Got a denial letter for unemployment, what now? after 5 years as a web developer

My claim was denied after 25 weeks of waiting, and the letter says I have a short window to appeal. I have read a lot of threads here and could not find my exact situation. I have not done a hearing before and I am nervous. If you have appealed before, what helped you prepare?

File the appeal before the deadline, even if you are unsure. You can gather documents afterwards. That is the one part I would not wait on.

Keep everything in writing and save the confirmation numbers. It saved me later.