---
title: "Troubleshooting Collections"
slug: "troubleshooting-collections"
updated: 2026-11-06T22:02:48Z
published: 2026-11-06T22:02:48Z
canonical: "support.skykit.com/troubleshooting-collections"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://support.skykit.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Troubleshooting Collections

> Start by opening the collection in Beam. Warnings appear on each entry and zone, often with a link to fix the problem. Then find what you're seeing on the display below.

## **Content not playing?**

- Open the collection and check for warnings on each entry and zone
- Check play rules at all levels (collection entry, playlist, individual items)
- Ensure rules don't conflict between collection entries and nested playlists
- Review play rule evaluation order: collection entry rules are checked first, then playlists, then individual items
- Verify content is published and accessible
- Check whether the collection needs to be published again. Renaming or copying an entry unpublishes the collection.
- Check that displays are properly assigned
- Check for programs in multi-zone entries. Programs, including programs inside a playlist, won't play in multi-zone layouts. See [Programs in Collections: What Plays Where](https://support.skykit.com/docs/programs-in-collections).

## **One zone shows a blue exclamation point?**

- That zone contains content the player can't show. The other zones keep playing normally.
- Check whether the zone contains a program, or a playlist with a program in it, inside a multi-zone entry
- Check whether any content in that zone was deleted from Beam
- Open the collection, replace or remove the item, and click **Publish**

## **A layout never appears?**

- If nothing in an entry can play, the player skips the whole entry without showing an error
- Check the entry for warnings. If every zone has one, the entry will be skipped.
- Check the entry's play rules (date range, time window, Custom Recurrence, labels)
- Check whether every item in the entry's playlists is filtered out by its play rules. If so, there's nothing to show.

## **Duration seems wrong?**

- Set a lead zone to control timing
- Check individual content item durations
- Verify all content in zones is the expected length
- With multiple entries, ensure lead zones are set on entries that need full completion
- Without a lead zone, the longest content in any zone sets how long the layout plays

## **Collection not advancing to next entry?**

- Check if a lead zone is set and still playing content
- Verify the lead zone playlist has completed its full rotation
- Ensure play rules on the next entry allow it to be eligible

## **Layout looks different on screen than expected?**

- Verify you're using the correct orientation (portrait vs. landscape)
- Check display resolution and aspect ratio settings
- Review TV/display settings (zoom, overscan, aspect ratio)
- Check the HDMI cable and port configuration
- Use Live View to see what the player is actually rendering. If Live View looks right but the screen doesn't, the issue is usually the display itself.

## **Portrait layout not displaying correctly?**

- Confirm display is physically oriented in portrait mode
- Check display rotation settings
- Verify you selected portrait layout, not landscape

## **Performance issues or player crashes?**

- Avoid playing 3+ videos simultaneously in different zones
- Use static images or GIFs for secondary zones
- Combine several videos into one design in Canva and upload it as a single video
- Simplify complex layouts
- Consider file sizes and compression
- Rebuild programs as collections. Collections run on a newer, faster playback engine. See [Moving From Programs to Collections](https://support.skykit.com/docs/moving-from-programs-to-collections).

## **Custom Recurrence not working as expected?**

- Double-check your RRule configuration
- Test with simple patterns first (e.g., specific days) before complex rules
- Verify timezones are set correctly. Play Rules use the timezone set on the [Displays page](https://support.skykit.com/v1/docs/displays-overview-beam).
- Overnight time windows aren't currently supported. See [Why can't I save overnight play rules?](https://support.skykit.com/v1/docs/why-can-t-i-save-overnight-play-rules)
- Check for conflicts with other play rules

## **Still need help?**

Contact [**support@skykit.com**](mailto:support@skykit.com) and include:

- The collection name
- The affected display names
- What you see on screen (a photo helps)
- Any warnings you see in Beam

## **Related articles**

- [Programs in Collections: What Plays Where](https://support.skykit.com/docs/programs-in-collections) Skykit Beam > Collections > Collections & Layouts
- [Play Rules Best Practices](https://support.skykit.com/docs/play-rules-best-practices) Skykit Beam > Collections > Collections & Layouts
- [How to Set Up Collections & Layouts (New Edition)](https://support.skykit.com/docs/how-to-set-up-collections-layouts) Skykit Beam > Collections > Collections & Layouts