Content troubleshooting
When content isn't behaving the way you expect, this page walks you through the most common causes — in the order they're most likely to be the problem.
Why isn't my content showing in the app?
This is the most common content issue. Check these in order:
- Is it published? Drafts never appear in the app. Check the item's status on the Content page (use the Draft filter to spot unpublished items).
- Is the publish date in the past? Content scheduled for the future appears only once its publish date and time pass. Use the Scheduled filter to review what's queued.
- Has it expired? If the expire date has passed, the content is hidden. Clear the expire date or set it to a future date.
- Is it in the right collection? Feeds pull content from collections (and tags). If the item isn't filed where your feed looks, it won't appear — check the Related content links on the item and the feed section's settings. See Feeds.
If all four check out and the content still isn't showing, contact Apollos support with the content's title, a link to it in Admin, and which screen of the app you expect it on.
Why is a section of my feed empty?
The section is pulling from a collection or tag with no published content. Open the feed section's Content settings and confirm the collection and tags are the ones you intend, then confirm matching content is published and not expired. See Feeds for section setup.
Why isn't a member's series progress tracking?
- Is the member signed in? Progress is only tracked for signed-in members.
- Have they completed an episode? Progress starts after the first episode is watched or read to the end.
- Are the episodes linked to the series? Each episode must be linked as a child of the series in its Related content settings. Without those links, the app doesn't know the episodes belong together.
If progress still isn't tracking, contact Apollos support with the series name and the member's name or email.
Why are images broken or missing on my content?
- Is a cover image set? Open the content and check — if not, add one.
- Does the image load on its own? Open the content's share link in a browser. If the image is broken there too, re-upload it in Admin.
If a freshly uploaded image still won't display in the app, contact Apollos support with the content title and a screenshot.
For synced event and media images, Apollos preserves image details between syncs so placeholders and dimensions should stay stable. If the same image repeatedly disappears, flashes, or changes placeholder state after every sync, include the source system when contacting support.
Why isn't content from Rock appearing in Apollos?
- Has the sync run yet? Content from Rock syncs on a schedule — changes can take a little while to appear.
- Did it sync but stay hidden? Search for the item on the Content page in Admin. If it's there, the issue is visibility — run the checks under "Why isn't my content showing in the app?" above.
- Check the sync status. The Status tab shows recent syncs and any errors. See How data sync works and Rock RMS.
If the content has never synced and the sync shows no errors, contact Apollos support with the Rock content channel and item name.
For Contentful livestreams, the sync checks the full livestream list rather than only its first page. If an older livestream is still missing after a completed sync, contact Apollos support with its title and Contentful link.
Why does everyone see the same content in a personalized section?
Remember the rule: untagged content shows to everyone. Personalization only filters tagged content. Check that:
- The content items have tags.
- Members have matching tags on their profiles (Audience → People).
- The tags actually match — spelling and capitalization included.
See Personalization: tags & audiences for the full picture.
Why can't members find my content in search?
New or changed content takes a little while to become searchable after publishing. If it's been a while, confirm the content is published and not expired, and give it a clear title and summary. Search refreshes changed content and keeps each church's website pages scoped to that church. If a public website page is missing, confirm another public page links to it; Apollos can follow public links when the site has no sitemap. For everything else — stale results, missing results, odd ranking — see Search.
Why did an audio file sync in as a broken image?
It shouldn't any more. Audio files, including .m4a files, sync as audio rather than being mistaken for images, so they play in the app instead of showing a broken thumbnail. If an audio item still appears as a broken image, contact Apollos support with the item name and the system it synced from.
Why is a tab empty after I deleted the feed it used?
A tab pointing at a deleted feed is skipped rather than stopping the app from opening, so members still get the rest of the app. The tab stays empty until you point it at a feed that still exists — open Apps and assign a current feed. See Feeds: building your app's home screen.
Quick reference: what to check first
| Symptom | Check first |
|---|---|
| Content not showing | Published status, publish date, expire date |
| Feed section empty | The collection/tags the section pulls from |
| Series progress broken | Episodes linked as children of the series; member signed in |
| Images broken | Cover image set; image loads from the share link |
| Rock content missing | Sync status; then publish/expire checks |
| Personalized section not filtering | Content has tags; members have matching tags |
| Search not finding content | Indexing delay; title and summary quality |
What to include when contacting support
To get help fast, include:
- Your church name
- The content title (and a link to it in Admin if possible)
- What you expected to happen, and what's happening instead
- Where in the app you're looking (which tab or screen)
- A screenshot, if the issue is visual
- The affected member's name or email, if the issue is member-specific