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Troubleshooting AI Companion

Common issues and solutions for AI Companion. If you're experiencing problems, start here.

Suggestion Not Appearing

Check AI Companion Status

Problem: Suggestions stopped appearing.

Solutions:

  1. Go to AI Companion settings
  2. Verify the status toggle shows Active (not Paused)
  3. If paused, click to enable
  4. Check if configuration is still present

Verify Last Message Source

Problem: Suggestion doesn't generate for your reply.

Why: AI Companion only generates suggestions when the last message is from a customer.

Solutions:

  • Wait for customer to reply
  • Suggestions generate automatically on customer messages
  • Your replies don't trigger suggestions

Check API Key Validity

Problem: API key may be invalid or expired.

Symptoms:

  • Suggestions stopped appearing
  • No error messages shown
  • Configuration looks correct

Solutions:

  1. Go to AI Companion settings
  2. Click edit on API Key
  3. Verify key is correct (no extra spaces)
  4. Test key in provider console
  5. Generate new key if needed
  6. Update in settings

Review Provider Account Status

Problem: Provider account may have issues.

Check:

  • Billing status - Account has active payment method
  • Credits/quota - Sufficient credits available
  • Account status - Account is active and not suspended
  • Usage limits - Limits not exceeded

Solutions:

  1. Log in to provider console
  2. Check account status and billing
  3. Verify credits/quota available
  4. Review usage limits
  5. Add payment method if needed
  6. Contact provider support if issues persist

Suggestion Quality Issues

Verify Knowledge Base URL

Problem: Suggestions don't reference your documentation.

Check:

  • Knowledge base URL is correct
  • URL is publicly accessible
  • Content is indexed by search engines
  • Domain matches your documentation site

Solutions:

  1. Test URL in incognito browser (should load without login)
  2. Verify URL format includes https://
  3. Check if content appears in Google search
  4. Update URL if documentation moved
  5. Ensure content is publicly accessible

Check Knowledge Base Content Quality

Problem: Suggestions are inaccurate or outdated.

Possible causes:

  • Documentation is outdated
  • Content doesn't match your products/services
  • Information is incorrect
  • Structure is unclear

Solutions:

  1. Review and update documentation
  2. Ensure content accuracy
  3. Improve content organization
  4. Add missing information
  5. Keep documentation current

Consider Switching Providers

Problem: Consistently poor suggestion quality.

When to switch:

  • Suggestions are frequently inaccurate
  • Tone doesn't match your brand
  • Responses are too generic
  • Provider doesn't meet your needs

How to switch:

  1. Go to AI Companion settings
  2. Click edit on Provider
  3. Select new provider
  4. Enter new provider's API key
  5. Save changes

Provider recommendations:

  • OpenAI - Best overall quality
  • Anthropic - Fast and efficient
  • Gemini - Cost-effective
  • Grok - Alternative option

Review Conversation Context

Problem: Suggestions don't match conversation context.

Check:

  • Conversation history is complete
  • Customer's question is clear
  • Previous messages provide context
  • No missing information

Solutions:

  • Ensure full conversation history
  • Verify message order
  • Check for missing context
  • Provide more details if needed

API Key Errors

Invalid Key Format

Problem: API key format is incorrect.

Symptoms:

  • Error message about invalid key
  • Key not accepted during setup
  • Suggestions don't generate

Solutions:

  1. Verify key format matches provider:
    • OpenAI: Starts with sk-proj- or sk-
    • Anthropic: Starts with sk-ant-
    • Grok: Starts with grok-
    • Gemini: Starts with AIza
  2. Check for extra spaces (copy/paste carefully)
  3. Ensure full key is copied
  4. Generate new key if format is wrong

Expired or Revoked Keys

Problem: Key no longer works.

Symptoms:

  • Suggestions stopped working
  • Error messages about authentication
  • Key was revoked in provider console

Solutions:

  1. Log in to provider console
  2. Check key status
  3. Generate new API key
  4. Update in AI Companion settings
  5. Revoke old key for security

Insufficient Permissions

Problem: Key doesn't have required permissions.

