Platform Reliability and Best Practices

Why Browser Version Matters

LBC uses modern web technologies including:

• Service Workers for offline-capable features and push notifications
• CSS Grid and Flexbox for responsive layout
• JavaScript ES2020+ features for interactive components
• WebP image format for optimized photo delivery

Older browsers may not support these technologies, resulting in degraded functionality or visual issues.

What to Avoid

• Internet Explorer — not supported (lacks modern web API support)
• Outdated browsers — features may break or render incorrectly
• Mobile browsers on desktop — some mobile browsers request desktop sites with reduced compatibility

Internet Connection Requirements

LBC works on most internet connections, but performance varies:

Offline Behavior

LBC is primarily an online platform. Some features like reading cached content work with reduced functionality offline, but creating, editing, or searching requires an active connection.

Data Saving Best Practices

To minimize data usage and improve performance:

• Upload optimized images — resize photos to 2000px on the longest side before uploading. Large original photos (from modern phone cameras) increase load times for everyone viewing those pets.
• Use the grid view — the grid view loads smaller thumbnails than the list view, using less data
• Close unused tabs — open LBC tabs continue to refresh data in the background
• Enable data saver — some browsers offer data-saving modes that compress images

Understanding Page Load States

When you navigate LBC, pages go through these states:

1. Loading — the page shell appears with a spinner or skeleton layout
2. Content Loading — data is fetched from the server; some sections may fill in gradually
3. Complete — all content has loaded and the page is interactive
4. Error — if the server cannot be reached, an error message appears with a retry button

If a page stays in the Loading state for more than 10 seconds:

• Check your internet connection
• Refresh the page
• If the issue persists, the platform may be experiencing a temporary issue (check system notifications)

Reporting Platform Issues

If you believe you've found a platform issue (not a user error):

1. Check the System Notifications section for any announced issues or maintenance
2. Ask a colleague if they're experiencing the same issue — this helps determine if it's account-specific or platform-wide
3. Note the exact steps to reproduce the issue
4. Capture a screenshot or screen recording if possible
5. Report via the Help → Contact Support option in the sidebar or by email

What to Include in Your Report

• Timestamp of when the issue occurred
• Your browser name and version
• Steps to reproduce
• Expected behavior vs actual behavior
• Any error messages (including browser console errors, if you can access them)

Feature Availability by Subscription

Some features are limited by your organization's subscription plan:

Check your organization's plan from Organization Settings → Billing. If you need access to a feature not available on your current plan, consider upgrading.