--- title: Frequently asked questions linkTitle: FAQs description: These questions are frequently asked by new users. categories: [troubleshooting] keywords: [faq] menu: docs: parent: troubleshooting weight: 70 weight: 70 # Use level 6 headings for each question. --- Hugo’s [forum] is an active community of users and developers who answer questions, share knowledge, and provide examples. A quick search of over 20,000 topics will often answer your question. Please be sure to read about [requesting help] before asking your first question. These are just a few of the questions most frequently asked by new users. ###### An error message indicates that a feature is not available. Why? {#feature-not-available} {{% include "installation/_common/01-editions.md" %}} When you attempt to use a feature that is not available in the edition that you installed, Hugo throws this error: ```go-html-template this feature is not available in this edition of Hugo ``` To resolve, install a different edition based on the feature table above. See the [installation] section for details. ###### Why do I see "Page Not Found" when visiting the home page? In the content/_index.md file: - Is `draft` set to `true`? - Is the `date` in the future? - Is the `publishDate` in the future? - Is the `expiryDate` in the past? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, either change the field values, or use one of these command line flags: `--buildDrafts`, `--buildFuture`, or `--buildExpired`. ###### Why is a given page not published? In the content/section/page.md file, or in the content/section/page/index.md file: - Is `draft` set to `true`? - Is the `date` in the future? - Is the `publishDate` in the future? - Is the `expiryDate` in the past? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, either change the field values, or use one of these command line flags: `--buildDrafts`, `--buildFuture`, or `--buildExpired`. ###### Why can't I see any of a page's descendants? You may have an index.md file instead of an _index.md file. See [details](/content-management/page-bundles/). ###### What is the difference between an index.md file and an _index.md file? A directory with an index.md file is a [leaf bundle]. A directory with an _index.md file is a [branch bundle]. See [details](/content-management/page-bundles/). [branch bundle]: /getting-started/glossary/#branch-bundle [leaf bundle]: /getting-started/glossary/#leaf-bundle ###### Why is my partial template not rendered as expected? You may have neglected to pass the required [context] when calling the partial. For example: ```go-html-template {{/* incorrect */}} {{ partial "_internal/pagination.html" }} {{/* correct */}} {{ partial "_internal/pagination.html" . }} ``` ###### In a template, what's the difference between `:=` and `=` when assigning values to variables? Use `:=` to initialize a variable, and use `=` to assign a value to a variable that has been previously initialized. See [details](https://pkg.go.dev/text/template#hdr-Variables). ###### When I paginate a list page, why is the page collection not filtered as specified? You are probably invoking the [`Paginate`] or [`Paginator`] method more than once on the same page. See [details](/templates/pagination/). ###### Why are there two ways to call a shortcode? Use the `{{%/* shortcode */%}}` notation if the shortcode template, or the content between the opening and closing shortcode tags, contains Markdown. Otherwise use the\ `{{}}` notation. See [details](/content-management/shortcodes/). ###### Can I use environment variables to control configuration? Yes. See [details](/getting-started/configuration/#configure-with-environment-variables). ###### Why am I seeing inconsistent output from one build to the next? The most common causes are page collisions (publishing two pages to the same path) and the effects of concurrency. Use the `--printPathWarnings` command line flag to check for page collisions, and create a topic on the [forum] if you suspect concurrency problems. ###### Why isn't Hugo's development server detecting file changes? In its default configuration, Hugo's file watcher may not be able detect file changes when: - Running Hugo within Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL/WSL2) with project files on a Windows partition - Running Hugo locally with project files on a removable drive - Running Hugo locally with project files on a storage server accessed via the NFS, SMB, or CIFS protocols In these cases, instead of monitoring native file system events, use the `--poll` command line flag. For example, to poll the project files every 700 milliseconds, use `--poll 700ms`. ###### Why is my page Scratch or Store missing a value? The [`Scratch`] and [`Store`] methods on a `Page` object allow you to create a [scratch pad] on the given page to store and manipulate data. Values are often set within a shortcode, a partial template called by a shortcode, or by a Markdown render hook. In all three cases, the scratch pad values are not determinate until Hugo renders the page content. [scratch pad]: /getting-started/glossary/#scratch-pad If you need to access a scratch pad value from a parent template, and the parent template has not yet rendered the page content, you can trigger content rendering by assigning the returned value to a [noop] variable: [noop]: /getting-started/glossary/#noop ```go-html-template {{ $noop := .Content }} {{ .Store.Get "mykey" }} ``` You can trigger content rendering with other methods as well. See next FAQ. [`Scratch`]: /methods/page/scratch [`Store`]: /methods/page/store ###### Which page methods trigger content rendering? The following methods on a `Page` object trigger content rendering: `Content`, `ContentWithoutSummary`, `FuzzyWordCount`, `Len`, `Plain`, `PlainWords`, `ReadingTime`, `Summary`, `Truncated`, and `WordCount`. {{% note %}} For other questions please visit the [forum]. A quick search of over 20,000 topics will often answer your question. Please be sure to read about [requesting help] before asking your first question. [forum]: https://discourse.gohugo.io [requesting help]: https://discourse.gohugo.io/t/requesting-help/9132 {{% /note %}} [`Paginate`]: /methods/page/paginate/ [`Paginator`]: /methods/page/paginator/ [context]: /getting-started/glossary/#context [forum]: https://discourse.gohugo.io [installation]: /installation/ [requesting help]: https://discourse.gohugo.io/t/requesting-help/9132