Check:

  • Key has API access enabled
  • Required scopes/permissions granted
  • Account has necessary access level

Solutions:

  1. Review key permissions in provider console
  2. Ensure API access is enabled
  3. Generate new key with correct permissions
  4. Update in settings

Provider-Specific Error Codes

OpenAI Errors:

  • 401 - Invalid API key
  • 429 - Rate limit exceeded
  • 500 - Server error
  • Check OpenAI status page

Anthropic Errors:

  • 401 - Invalid API key
  • 429 - Rate limit exceeded
  • 500 - Server error
  • Check Anthropic status

Grok Errors:

  • 401 - Invalid API key
  • 429 - Rate limit exceeded
  • Check xAI console for status

Gemini Errors:

Billing Questions

Understanding Costs

Question: How much does AI Companion cost?

Answer:

  • SupportRetriever doesn't charge for AI usage
  • You pay your AI provider directly
  • Typical cost: $0.005-0.03 per suggestion
  • Monthly costs vary by volume

Estimate costs:

  • 100 messages/day: ~$15-45/month
  • 500 messages/day: ~$75-225/month
  • 1000 messages/day: ~$150-450/month

Monitoring Usage

How to monitor:

  1. Log in to provider console
  2. Check usage dashboard
  3. Review API call logs
  4. Set up usage alerts
  5. Monitor spending regularly

Unexpected Charges

Problem: Higher costs than expected.

Check:

  • Usage volume increased
  • Knowledge base searches add cost
  • Provider pricing changed
  • Usage limits not set

Solutions:

  1. Review usage in provider dashboard
  2. Set usage limits/alerts
  3. Monitor costs regularly
  4. Consider switching providers if costs are high
  5. Optimize knowledge base usage

Configuration Issues

Settings Not Saving

Problem: Changes don't persist.

Solutions:

  1. Refresh page and try again
  2. Check internet connection
  3. Verify field formats (URL, API key)
  4. Check browser console for errors
  5. Try different browser

Configuration Lost

Problem: Settings disappeared.

Possible causes:

  • Configuration was deleted
  • Account issue
  • Database problem

Solutions:

  1. Check if configuration still exists
  2. Verify you're logged into correct account
  3. Try setting up again
  4. Contact support if issue persists

Knowledge Base Issues

Knowledge Base Not Found

Problem: AI can't access your knowledge base.

Check:

  • URL is correct and accessible
  • Domain is publicly accessible
  • Site is not behind authentication
  • Content is indexed by search engines

Solutions:

  1. Test URL in incognito browser
  2. Verify public access (no login required)
  3. Check if content appears in Google search
  4. Ensure URL includes https://
  5. Update URL if documentation moved

Knowledge Base Not Being Used

Problem: Suggestions don't reference documentation.

Check:

  • Knowledge base URL is configured
  • URL is correct and accessible
  • Content is searchable
  • Domain matches documentation site

Solutions:

  1. Verify knowledge base URL in settings
  2. Test URL accessibility
  3. Ensure content is indexed
  4. Update URL if needed
  5. Check provider-specific behavior

Performance Issues

Slow Suggestion Generation

Problem: Suggestions take too long to appear.

Possible causes:

  • Provider API latency
  • Large conversation history
  • Knowledge base search delays
  • Network issues

Solutions:

  1. Check provider status page
  2. Reduce conversation history length (if possible)
  3. Optimize knowledge base content
  4. Check network connection
  5. Consider faster provider (Anthropic, Gemini)

Suggestions Timing Out

Problem: Suggestions fail to generate.

Solutions:

  1. Check provider status
  2. Verify API key is valid
  3. Check account credits/quota
  4. Review error messages
  5. Try again later if temporary issue

Getting Help

Still Having Issues?

If problems persist:

  1. Check this guide - Review relevant sections
  2. Review settings - Verify configuration
  3. Test provider - Check provider status
  4. Contact support - Reach out for help

Useful Resources

Related Topics

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