# IT Runbook Assistant: Troubleshooting Step by Step

Source: https://maito.app/workflows/troubleshoot-with-your-runbooks

Admins ask Maito for help in Slack and get step-by-step guidance that follows your own runbooks, including their warnings, instead of a generic answer.

Admins get step-by-step help that follows your documented procedures.

[IT and admin](https://maito.app/workflows/team/it-and-admin) · When you ask · Updated October 19, 2026

Works with

-   Slack
-   Email

## How do you troubleshoot with your IT runbooks?

To troubleshoot with your IT runbooks, share them with Maito and let admins ask in Slack. It finds the matching runbook, walks through the steps in order, checks the details you give it against what the runbook expects, and repeats the runbook's warnings so a step isn't skipped.

## How it's done today

Only one person knows how to fix the mail server.

## What Maito does

1.  Read the problem
2.  Find the matching runbook
3.  Walk through the steps

## Example

**Tom** (1:40 PM):

email from northstar.example is bouncing with SPF fail. Our record is v=spf1 include:\_spf.mail.example ~all. What do I check?

**Maito** (1:42 PM):

That's step 1 in the "Outbound mail failing" runbook (last edited Aug 4). The order is SPF, then DKIM, then provider status.

Your SPF record should list 3 senders:  
• include:\_spf.mail.example, workspace mail. Present.  
• include:bulk.mail.example, marketing sends. **Missing.**  
• include:desk.mail.example, the support desk. **Missing.**

**Catch:** the runbook warns that SPF allows 10 DNS lookups, and more breaks the record. Adding both takes you to 9, so count again before you publish.

You make the change. TTL is 300, so it shows in about 5 minutes. If bounces continue after that, go to step 2, DKIM.

## How to set it up

When you ask Troubleshoot with your runbooks

Set up

Nothing to set up. Ask in Slack or by email whenever you need it.

## What it won't do

It can only follow documented procedures and can't see your systems unless a tool is connected for that. New problems without a runbook go to a person.

## Questions

### Does it follow our runbooks or its own advice?

Your runbooks. It names the one it used and when it was last edited, and says when none applies.

### Can it change our systems?

No. It guides the admin. Anything that changes a system is done by a person.

### What if the runbook is out of date?

It tells you which runbook it used and its edit date, so you can spot stale steps and ask someone to update them.

## More it and admin workflows

-   [Answer IT questions in the help channel People get answers to everyday IT questions without a ticket. IT and admin · When you ask Works with Slack, Email.](https://maito.app/workflows/answer-it-questions-in-the-help-channel)
-   [Handle access requests Access requests get collected, approved by the right person and logged. IT and admin · When you ask Works with Jira Service Management, ServiceNow.](https://maito.app/workflows/handle-access-requests)
-   [Review who has access Every quarter, check who has access to key tools and flag what looks wrong. IT and admin · On a schedule Works with Slack, Email.](https://maito.app/workflows/review-who-has-access)
-   [Guide people through buying something Purchases follow the process without people learning it first. IT and admin · When you ask Works with Slack, Email.](https://maito.app/workflows/guide-people-through-buying-something)
-   [Check a new vendor's security Get a first pass on a vendor's security docs before you sign. IT and admin · When you ask Works with Box.](https://maito.app/workflows/check-a-new-vendors-security)
-   [Track laptops and equipment Know who has which device and when warranties end. IT and admin · On a schedule Works with Airtable, Microsoft 365.](https://maito.app/workflows/track-laptops-and-equipment)

[See all workflows](https://maito.app/workflows)

## Put your AI teammate to work.

Set it up in minutes. Start with this one, and let it earn the next one.

[Put Maito to work](https://maito.app/login?returnTo=%2Fworkflows%2Ftroubleshoot-with-your-runbooks)[Book a demo](mailto:support@maito.app?subject=Maito%20demo)