=================
FAQ: Getting Help
=================

How do I do X? Why doesn't Y work? Where can I go to get help?
==============================================================

First, please check if your question is answered on the :doc:`FAQ <faq/index>`.
Also, search for answers using your favorite search engine, and in `the
forum`_.

.. _`the forum`: https://forum.djangoproject.com/

If you can't find an answer, please take a few minutes to formulate your
question well. Explaining the problems you are facing clearly will help others
help you. See the StackOverflow guide on `asking good questions`_.

.. _`asking good questions`: https://stackoverflow.com/help/how-to-ask

Then, please post it in one of the following channels:

* The Django Forum section `"Using Django"`_. This is for web-based
  discussions.
* The |django-users| mailing list. This is for email-based discussions.
* The `#django IRC channel`_ on the Freenode IRC network. This is for
  chat-based discussions.

.. _`"Using Django"`: https://forum.djangoproject.com/c/users
.. _`#django IRC channel`: irc://irc.freenode.net/django

In all these channels please abide by the `Django Code of Conduct`_. In
summary, being friendly and patient, considerate, respectful, and careful in
your choice of words.

.. _Django Code of Conduct: https://www.djangoproject.com/conduct/

.. _message-does-not-appear-on-django-users:

Why hasn't my message appeared on `django-users`?
=================================================

|django-users| has a lot of subscribers. This is good for the community, as
it means many people are available to contribute answers to questions.
Unfortunately, it also means that |django-users| is an attractive target for
spammers.

In order to combat the spam problem, when you join the |django-users| mailing
list, we manually moderate the first message you send to the list. This means
that spammers get caught, but it also means that your first question to the
list might take a little longer to get answered. We apologize for any
inconvenience that this policy may cause.

Nobody answered my question! What should I do?
==============================================

Try making your question more specific, or provide a better example of your
problem.

As with most open-source projects, the folks on these channels are volunteers.
If nobody has answered your question, it may be because nobody knows the
answer, it may be because nobody can understand the question, or it may be that
everybody that can help is busy.

You can also try asking on a different channel. But please don't post your
question in all three channels in quick succession.

You might notice we have a second mailing list, called |django-developers|.
This list is for discussion of the development of Django itself. Please don't
email support questions to this mailing list. Asking a tech support question
there is considered impolite, and you will likely be directed to ask on
|django-users|.

I think I've found a bug! What should I do?
===========================================

Detailed instructions on how to handle a potential bug can be found in our
:ref:`Guide to contributing to Django <reporting-bugs>`.

I think I've found a security problem! What should I do?
========================================================

If you think you've found a security problem with Django, please send a message
to security@djangoproject.com. This is a private list only open to long-time,
highly trusted Django developers, and its archives are not publicly readable.

Due to the sensitive nature of security issues, we ask that if you think you
have found a security problem, *please* don't post a message on the forum, IRC,
or one of the public mailing lists. Django has a
:ref:`policy for handling security issues <reporting-security-issues>`;
while a defect is outstanding, we would like to minimize any damage that
could be inflicted through public knowledge of that defect.

.. _`policy for handling security issues`: ../contributing/#reporting-security-issues