Write a troubleshooting guide that branches instead of forcing every reader down the same path

You are writing a troubleshooting guide for a specific recurring issue. It needs to branch based on what the reader observes at each step, not force every reader through every step regardless of relevance.

ISSUE
User can't log in — repeatedly told 'incorrect password' despite entering the correct one.

POSSIBLE ROOT CAUSES, RANKED BY LIKELIHOOD
1) Caps Lock or autocomplete inserting a stale saved password (most common), 2) account locked after failed attempts, 3) SSO provider outage, 4) actual password was changed and forgotten.

READER TECHNICAL LEVEL
General consumer app users, not technical — cannot be expected to know browser dev tools or clear cache manually without exact click-by-click instructions.

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE AT EACH STAGE
If retyping the password manually (not autofilled) logs them in, cause was #1. If they see a 'too many attempts, try again in 15 minutes' message, cause was #2.

STRUCTURE THIS AS A DECISION TREE
Start with the single fastest step that would confirm or rule out the most likely cause — not the safest generic first step every guide defaults to (like "restart the device") unless that genuinely is the most likely cause here. After each step, branch explicitly: "if you see X, go to step 2a; if you see Y, go to step 2b" — never write a flat numbered list that silently assumes everyone's situation matches step 1's outcome. State what success looks like at each branch point using If retyping the password manually (not autofilled) logs them in, cause was #1. If they see a 'too many attempts, try again in 15 minutes' message, cause was #2. so the reader isn't left guessing whether the step worked before moving on. For a reader at the stated technical level, calibrate language accordingly — do not use terms like "clear the DNS cache" without a plain-language explanation if General consumer app users, not technical — cannot be expected to know browser dev tools or clear cache manually without exact click-by-click instructions. indicates a non-technical audience, but don't over-explain basic actions if the audience is technical, since padding a technical reader's guide with unnecessary hand-holding makes them distrust the rest of the content.

WHAT NOT TO DO
Do not include a step that requires a permission level, tool, or access the stated reader wouldn't have. Do not end a branch without either a resolution or an explicit "contact support and mention you've confirmed X" — never let a branch just trail off without telling the reader what to do next.

OUTPUT FORMAT
A numbered/lettered decision tree (1, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, etc.), each step with: the action, what success/failure looks like, and where to go next.