--- title: Frequently asked questions linkTitle: FAQs description: These questions are frequently asked by new users. categories: [] keywords: [] --- 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? : 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. 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][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](g). A directory with an `_index.md` file is a [branch bundle](g). See [details][page bundles]. Why is my _partial_ template not rendered as expected? : You may have neglected to pass the required [context](g) when calling the partial. For example: ```go-html-template {{/* incorrect */}} {{ partial "pagination.html" }} {{/* correct */}} {{ partial "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][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][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][notation]. Can I use environment variables to control configuration? : Yes. See [details][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 Store missing a value? : The [`Store`][] method on a `Page` object creates a persistent data structure for storing and manipulating keyed values on the given page. Values are often set within a _shortcode_ template, a _partial_ template called by a _shortcode_ template, or by a _render hook_ template. In all three cases, the stored values are not determinate until Hugo renders the page content. If you need to access a stored 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](g) variable: ```go-html-template {{ $noop := .Content }} {{ .Store.Get "mykey" }} ``` You can trigger content rendering with other methods as well. See next FAQ. 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. [`Paginate`]: /methods/page/paginate/ [`Paginator`]: /methods/page/paginator/ [`Store`]: /methods/page/store/ [environment-variables]: /configuration/introduction/#environment-variables [forum]: https://discourse.gohugo.io [installation]: /installation/ [notation]: /content-management/shortcodes/#notation [page bundles]: /content-management/page-bundles/ [pagination]: /templates/pagination/ [requesting help]: https://discourse.gohugo.io/t/requesting-help/9132 [variables]: https://pkg.go.dev/text/template#hdr-Variables