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  • Home
  • Managing Your Petition

Troubleshooting common issues for petition starters

Written by Nishanth Chandrasekar

Updated at March 3rd, 2026

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Table of Contents

General troubleshooting steps Petition visibility issues Publishing errors Timeout errors when publishing Too many decision makers Clicking Submit or Publish too many times Signature count issues Petition update issues Contact support

If you're having trouble creating or managing your petition on Change.org, start with these general troubleshooting steps that resolve most technical issues.

General troubleshooting steps

● Make sure you're logged into your Change.org account

● Use Google Chrome (the Change.org website works best on Chrome)

● Clear your browser's cached images and files

● Enable cookies for Change.org in your browser settings

● Disable any VPN or ad blocker you might be using

● Try using a different device (a computer is recommended over a smartphone)

Petition visibility issues

Petitions on Change.org with fewer than 10 signatures are not publicly visible. Until your petition reaches 10 signatures, people can only access it via the direct link you share with them. See Share your petition for tips on gathering initial signatures.

If supporters cannot see the "Sign petition" button, verify you're sharing the link to your active petition (not a closed one) and confirm you don't have multiple petitions with similar titles.

Publishing errors

Timeout errors when publishing

Timeout errors are common with slower or unstable internet connections. Close your browser completely, reopen it, and try again. If the error persists, wait a few minutes and retry.

Too many decision makers

Having more than 14 decision-makers can interfere with the publishing process. We recommend narrowing your list to 10 or fewer decision makers. See Start a petition for best practices on selecting decision makers.

Clicking Submit or Publish too many times

Avoid clicking the Submit or Publish buttons repeatedly, as this can cause delays. Click the button once, then wait. If nothing happens, refresh the page, clear your cache, and try again with a single click.

Signature count issues

If your Change.org signature count seems stuck, frozen, or fluctuating, this is usually normal behavior. For detailed explanations, see Understand signature counts and why they fluctuate.

Petition update issues

If your petition updates are not reaching supporters, there are email limits that may apply (maximum 1 email per 24 hours, 3 per week). Some supporters may have opted out of emails. For full details, see Post updates to supporters.

Contact support

If you've tried the steps above and are still experiencing issues with your Change.org petition, contact the Support Team. Include your petition URL, a screenshot of any error messages, and a description of the steps you've already tried.

Account & Privacy

Editing your profile

issues petition

Related Articles

  • Edit your petition
  • Post updates to supporters
  • Share your petition
  • Understand signature counts and why they fluctuate
  • Download your signatures

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