Common Error Messages
Before retrying a generation
A connection error does not prove the provider did no work. Use this recovery table before submitting the same operation again:
| Outcome | Next step |
|---|---|
| Rejected before dispatch (invalid input or authentication) | Correct the request and submit it again |
| Rate/capacity rejection | Honor Retry-After and back off |
Answer returned with x-nyquest-settlement: pending | Keep the answer; check Usage rather than generating again |
| Audio/media settlement pending | Check Usage and the result before retrying; contact support if it remains unresolved |
Video submitting, running, or requires_reconciliation | Poll the existing job ID; do not create another job to recover the first |
| Stream interrupted or provider outcome unknown | Check history, Usage, and job status; a new request may generate and charge again |
Nyquest does not provide a universal client idempotency-key/response-replay guarantee. Confirmed video submission rejection or confirmed render failure can release a hold; an unknown provider outcome needs reconciliation first. Contact support with the request/job ID if it stays unresolved.
What each error message means and how to recover.
Error messages in Nyquest follow a consistent format: a short title, a one-sentence explanation, sometimes a suggested action. This article maps the most common ones to their root causes.
"Insufficient balance"
Where: chat input shows it on send, agent runs reject it on start. Means: wallet is at $0 and the request would charge it. Fix: add funds (click the balance pill in the top bar; phones: nav drawer → + Add funds) OR set up BYOK (Settings → Providers) so requests bypass the wallet.
"Rate limit exceeded"
Where: chat input rejects the send. Means: you've sent more requests than the per-minute cap allows. Limits:
- Free tier: 20 chat requests/min, 10 auth requests/min
- Pro tier: 120 chat requests/min, 10 auth requests/min
Fix: wait 60 seconds. If you regularly hit it, fund the wallet (becomes Pro) or talk to a real human.
"Model not found" or "Model unavailable"
Where: model picker shows strikethrough or chat fails on send. Means: the model is retired or your provider revoked access. Fix: pick a different model from the picker. See Models, Providers, and BYOK Issues.
"API key invalid"
Where: Settings → API Keys (Test button), or chat fails on a BYOK provider. Means: Nyquest can't authenticate with your provider using the saved key. Fix: verify the key at the provider's dashboard, rotate if needed, update in Nyquest.
"Provider unreachable" or "Provider error 5xx"
Where: chat fails mid-stream or right after send. Means: the upstream model provider had a transient outage. Fix: preserve the response/request ID and check Usage or job status first. Retry only once you have distinguished a rejected request from pending settlement or an unknown provider outcome. See the recovery table above.
"Conversation not found"
Where: clicking a conversation link. Means: the conversation was deleted or belongs to a different account. Fix: none — sign in to the right account, or accept it's gone if deleted.
"Project not found"
Where: clicking a project URL or refresh. Means: the project was deleted or you're on a different account. Fix: check Settings → Projects for your active project list.
"Forbidden" or 403
Where: admin endpoints, or rare auth-related calls. Means: your account doesn't have permission for that action. Fix: if you're trying to access /admin, you need admin status — only granted by request. Otherwise, this usually indicates a session issue: sign out and back in.
"Unauthorized" or 401
Where: any backend call after the JWT expires. Means: your session expired (default: 8 hours after sign-in). Fix: sign out and sign back in.
"CORS error" (in browser console)
Where: browser dev tools. Means: a frontend API call is being blocked by CORS policy. Almost always indicates a deploy mismatch. Fix: hard-refresh the page (Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+R). If persistent, talk to a real human — could be a backend deploy issue.
"Service Unavailable" or 503
Where: any endpoint. Means: the backend is briefly down (deploy in progress, restart, etc.). Fix: inspect the error type and the recovery table above. A capacity rejection can be retried after backoff; pending settlement or unknown completion needs a status check first. If unresolved, contact support.
"Network error" / "Failed to fetch"
Where: browser console or chat input.
Means: your network couldn't reach api.nyquest.ai at all.
Fix:
- Check your internet connection
- Disable VPN if you have one (some block our domain)
- Try a different network
- Check status.nyquest.ai (when deployed)
"Image generation failed"
Where: image-capable model returns no image. Means: the upstream image model errored — usually content policy or provider outage. Fix: rephrase the prompt (avoid trigger words), or try a different image model.
"Memory recall service unavailable"
Where: chat completes successfully but no recall happened. Means: the memory layer was briefly unavailable. The chat itself worked; recall just didn't trigger. Fix: none needed — recall will resume on next message. Won't affect chat correctness.
"Discord support unavailable"
Where: /help/live-support shows a 503 or "service disabled" message. Means: the Discord bot is offline or env vars are misconfigured. Fix: talk to support via email (the email path documented in Contacting Support). This is rare; usually means a deploy hiccup on the backend.
Where to next
- Sign-in Issues — auth-specific
- Billing Issues — wallet-specific
- Models and Providers — model-specific
- Contacting Support — escalation