AI Processing Errors

Learn how to diagnose and fix AI processing issues when creating or updating notes.

Understanding AI Processing

What is AI Processing?

When you create a note, WhichNotes:

1. Analyzes content - Extracts topics and themes
2. Generates embeddings - Creates AI representation
3. Finds connections - Compares with existing notes
4. Creates links - Builds knowledge graph

This usually takes 2-5 seconds.

Processing States

⚡ Processing - AI is analyzing your note ✅ Ready - Processing complete, connections created ❌ Error - Something went wrong

Common Error Messages

"AI Processing Failed"

What it means: The AI service couldn't process your note.

Common causes:

• Temporary API issue
• Network connectivity problem
• Content too short or empty
• Special characters causing issues

Solutions:

1. Wait and retry - Click "Retry Processing"
2. Check content - Ensure note has meaningful text (>50 chars)
3. Remove special chars - Try simplifying content
4. Try again later - API might be temporarily down

"Processing Timeout"

What it means: AI took too long to respond (>30 seconds).

Common causes:

• Very long note content
• API slowdown
• Network latency

Solutions:

1. Retry - Often works on second attempt
2. Shorten note - Break into smaller notes
3. Check internet - Ensure stable connection
4. Wait 5 minutes - Then retry

"Invalid Content"

What it means: Note content couldn't be processed by AI.

Common causes:

• Empty note
• Only special characters
• Unsupported language (rare)
• Corrupted text

Solutions:

1. Add text content - Minimum 20 characters
2. Use standard characters - Avoid excessive symbols
3. Check encoding - Copy-paste might introduce issues
4. Retype content - Fresh input often works

"Rate Limit Exceeded"

What it means: Too many AI requests in short time.

Common causes:

• Creating many notes rapidly
• Retrying too frequently
• API quota reached

Solutions:

1. Wait 5 minutes - Rate limit resets
2. Slow down - Create notes more gradually
3. Batch process - Import notes will queue properly
4. Contact support - If persistent

Troubleshooting Steps

Step 1: Check Note Content

Requirements for successful processing:

• ✅ At least 20 characters
• ✅ Meaningful text (not just "test")
• ✅ Standard characters
• ✅ Clear language

Examples:

❌ Won't process well:

test
...
!!!

✅ Will process well:

Meeting notes from Q4 planning session.
Discussed marketing strategy and budget.

Step 2: Verify Internet Connection

Check connectivity:

1. Open another website
2. Run speed test
3. Check WiFi/ethernet
4. Try mobile hotspot

Network requirements:

• Stable connection
• Reasonable speed (>1 Mbps)
• No firewall blocking API calls

Step 3: Try Manual Retry

How to retry:

1. Open the note
2. Look for "Retry Processing" button
3. Click to retry
4. Wait 5-10 seconds

If retry button missing:

• Refresh page
• Note might be processing
• Check status indicator

Step 4: Check Browser Console

For technical users:

1. Press F12 (Developer Tools)
2. Go to Console tab
3. Look for errors (red text)
4. Screenshot and send to support

Common console errors:

• Network errors (ERR_CONNECTION)
• 429 (Rate limit)
• 500 (Server error)
• 401 (Authentication)

Step 5: Clear Cache and Retry

Browser cache can cause issues:

1. Press Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + Delete
2. Select "Cached images and files"
3. Clear cache
4. Refresh WhichNotes
5. Try creating note again

Specific Error Scenarios

Notes Stuck on "Processing"

Symptoms:

• Note shows ⚡ icon for >5 minutes
• No error message
• Can't edit or delete

Solutions:

1. Refresh page - Check if status updates
2. Wait 10 minutes - Might still be processing
3. Check other notes - Is it just this one?
4. Contact support - If stuck >30 minutes

No Connections Created

Symptoms:

• Note processes successfully (✅)
• But no connections appear
• Graph view shows isolated node

This is normal if:

• You have <3 total notes
• Note content is very unique
• Note is too short
• No similar topics in other notes

Solutions:

1. Add more notes - Connections need comparison
2. Make notes detailed - More content = better matching
3. Use similar topics - Related content connects better
4. Wait for more notes - Connections improve over time

Connections Seem Wrong

Symptoms:

• Notes connected that don't seem related
• Missing obvious connections
• Low similarity scores

Understanding:

• AI isn't perfect
• Connections based on semantic similarity
• Sometimes finds non-obvious links

Solutions:

1. Review connection explanation - Might make sense
2. Add more context - Improve note content
3. Use tags - Help organize manually
4. Report if clearly wrong - Helps us improve

URL Notes Not Processing

Symptoms:

• URL note stuck on processing
• Error when adding URL

Common causes:

• Invalid URL format
• Website blocking scraping
• Timeout fetching content
• SSL/security issues

Solutions:

1. Check URL - Ensure it's valid and accessible
2. Try different URL - Some sites block bots
3. Add as text - Copy content manually
4. Wait and retry - Temporary site issues

Advanced Troubleshooting

Check API Status

Is the AI service down?

1. Try creating a simple note
2. Check [Status Page] (if available)
3. Look for announcements
4. Contact support

Browser Compatibility

Recommended browsers:

• Chrome 90+
• Firefox 90+
• Safari 14+
• Edge 90+

Try different browser:

• Test in incognito mode
• Disable extensions
• Update browser

Account-Specific Issues

Check your account:

• Are you logged in?
• Is subscription active?
• Any account restrictions?
• Check email for notices

Prevention Tips

Best Practices

✅ Write clear content - Meaningful text ✅ Reasonable length - 50-500 words ideal ✅ Stable internet - Avoid spotty connections ✅ Don't spam - Create notes at reasonable pace ✅ Keep browser updated - Latest version ✅ Regular exports - Backup before issues

Avoid Common Mistakes

❌ Creating 50 notes in 1 minute ❌ Using only emojis or symbols ❌ Extremely long notes (>10,000 words) ❌ Retrying immediately after failure ❌ Using very old browsers

When to Contact Support

Contact us if:

• Error persists after troubleshooting
• Multiple notes failing
• Specific error code appears
• Data loss or corruption
• Urgent processing needed

Include in your message:

• Error message (exact text)
• Screenshot if possible
• Browser and version
• Steps to reproduce
• Note content (if not sensitive)

Understanding AI Limitations

What AI Can't Do

Current limitations:

• Can't process images (text only)
• Can't understand all languages equally
• Can't guarantee perfect connections
• Can't process in real-time (2-5 sec delay)

Future Improvements

Coming soon:

• Faster processing
• Better error messages
• Retry automation
• Processing queue visibility
• Image/PDF support

Error Codes Reference

| Code | Meaning | Action | | ------ | ------------------ | ------------------------ | | AI_001 | Processing timeout | Retry after 5 min | | AI_002 | Invalid content | Check note text | | AI_003 | Rate limit | Wait 5-10 min | | AI_004 | API error | Retry or contact support | | AI_005 | Network error | Check connection |

FAQ

Q: Why does processing sometimes fail? A: AI services can have temporary issues, network problems, or content incompatibilities.

Q: Will I lose my note if processing fails? A: No! Your note is saved. Only the AI analysis fails.

Q: Can I use notes without AI processing? A: Yes, but you won't get automatic connections. You can still search and tag.

Q: How many retries should I try? A: Try 2-3 times with 5-minute gaps. Then contact support.

Q: Does processing cost me anything? A: No, AI processing is included in both Free and Premium tiers.

Related Help

• How AI connections work
• Creating your first note
• Common issues
• Performance tips

Still having AI processing issues? Contact support with error details.