Your text is not lost. The contact form only clears itself after a message has actually been sent, so if you are looking at an error, everything you typed is still in the fields and you can send it again.
The most common cause of a failed send is the attachment rather than the message. The file is uploaded first and the message is sent second, so if the upload fails the message is never sent at all. The error you see does not say so.
What to do when a send fails
- Remove the attached file with the cross beside its name, then press send again. If it goes through, the file was the problem.
- Send the message on its own and describe the document in the text. Support can ask you for it by email afterwards.
- If it still fails with no file attached, the message itself was rejected. Check that a category is selected and that the message is at least 20 characters.
Attachments need you to be signed in
Signed out, the upload box is replaced by a note asking you to log in. That is deliberate: the file is stored against an account, so there is nowhere to put it otherwise. Signed out you can still send the message itself.
When you can upload, the limits are:
- One file of up to 10MB. Over that you get "File size must be less than 10MB".
- PDF, DOC, DOCX, PNG or JPG. Anything else gives "Please upload a PDF, DOC, DOCX, PNG, or JPG file". The check reads the file's own type rather than the name, so renaming an extension will not get a file through.
Your name and email are fixed while you are signed in
Signed in, the name and email fields are filled from your account and cannot be edited. There is no way to ask for a reply at a different address from that screen.
Two things work. Change the address on your account first, which changing your account email covers, or sign out and use the form as a visitor, which lets you type any address but takes the attachment box away with it.
The success message is short-lived
A sent message shows a green confirmation that says we will respond within 2 to 3 business days, and it disappears after 10 seconds. That is a timer, not a sign that anything was undone. Nothing is sent twice if you do not press send twice.
Arriving from a link with the category already chosen
Links elsewhere on the site can open the form with a category preselected, which is why Bug Report or Feature Request is sometimes already filled in. You can change it. Picking a different category resets the second dropdown underneath it, so choose the category first and the type after.