My Ruby App is Broken

Andy Henson

Every small business has been there at some point; they’re busy getting on with their day when their web app suddenly stops working. Customers can’t log in, payments fail, or pages won’t load. Panic sets in. Every minute their app is down, they’re losing money and credibility. What to do?

If it’s a Ruby on Rails web application, you can let some of that panic slide. The situation is fixable, and you’re far from the only business to experience app issues. At Foxsoft, we’ve rescued countless businesses from app emergencies. So, let’s have a look at what you can do to get your business back on track – and how Ruby on Rails maintenance can prevent future crises.

How Foxsoft Can Help When Your Ruby on Rails App Fails

Don’t panic!

OK, someone else once said that, but when your app breaks, the best thing you can do is stay calm and gather information. What’s actually happening? Is the entire site down, or just a specific feature? Are you seeing error messages? Has anything recently changed, like a deployment, server update, or new integration? If you document everything you can with screenshots, timestamps, and user reports, you can capture the small details developers need to diagnose the problem.

At Foxsoft, our Ruby on Rails support team starts every rescue mission with a structured triage process. We quickly determine whether the issue is a front-end glitch, a back-end error, or a server problem, so we can act as quickly as possible.

Damage control

If the problem is affecting users or sales, your next priority is damage control. So, put your app into maintenance mode if necessary, display a friendly downtime message, and communicate transparently with your customers. People are far more forgiving when they know you’re aware of the problem and are working on it. In most cases, this is when we’ll roll back to a previous working version of the website or isolate the broken functionality. This buys us time to investigate without making things worse.

Identify the root cause

Broken apps rarely “just happen”. Common culprits include:

Outdated Ruby or Rails versions
Dependency conflicts after gem updates
Server misconfigurations or expired SSL certificates
Database connection issues
Unhandled exceptions or untested code changes

Our engineers specialise in Ruby on Rails maintenance, which means we know where to look and how to get things working again. Using monitoring tools and detailed error logs, we pinpoint exactly what went wrong and why.

Apply a reliable fix

Patching is always tempting when you’re working under pressure, but temporary fixes often create bigger problems later. So, at Foxsoft, we don’t just make your app work again; we make sure it stays that way. Our approach combines immediate repair with long-term stability checks. That means:

Reviewing your deployment and testing setup
Updating outdated gems and dependencies
Implementing better error handling and monitoring
Strengthening your security and performance baseline

Our aim is always to leave your Ruby on Rails web application healthier than before the problem started.

Prevent future problems

Once your app is back online, it’s time to look into proactive maintenance. Regular Ruby on Rails maintenance keeps your application secure, performant, and reliable. At Foxsoft, we usually recommend:

Routine updates for Ruby, Rails, and gems
Performance monitoring and error tracking
Automated backups and recovery testing
Security audits and patch management
Regular reviews to prepare for scaling or new features

A broken app feels like a nightmare, but it can be a turning point for a business’ tech solutions. Many of our clients come to Foxsoft in “crisis mode” and stay with us because they see the value of expert, ongoing Ruby on Rails support. So, if your Ruby on Rails web application is broken, or if you’re ready to make sure it never happens again, start here—Foxsoft is here to help!

Get in touch today to talk to our rescue team.