SUAS Tech Runbook

Plain-language playbooks for common technical issues. Use this as a checklist when something breaks. Jacob can follow these directly without Claude, or Claude can execute them autonomously where possible.

For crisis support, this is not the place. If someone is in immediate danger, call the Veterans Crisis Line: 988, press 1.

Index

1. Fix the domain (suasqrf.org)
2. Fix GitHub Pages deploy
3. Fix the Google Site
4. Fix email (jacobsilver@suasqrf.org)
5. Update the public landing page
6. Add a contributor / give someone repo access
7. Escalation contacts

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1. Fix the domain (suasqrf.org)

Symptoms: people typing suasqrf.org see a “site can’t be reached” error, or the wrong page, or an expired-domain parking page.

Diagnose (5 min)

1. Open https://lookup.icann.org/en/lookup and search suasqrf.org. Look for:
   • Registry Expiration Date — if past, domain is expired
   • Name Servers — if blank, no DNS
   • Registrar — who you bought it from
2. Open https://dnschecker.org/?query=suasqrf.org → check for A records

Fix path A: Domain expired

• Log in to your registrar
• Renew the domain
• Wait for renewal to propagate (usually instant)
• Then follow Fix path B

Fix path B: DNS not configured

• Log in to registrar → DNS Manager
• Add A records for the apex (@ or blank):

  185.199.108.153
  185.199.109.153
  185.199.110.153
  185.199.111.153
  

• Add CNAME record for www:

  www  →  s-u-a-s-veteran-crisis-qrf.github.io
  

• Save. Wait 5–60 min for DNS propagation.
• In GitHub: Settings → Pages → Custom domain: suasqrf.org → Save
• Once DNS check passes, enable “Enforce HTTPS”

Fix path C: Don’t know which registrar

• Check your credit card statements for “domain” or “GoDaddy/Namecheap/etc.”
• Or visit https://lookup.icann.org/en/lookup — the Registrar field shows who holds it
• If you find a registrar but no longer have the login, use their account recovery flow with jacobsilver@suasqrf.org

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2. Fix GitHub Pages deploy

Symptoms: site is live but updates aren’t appearing, or a 404, or build fails.

Diagnose

• Visit https://github.com/S-U-A-S-Veteran-Crisis-QRF/help/actions
• Look at the latest “Deploy GitHub Pages” run
• Red = build broke, green = success

Fix

• Click the red run → expand failed step → read error
• Most common: a typo in _config.yml or index.md front matter
• Open Claude Code, say “fix the GitHub Pages deploy” — it will read the workflow logs and propose a fix
• For a manual retry: Actions → click run → “Re-run all jobs”

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3. Fix the Google Site

Symptoms: sites.google.com/view/suausqrf/home shows error, blank page, or “you need access.”

Diagnose

1. Log in at sites.google.com with the Google Workspace account that owns the site (probably your @suasqrf.org account)
2. Look in your sites list for “suausqrf”

Fix paths

| What you see | What to do | |—|—| | Site exists but says “Draft” | Click Publish in the top right | | Site exists but won’t load publicly | Top-right Share → set “General access” to Anyone with the link → Viewer | | Site appears broken | Edit the page → re-save → Publish | | Site is gone | Check Trash in Google Drive within 30 days |

Should we keep it?

We’re rebuilding everything at suasqrf.org (GitHub Pages). The Google Site duplicates effort. Consider taking it offline once suasqrf.org is live.

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4. Fix email (jacobsilver@suasqrf.org)

Symptoms: emails bouncing, can’t send, can’t receive, password lost.

Diagnose

• Try sending a test email to yourself from gmail.com → jacobsilver@suasqrf.org
• If it bounces, the MX records for suasqrf.org may be missing/wrong

Fix MX records

• Log in to your registrar → DNS Manager
• Add MX records (Google Workspace standard):

  Priority 1   smtp.google.com
  

• (Older format used 5 separate MX records — either works if Google Workspace recommends it for your account.)
• Wait 1–4 hours

Lost Google Workspace password

• Go to https://admin.google.com/recovery
• You’ll need access to the recovery email/phone you set up
• For account recovery escalation: Google Workspace Support (sign in to admin.google.com → Support icon)

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5. Update the public landing page

To change the site content (mission, events, donate link, etc.):

Option A: Use Claude Code

• Open Claude Code on this repo (web or terminal)
• Say “update the landing page to [your change]”
• Review the PR Claude opens, then merge

Option B: Edit on GitHub directly

1. Go to https://github.com/S-U-A-S-Veteran-Crisis-QRF/help/blob/main/index.md
2. Click the pencil icon (top right)
3. Make your edit
4. Commit directly to main (or open a PR if you want review)
5. GitHub Actions will redeploy the site automatically within ~2 minutes

Veteran-safety check before publishing

• Crisis Line (988+1) still on the page? ✅
• No veteran PII in the content? ✅
• Donate link still works? ✅

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6. Add a contributor

To give someone access to help with the repo:

1. Go to https://github.com/S-U-A-S-Veteran-Crisis-QRF/help/settings/access
2. Click Add people
3. Enter their GitHub username
4. Role:
   • Read — can view but not change
   • Triage — can manage issues
   • Write — can push code (most contributors)
   • Maintain — write + manage settings (trusted helpers)
   • Admin — full control (only you, for now)

Point new contributors at CONTRIBUTING.md and the open issues with good first issue.

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7. Escalation contacts

When you need a human:

Need	Contact
Google Workspace admin help	https://support.google.com/a → “Contact us” (signed in as admin)
Google for Nonprofits eligibility	https://www.google.com/nonprofits/account/u/0/contact-us
Domain registrar account recovery	Whoever holds the domain — check ICANN lookup
GitHub support	https://support.github.com
Charity legal/IRS questions	The CPA or attorney listed in SUAS records (not in this repo)
Crisis intervention for a veteran	988 → press 1 (Veterans Crisis Line)

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This runbook lives in the repo. If you find a process that worked, add it here so the next person doesn’t have to figure it out from scratch.