# How to Get Support for Open-Notebook: Discord, GitHub Issues, and Documentation Channels

> Get support for Open Notebook via Discord, GitHub issues, and documentation. Find quick fixes and use the AI assistant for setup help.

- Repository: [Luis Novo/open-notebook](https://github.com/lfnovo/open-notebook)
- Tags: documentation
- Published: 2026-06-13

---

**Open Notebook provides community support through Discord for real-time questions, GitHub Issues for bug tracking, comprehensive documentation in [`docs/6-TROUBLESHOOTING/quick-fixes.md`](https://github.com/lfnovo/open-notebook/blob/main/docs/6-TROUBLESHOOTING/quick-fixes.md), and an AI-powered installation assistant for interactive setup help.**

Open Notebook, hosted at `lfnovo/open-notebook`, is an open-source project that maintains a structured multi-channel support ecosystem. Users can access assistance through synchronous community chat, asynchronous issue tracking, or self-service documentation without leaving the repository.

## Community Chat on Discord

The primary channel for real-time assistance is the official Discord server. According to the [`README.md`](https://github.com/lfnovo/open-notebook/blob/main/README.md) file, users can join at https://discord.gg/37XJPXfz2w to get immediate help with installation errors, configuration questions, or feature ideas. This community-driven support is typically the fastest way to resolve "how-to" questions without opening formal tickets.

## GitHub Issues and Contributing Guidelines

For reproducible bugs or formal feature requests, the project uses GitHub Issues at https://github.com/lfnovo/open-notebook/issues. The repository includes issue templates that require environment details, logs, and reproduction steps, which speeds up debugging. The [`CONTRIBUTING.md`](https://github.com/lfnovo/open-notebook/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md) file outlines the process for filing issues and submitting fixes, ensuring that reports follow the project's standards.

## Self-Service Documentation

The repository ships with comprehensive documentation designed for troubleshooting common problems without external help.

### Troubleshooting Quick Fixes

The [`docs/6-TROUBLESHOOTING/quick-fixes.md`](https://github.com/lfnovo/open-notebook/blob/main/docs/6-TROUBLESHOOTING/quick-fixes.md) file contains step-by-step solutions for the most frequent issues encountered during setup and operation. This document serves as the first line of defense for common configuration errors and runtime problems.

### Security Configuration

For issues related to environment secrets, Docker security patterns, or authentication configuration, consult [`docs/5-CONFIGURATION/security.md`](https://github.com/lfnovo/open-notebook/blob/main/docs/5-CONFIGURATION/security.md). This guide provides detailed instructions on securely managing sensitive data within the Open Notebook environment.

## AI-Powered Installation Assistant

Open Notebook offers an interactive CustomGPT called the Installation Assistant, accessible at https://chatgpt.com/g/g-68776e2765b48191bd1bae3f30212631-open-notebook-installation-assistant. As referenced in [`README.md`](https://github.com/lfnovo/open-notebook/blob/main/README.md), this AI tool can walk users through setup steps interactively, providing guided troubleshooting based on the project's documentation.

## Programmatic Support Interactions

Advanced users and administrators can interact with support channels programmatically to automate reporting or verify system status.

### Creating Issues via GitHub API

You can programmatically submit bug reports to the GitHub Issues tracker using the REST API. This is useful for automated error reporting from production environments:

```bash
curl -X POST \
  -H "Authorization: token <YOUR_PERSONAL_TOKEN>" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
        "title": "Failed to load PDF source",
        "body": "When uploading a PDF larger than 12 MB I get a `413 Payload Too Large` error. Steps to reproduce:\n1. Open a notebook\n2. Click *Add Source*\n3. Choose a 15 MB PDF\n\nEnvironment:\n- Docker Desktop 4.28\n- Open Notebook v1.2.0\n- SurrealDB v2.0"
      }' \
  https://api.github.com/repos/lfnovo/open-notebook/issues

```

### Verifying API Health Status

Before reporting connectivity issues, verify that the FastAPI service is running. The [`api/main.py`](https://github.com/lfnovo/open-notebook/blob/main/api/main.py) file exposes a health endpoint that you can query to confirm the service status:

```bash

# Most troubleshooting starts by confirming the API is reachable.

curl -s http://localhost:5055/health | jq .

```

### Discord Webhook Integration

For automated monitoring or bot integrations, you can post structured messages to Discord using webhooks. This Python example demonstrates how to send formatted bug reports programmatically:

```python
import requests, json

webhook_url = "https://discord.com/api/webhooks/<ID>/<TOKEN>"
payload = {
    "username": "Open Notebook Bot",
    "embeds": [{
        "title": "Bug Report",
        "description": "PDF upload fails with error 413 – see logs for details.",
        "color": 15158332
    }]
}
requests.post(webhook_url, data=json.dumps(payload), headers={"Content-Type": "application/json"})

```

## Summary

- **Discord** at https://discord.gg/37XJPXfz2w provides immediate community support for questions and troubleshooting.
- **GitHub Issues** at https://github.com/lfnovo/open-notebook/issues tracks bugs and feature requests with structured templates defined in [`CONTRIBUTING.md`](https://github.com/lfnovo/open-notebook/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md).
- **Documentation** in [`docs/6-TROUBLESHOOTING/quick-fixes.md`](https://github.com/lfnovo/open-notebook/blob/main/docs/6-TROUBLESHOOTING/quick-fixes.md) and [`docs/5-CONFIGURATION/security.md`](https://github.com/lfnovo/open-notebook/blob/main/docs/5-CONFIGURATION/security.md) offers self-service solutions for common problems.
- **AI Installation Assistant** provides interactive setup guidance through ChatGPT.
- **Programmatic access** via GitHub API, health endpoints in [`api/main.py`](https://github.com/lfnovo/open-notebook/blob/main/api/main.py), and Discord webhooks enables automated reporting and monitoring.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Where can I get immediate help with Open Notebook installation?

Join the official Discord server at https://discord.gg/37XJPXfz2w. This is the fastest channel for real-time assistance with installation errors, configuration questions, and usage guidance from the community and maintainers.

### How do I report a bug or request a feature?

Open a ticket on GitHub Issues at https://github.com/lfnovo/open-notebook/issues. The repository includes issue templates that require environment details, logs, and reproduction steps as specified in [`CONTRIBUTING.md`](https://github.com/lfnovo/open-notebook/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md), which helps maintainers diagnose problems efficiently.

### What documentation should I check before asking for help?

Consult [`docs/6-TROUBLESHOOTING/quick-fixes.md`](https://github.com/lfnovo/open-notebook/blob/main/docs/6-TROUBLESHOOTING/quick-fixes.md) for common problem resolutions and [`docs/5-CONFIGURATION/security.md`](https://github.com/lfnovo/open-notebook/blob/main/docs/5-CONFIGURATION/security.md) for security-related setup questions. Also verify your API health using `curl http://localhost:5055/health` to ensure the service defined in [`api/main.py`](https://github.com/lfnovo/open-notebook/blob/main/api/main.py) is running correctly.

### Is there an automated way to get help with setup?

Yes, the AI-powered Installation Assistant at https://chatgpt.com/g/g-68776e2765b48191bd1bae3f30212631-open-notebook-installation-assistant provides interactive troubleshooting. This CustomGPT references the project's documentation to guide you through configuration steps and common fixes.