Most problems in Caffeine fall into a few familiar categories: a build that didn't do what you expected, an app that isn't loading, credits that seem to be missing, or a feature that isn't showing up. This article covers the most frequently reported issues and what to do about them.
The AI built the wrong thing
The AI builds from your description. If the result isn't what you wanted, the most effective fix is usually to be more specific in your next message. Vague instructions produce generalized results; precise instructions produce precise results.
What to try:
- Describe what's wrong with the current version, not just what you want instead. For example: "The confirmation message shows the wrong date — it should show the date of the booking, not today's date."
- If the result is far off, try breaking the feature into smaller steps rather than asking for everything at once.
- If the AI repeatedly misunderstands a specific feature, try rephrasing it from a different angle.
You cannot undo a build, but you have two options. You can ask the AI to reverse a specific change by describing what the app looked like before. Or you can revert to a previous draft version: each successful build appears in your chat history with a Revert to version N button — clicking it restores your draft to that exact state.
Caffeine says the backend build limit was reached
When Caffeine builds a backend canister, it is limited in how many attempts it can make per build for cost reasons. If those attempts are exhausted — for example because the backend change you requested was too complex or ran into an error the AI could not resolve — Caffeine reports that the limit has been reached.
At this point the only path forward is back. Revert to a previous working version using the Revert to version N button in your chat history, then try again with a different or simpler request. Complex backend changes — especially ones that restructure data or add new relationships — are more likely to hit this limit. Breaking the change into smaller steps across separate messages reduces the risk.
The build is taking a long time
Builds typically complete within a minute or two. If yours has been running for several minutes without completing:
- Wait a bit longer — some complex builds take longer than others.
- Refresh the page. If the build completed while you were waiting, refreshing will show the updated state.
- If the build appears permanently stuck, try starting a new chat message to prompt the AI to continue.
If the problem persists, contact support.
My app isn't loading
If your app shows a blank page or an error when you try to open it:
Check whether it's deployed. Your app must be in Live mode to be accessible via its public URL. If you're still in Draft mode, the app isn't live yet. Switch to Live mode and deploy.
Check whether it's your draft or the live version. The draft preview inside Caffeine may behave differently from the deployed live version. Always test the live URL before reporting a bug.
Wait a moment after deploying. It can take 30–60 seconds for a newly deployed version to become reachable. Reload the page after waiting.
Try a different browser or incognito mode. Browser extensions, cached data, or stored credentials can sometimes interfere with loading. If the app works in a clean browser session, the issue is likely local to your browser.
My app is losing data or behaving unexpectedly after a new build
Each build is a full replacement of your app's code. The AI regenerates the backend from the current specification, which can sometimes change how data is structured or stored.
Caffeine automatically handles data migration when the AI changes your data model — existing data is carried forward into the new structure. This is built in and does not require any action from you.
If your app's data seems wrong after a build, describe the problem specifically in the chat. For example: "After the last build, my existing posts are no longer showing up — please check the data migration." The AI can inspect and fix the migration in the next build.
I'm out of credits and don't know why
Credits are consumed by each build. If your balance dropped unexpectedly:
- Check how many builds completed and how many times you deployed. Build credits (2 per build) are only charged when a build fully succeeds — a failed or incomplete build does not cost credits. Deployment credits (4 per deployment) are charged when going live is triggered, whether or not the deployment succeeds.
- Daily credits refresh on a rolling 24-hour cycle from when they were last granted. If you see 0 daily credits, they may not have refreshed yet, or they refreshed and were already used.
- Subscription credits expire at the end of your billing period. If you recently renewed, you should have a fresh allocation.
- On-demand credits (purchased separately) expire after 12 months.
Credits are spent in this order: daily credits first, then subscription credits, then on-demand credits.
If you believe credits were consumed incorrectly, contact support with your account email and the approximate time the credits disappeared.
A feature that should be available on my plan isn't working
Some features require a Plus or Pro plan. If you're on a paid plan but a feature isn't behaving as expected:
- Make sure your subscription is active. Visit your account settings to confirm your plan status.
- Some features (email sending, analytics) are provisioned at deploy time. If you upgraded and then immediately tried to use the feature without rebuilding or redeploying, try triggering a new build.
- If you recently upgraded, allow a minute for the change to propagate before testing.
If the feature still doesn't work after a rebuild, contact support.
I can't log in, or my projects are missing
Caffeine uses Internet Identity — a passkey-based system with no passwords. Login issues are almost always caused by being on a different device or browser than usual, or not having devices linked.
See Logging In and Managing Your Identity for a full explanation and how to fix it.
If you can't log in to the admin account of your own app specifically, see Becoming Admin of Your Own App.
My message was blocked by the safety system
Caffeine screens every prompt for harmful content and prompt injection attempts. If your message is blocked, no build runs and no credits are charged. The blocked message is automatically removed from the conversation history, so it does not affect your next prompt — just rephrase and try again.
For a full explanation of how the safety system works and what to do if rephrasing does not help, see Content Safety and Blocked Messages.
My changes aren't showing up for users
If you made changes but users on the live URL are still seeing the old version:
- Confirm you published the new version. Editing in Draft mode doesn't affect what users see — you must switch to Live mode and deploy.
- After deploying, wait 30–60 seconds and reload. New deployments take a moment to propagate.
- Ask the user to do a hard refresh (Cmd+Shift+R on Mac, Ctrl+Shift+R on Windows). Their browser may have cached the old version.
Frequently asked questions
Can I undo a build?
There's no single undo button, but you can revert to any previous draft version. Each successful build in your chat history has a Revert to version N button — clicking it restores your draft to that exact state. You can also ask the AI to reverse a specific change: "The last build removed the search bar — please add it back."
Why did my draft disappear?
Drafts are tied to a specific version of your app's specification. If the AI built a new version, the previous draft was replaced. You cannot recover a draft that has been overwritten by a new build.
The AI keeps making the same mistake. What should I do?
Try rephrasing the request from scratch. If the AI has "learned" an incorrect behavior through several rounds of iteration, starting a new approach in your message — without referencing the previous failed attempts — can help it generate a clean result.
My app worked yesterday and now it's broken. I didn't change anything.
If you didn't trigger a new build, the app code is exactly the same. More likely causes: a browser update changed how the app renders, or cached data in your browser is conflicting. Try opening the app in a private/incognito window. If it works there, clear your browser cache.
I see an error message I don't understand. What should I include when contacting support?
Include: your project name, the URL of the app, what you did before the error appeared, the exact error message or a screenshot, and your account email. The more context you provide, the faster support can identify the issue.