is on, but the latest proof did not produce a PDF. Generate a proof that includes the PDF, then publish. See Proof, publish and versions. |
| ”Generate a proof and check the document before you publish it.” | A Word-file template needs a fresh proof of the current document before it publishes. Saving the document again from Word makes the proof stale. |
| ”Save the document from Word again to include its pictures.” | The Word draft was saved before 3.0, so no pictures are stored with it. Save it once from the Word add-in, then proof again. |
| ”Change the condition: … is on the related list …” | A Show if condition reads a related list outside a repeat over that list. Move the block inside a repeat over the list, or test the list with COUNT:. See Repeats and conditional content. |
| ”Change the filter for …: … can’t be read there.” | The repeat’s filter names a field it cannot read from where it sits. Use a field on the row, a record it links to, the repeat around it, or the main record. |
| A repeat prints different rows after upgrading to 3.0 | Expected when its filter compares a parent, main-record, enclosing-repeat or lookup-id field: before 3.0 such a field read as empty. Review the filter. |
| ”Fix the header of this template.” or “Fix the footer of this template.” | A merge field in the running header or footer does not resolve. The rest of the message says what is wrong with it. |
| A repeat block renders nothing in the proof | The test record has zero rows in the chosen child relationship. Pick a test record that has child rows, or accept that the empty case is expected. |
| A specific error keeps appearing in a toast | The toast carries the root cause. For the full technical detail, ask your Salesforce admin to enable a debug log on the user and reproduce. |
| The document generated, but something in it is not what you expected | Check the generation’s row in the history. A generation that succeeded with something compromised says so there: a barcode that could not fit the space it was given, or an image from your connected storage that fell back to a note in its place. |
Batches and Flows
Section titled “Batches and Flows”| Symptom | Cause and fix |
|---|---|
| ”This template already has 3 active batches” on submit | You have hit the per-template concurrency cap. Wait for one to finish, or cancel a queued one. |
| The analyzer says “Cannot proceed” with a size error in Combined mode | Reduce the record count with a tighter filter, or switch to Individual mode, where each chunk is processed independently. |
A batch is Running for hours without progress | Open the monitor: it re-checks the underlying job and reconciles its state. If it is still hung, Cancel and resubmit. |
| The combined PDF is missing on the batch row | If the status is Merging, the merge is still in flight, so wait. If the status is terminal but no file is attached, check the batch’s error summary. |
| ”Download all as ZIP” does not appear | The mode is Combined-only, so there are no per-record files, or the success count is zero. |
| A combined batch or Flow bundle is refused as too large to combine | The combined file has a size ceiling. Run the batch with fewer records or in Individual mode, or generate the bundle’s items separately. |
| Flow logs show one batch row per Loop iteration | The bulk action was called inside a Flow Loop. Replace the Loop with a single bulk call that passes the whole collection at once. |
| A record-triggered Flow stops with no document generated | The Flow action returns success = false and an errorMessage rather than throwing. Add a Decision element on success and read errorMessage on the failure path. |
Imports
Section titled “Imports”| Symptom | Cause and fix |
|---|---|
| ”Import file uses schemaVersion N but this org only knows version M” | The export file came from a newer package version than the target org. Upgrade Sliick Docs in the target org, then retry. Files exported by older versions still import into a current org. |
| ”Base object ‘X’ does not exist or is not accessible in this org” | The object, or the relevant access, is missing in the target org. Add it, then re-import. |
| Merge field unresolved warnings | A referenced field does not exist in the target org. Add it, or update the template, and re-validate. There is no need to re-import. |
| The import succeeded but the new template is named “X (Imported 1)“ | Auto-rename on collision. Rename it to your preferred name from the Library or the editor. |
| There is no “Import Template” button | The user lacks Sliick_Docs_Admin. Assign it. |
Everyday generation
Section titled “Everyday generation”| Symptom | Cause and fix |
|---|---|
| No templates appear in the Generator component | No template has an active release for this object, or the template has not been published. Contact your admin. |
| Generation fails with a permission error | A field referenced by the template is hidden from you by Salesforce permissions. Ask your admin to grant access or adjust the template. |
| The generated file has missing data | A merge field could not be filled. Open the generation’s row: a field that was renamed, deleted, or that you are not allowed to read is named there in the warnings. A field that simply has no value on the record is not reported, because that is data rather than a problem with the template. Ask your admin to re-proof and re-publish. |
| The generated file’s formatting looks unusual | The proof in your admin’s editor is the source of truth. Ask them to compare against a fresh proof; if it differs, raise an issue. |
| Only one of PDF or Word appears even though I expected both | The template enables only one output format, or its live release was published from a Word-only proof. Ask your admin to enable the other format, or to proof with the PDF and publish again. |
| Downloads do nothing on Winter ‘27 | Earlier versions of Sliick Docs used download links that Winter ‘27 refuses. Upgrade to 3.0. |
| Word files show the old branding after upgrading to 3.0 | Expected. Word output now reads the theme frozen when the template was published, as its PDF does. Republish the template to pick up the current theme. |
| A record-page bundle generation shows as Failed hours later | The browser tab closed before the finished bundle was saved. Generate the bundle again. |
| The Word file downloaded but Word says “can’t open this file” | Try opening the .docx in Google Docs first. If Google Docs opens it cleanly, the file is valid and your Word install needs a repair. If Google Docs cannot open it either, ask your admin to re-publish the template. |
| A file disappeared from the record’s Files | The template’s retention window has elapsed and the nightly sweep collected it. The generation row survives as audit trail. If the file must be preserved, ask your admin to tick Hold from Deletion on future generations. |
| Two documents generated on the same record overwrote each other | The template has an explicit file-name pattern with no timestamp in it. See File names. |
| Everyone signed a document but nobody received the final PDF | See E-signature troubleshooting: the sender can finish it from the record, and there is an automatic fallback. |
What Sliick Docs deliberately does not do
Section titled “What Sliick Docs deliberately does not do”- Standard generation is native only. Standard PDF and Word generation runs on the platform by design, so nothing leaves your org. The optional premium high-volume path handles large image-heavy documents.
- Custom fonts: Arial, Times New Roman, Helvetica and Courier New only, the fonts the native Salesforce PDF engine supports. Chinese, Japanese and Korean text is a separate matter and renders in generated documents without you choosing a font for it.
- Vertical cell merge (rowspan): horizontal cell merging only.
- Corner radius on blocks: the native PDF engine does not support rounded corners.
- Word output in Combined or Both batch modes: Word batches require Individual mode.
- Word output for templates with a barcode block: the validator rejects it at save. Split into separate templates if both formats are needed.
- Text watermarks in Word: Word output leaves a text watermark out. Image watermarks are carried into both formats.
Premium high-volume rendering and bring-your-own cloud storage require Sliick Files. Both are opt-in and do not change standard generation.