Troubleshooting

Common issues and how to fix them.

API errors during generation

401 Unauthorized

Your API key is invalid or has been revoked.

  • Double-check you copied the full key (no leading/trailing spaces)
  • Log in to your provider’s dashboard and verify the key is active
  • Generate a new key if needed and update it in the app settings

403 Forbidden

Your account doesn’t have permission to use the selected model.

  • Some providers require billing to be set up before accessing certain models
  • Try switching to a different model in the settings dialog
  • Check your provider dashboard for account restrictions

429 Too Many Requests

You’ve hit your provider’s rate limit.

  • Free tier accounts have strict request-per-minute limits — consider upgrading
  • Reduce your batch size and run in smaller chunks
  • Wait a few minutes and try again
  • Switch to a provider with higher rate limits (Groq is fast and generous on free tier)

500 / 503 Server Error

The provider’s servers are having issues — this is on their end, not yours.

  • Wait a few minutes and retry
  • Check your provider’s status page for ongoing incidents
  • Switch to a different provider temporarily

Connection test fails

“Test connection” shows an error but my key looks correct:

  1. Make sure the Base URL matches your provider exactly — see Finding Your Base URL
  2. Check that you selected the right provider preset (each has a different base URL)
  3. Try copying the API key again directly from your provider dashboard
  4. Check if your provider requires a specific model name — update the model field in settings

Content list issues

CSV file not loading:

  • Make sure the first row is a header row with column names (title, keywords, etc.)
  • If your fields contain commas, wrap them in double quotes: "Sleep, rest, and recovery"
  • Try saving the file as UTF-8 encoding if you’re using non-English characters

YAML file not loading:

  • YAML is indent-sensitive — use 2 spaces, not tabs
  • Each item must start with - (dash + space)
  • Validate your YAML at yamllint.com if you’re unsure

Articles generating with wrong titles:

  • The app accepts title, topic, or subject as column names — make sure one of them is present
  • Check for hidden characters or BOM markers if copying from Excel

Generation stops mid-batch

If one article fails (e.g. API timeout), the app logs the error and continues with the next item. Check the generation log — failed items show in red with the error reason.

To retry only the failed items, create a new content list with just those titles and run again.

Output files are empty or missing

  • Check that the output folder path exists and the app has write permission to it
  • If using a network drive or OneDrive-synced folder, try switching to a local path (e.g. Documents\BatchGenText)
  • Single X/Twitter posts are all collected into one tweets.txt file — look for that instead of individual files

App won’t start or crashes on launch

  • Try running the app as Administrator (right-click → Run as administrator) once — this can help with initial DPAPI setup
  • Check that your Windows is up to date (the app requires Windows 10 or later)
  • Reinstall the app from the Microsoft Store if the issue persists

Still stuck?

Open an issue and include:

  • The error message you’re seeing
  • Which AI provider you’re using
  • Your content list format (CSV or YAML)
  • What template you selected