# Troubleshooting an issue in BTCPay Server
Facing a problem is never fun. This document explains the most common workflow and steps you should take to identify the issue you're having more easily and hopefully solve it yourself or with community help.
Identifying the problem is crucial.
# 1. Replicating the issue
First and foremost, try to determine when the issue happens. Try to replicate the problem. Try to update and restart your server to verify you can reproduce your issue. If you think it will describe your issue better, take a screenshot.
# 1.1 Updating the server
Check your version of BTCPay. If it is much older than the latest version (opens new window) of BTCPay, updating your server may resolve the issue.
# 1.2 Restarting the server
Restarting your server is an easy way to solve many of the most common BTCPay Server issues. You may need to SSH into your server to restart it.
# 1.3 Restarting a service
Some issues you may only need to restart a particular service in your BTCPay Server deployment. Such as restarting the letsencrypt container to renew the SSL certificate.
sudo su -
cd btcpayserver-docker
docker restart letsencrypt-nginx-proxy-companion
Use docker ps to find the name of a different service you would like to restart.
# 2. Looking through the logs
Logs can provide an essential piece of information. In the next few paragraphs, we will describe how to get the log information for various parts of BTCPay.
# 2.1 BTCPay Logs
Since the v1.0.3.8, you can easily access BTCPay Server logs from the front-end. If you are a server admin, go to Server Settings > Logs and open the logs file. If you don't know what a particular error in the logs means, make sure to mention it when troubleshooting.
If you would like more detailed logs and you're using a Docker deployment, you can view logs of specific Docker containers using the command line. See these instructions to ssh into an instance of BTCPay running on a VPS.
Below is a general list of the container names used for BTCPay.
| LOGS FOR | CONTAINER NAME |
|---|---|
| BTCPayServer | generated_btcpayserver_1 |
| NBXplorer | generated_nbxplorer_1 |
| Bitcoind | btcpayserver_bitcoind |
| Postgres | generated_postgres_1 |
| proxy | letsencrypt-nginx-proxy-companion |
| Nginx | nginx-gen |
| Nginx | nginx |
| Core Lightning (CLN) | btcpayserver_clightning_bitcoin |
| LND | btcpayserver_lnd_bitcoin |
| RTL | generated_lnd_bitcoin_rtl_1 |
| Thunderhub | generated_bitcoin_thub_1 |
| LibrePatron | librepatron |
| Tor | tor-gen |
| Tor | tor |
Run the commands below to print logs by container name. Replace the container name to view other container logs.
sudo su -
cd btcpayserver-docker
docker ps
docker logs --tail 100 generated_btcpayserver_1
# 2.2 Lightning Network Logs
Use the following if you're having a problem with the Lightning Network.
# 2.2.1 - Lightning Network LND - Docker
There are a few ways to access your LND logs when using Docker. First log in as root:
sudo su -
Navigate to the correct directory:
cd btcpayserver-docker
Find container name:
docker ps
Print logs by container name:
docker logs --tail 100 btcpayserver_lnd_bitcoin
Alternatively, you can quickly print logs by using container ID (only the first unique ID characters are needed, such as the two furthest left characters):
docker logs 'add your container ID '
If for any reason you need more logs
sudo su -
cd /var/lib/docker/volumes/generated_lnd_bitcoin_datadir/_data/logs/bitcoin/mainnet/
inside that directory do ls
You will see something like lnd.log lnd.log.13 lnd.log.15 lnd.log.16.gz lnd.log.17.gz
To access uncompressed logs of those logs do cat lnd.log or if you want another one, use cat lnd.log.15
To access compressed logs in .gzip use gzip -d lnd.log.16.gz (in this case we're accessing lnd.log.16.gz)
This should give you a new file, where you can do cat lnd.log.16
In case the above does not work, you may need to use install gzip first sudo apt-get install gzip
# 2.2.2 - Lightning Network Core Lightning (CLN) - Docker
sudo su -
docker ps
Find the Core Lightning (CLN) container ID.
docker logs 'add your container ID here'
alternatively, use this
docker logs --tail 100 btcpayserver_clightning_bitcoin
You can also get log information with Core Lightning (CLN) cli command.
bitcoin-lightning-cli.sh getlog
# 2.3 - Bitcoin Node Logs
In addition to looking at logs of your Bitcoind container, you can also use any of the bitcoin-cli commands (opens new window) to obtain information from your bitcoin node. BTCPay includes a script to allow you to communicate with your Bitcoin node easily.
Inside the btcpayserver-docker folder, get the blockchain information using your node:
bitcoin-cli.sh getblockchaininfo
# 3. Finding a solution yourself (Google, FAQ, GitHub issues)
Even though setups differ, the chances that someone else experienced the same issue as yours are pretty high. Take a few moments, Google around and see if you can solve it yourself.
# 3.1 BTCPay FAQ
We try to document the most common issues on the Frequently Asked Questions page. Take a look there and see if your question is recorded.
# 3.2 GitHub
When there's an advanced technical issue, users usually open an issue on GitHub. Take a look at the BTCPay GitHub repository and browse search the closed issues (opens new window).
# 3.3 Mattermost
Mattermost chat platform is great for similar issues, other users experienced before you. On the top right-hand corner, click on the search and enter your query.
# 4. Asking for help
If you're unable to solve the problem yourself, do not worry. There's an amid community ready to help you.
The better you describe the problem, the higher are the chances of getting a timely fix. Be concise and provide as much relevant information as possible. Be sure to include the version you're using and describe your BTCPay Deployment Setup. Try to explain what you're trying to do and what's the issue. If you can provide the logs. If you think it's relevant, feel free to include a screenshot.
Here's a good example of how to ask a question.
I'm having a problem with XYZ. I can replicate the problem. My BTCPay version is 0.100.31, and I deployed my server on Digital Ocean by following Docker deployment guide. I've searched through the FAQ and closed GitHub issues, but there's no solution to my problem. My BTCPay Setup is XYZ, and the issue is occurring when I do XYZ. Here are the logs I was able to get from my BTCPay instance. You can see the error in the image I attached.
Please note:
The community will not provide extensive support for custom deployments. I.e. variations of Manual Deployments are expected to be used only for development purposes and by users with technical literacy with the ability to resolve deployment and maintenance issues on their own. This includes Hardware-As-A-Service products (Nodl, RaspiBlitz, Umbrel, etc ...)
# 4.1 Asking the community (general problems)
For quick answers to fundamental problems, it's best to post a question in #support channel on BTCPay Mattermost (opens new window).
# 4.2 Opening an Issue on GitHub (advanced problems)
If you have a custom build setup and are facing a complex problem, open an issue on GitHub (opens new window) so that developers can help you out.
# 4.3 Premium Support
Some community members provide paid support. If you want a quicker help, check out the list of members providing premium support.
# 4.4 Lightning Network Support
If you're facing a technical problem with your Lightning Network implementation, you may want to ask questions in their respective communities.