Answers and limits
When a debug comes back thin, refused or not at all, and what each limit message means.
Each heading below is the text DebugAI shows, without the DebugAI: in front. In the editor, a failed debug shows as a notification, and in the results panel when one is open.
Insufficient context for specific fix
When DebugAI cannot name a specific fix, it returns one fix with this title at 20% confidence. Its description says which of these happened.
DebugAI saw the error text but had no project attached
No folder was open, so there was no project to read code from. Open your project folder in VS Code, run DebugAI: Index Entire Workspace, then debug the error again.
DebugAI read the stack trace and found …, but none of it is in your project index yet
The stack trace named files in your project, and none of them was in the index. This is the usual reason on a project's first error. Run DebugAI: Index Entire Workspace and debug the error again. You only need to do this once per project. See Indexing problems if it does not finish.
The error names no file, and the open file does not appear to be where it came from
DebugAI had only the last line of the error. Paste the whole stack trace, not just the final message: the file and line frames are what lead DebugAI to your code.
The error names no file, so DebugAI had nothing to look up
The same, with no code to go on at all. Paste the full stack trace. If the error really carries no frames, run DebugAI: Index Entire Workspace so DebugAI can search your project for it instead.
DebugAI had your code and still could not narrow this to one fix
The index worked and DebugAI read your code, but the cause is probably outside the files the trace names. Debug the error again with more of the output around it, or open the file you suspect and run DebugAI: Analyze Error there.
Paste the error itself
When what you sent is not an error, DebugAI does not guess. The root cause becomes a one-line summary of what it received, and there is one fix, titled Paste the error itself, at 0% confidence, saying what to paste instead.
That attempt is not counted against your limit. Sending the same text again gets the same answer, so change what you paste rather than retrying.
That is a terminal prompt, not an error message.
You sent the shell prompt, or commands you typed. Select the output that came after the command ran, starting at the first line with Traceback, Error or Exception. If the command printed nothing, there is no error to explain yet.
That is a file path with no error message attached.
You sent one line out of a stack trace. Select the whole block instead: the message line and every file line above it.
There is not enough here to diagnose.
Too short to be an error. Paste the whole block your program printed, with the file names and line numbers.
No error text was supplied.
Nothing was sent. Copy the error your program printed, from the word Traceback, Error or Exception to the end of the message.
That is source code, not an error.
You sent code rather than what went wrong with it. Run it, then send the error it prints. DebugAI reads the files your stack trace names by itself.
No error message was found in that text.
DebugAI found nothing that reads as an error. If your program is misbehaving without printing an error, describe it in this shape and DebugAI will take it: what you expected, what happened instead, and the code in between. For example, getUser returns null for a valid id, expected the profile object, followed by the function.
When an AI agent calls debug_error, this one case is not refused: an agent's own description of a failure is analysed. Everything else on this list is refused for agents too.
That looks like a DebugAI answer, not an error.
You sent a DebugAI result back in. If the fix did not work, run the code again and send the new error. DebugAI then knows the previous fix did not hold.
That is a DebugAI notification, not an error from your code.
You sent one of DebugAI's own messages. If it was the indexing notice, the files it did index are already usable. Send the error your own program printed.
That is a DebugAI setup command, not an error from your code.
You sent a DebugAI setup command or its output. Run setup commands in a terminal, as in the AI agents quickstart. If setup itself fails, send that failure: an install error is analysed like any other.
When a debug fails
The panel and the notification say the same thing. Each has one button for the next step.
The engine did not answer within 110 seconds. It may be busy.
The extension waits 110 seconds for an answer. Press Retry. In the panel this is The engine timed out.
Cannot reach DebugAI. Check your connection or firewall.
The request never reached DebugAI. Check your connection, and that the hosts under Behind a proxy or firewall are reachable. Then press Retry.
Your API key is invalid or expired.
See Sign-in and keys.
Daily limit reached (10 a day). It resets at midnight UTC.
The free plan's 10 debugs for today are used. The count resets at 00:00 UTC. Refused pastes and failures on DebugAI's side never count, and neither does lookup_error or the Claude Code hook for agents.
To keep going today, See Pro pricing → opens the plans. Pro is $12 a month with 1,000 debugs a month included, and you can try it free for 14 days from the upgrade page, with no card. See Plans and limits.
Monthly usage ceiling reached. Contact support if this is legitimate.
Paid plans only. Pro's 1,000 debugs and Team's 5,000 are soft caps: past them you keep getting answers. Far above them sits a separate limit that exists to stop runaway scripts, and this account reached it. It resets on the 1st of the month (UTC). If your use is real, press Open dashboard and write to us from Messages.
Too many requests in a short window. Wait about N seconds.
A short burst limit. Wait the time it names, then press Retry. When there is no wait time to quote, the message says Wait a little and try again. instead. No plan raises this limit. In the panel this is Slow down for a moment.
The server failed on this request (HTTP N).
Something failed on DebugAI's side. When the AI model is what failed, the message says so in its own words instead, and that attempt is not counted against your limit. Press Retry. If it keeps failing, check status.debugai.io and write to support@debugai.io.
The request was refused (HTTP N)
DebugAI refused the request and says why after the colon. Sending the same request again fails the same way, so change what the reason names. If the reason does not make sense, send it to support@debugai.io.
The request failed
The request got no usable reply, and the code in brackets is the only detail there is. Press Retry. If it keeps happening, send that code to support@debugai.io.
When a fix cannot be applied
This error is inside a library file
The stack trace points only at code you did not write, such as a package under node_modules or site-packages, so there is no file of yours to change and the apply button is off. Copy the fix into your own code, or press Re-analyze error now → to run DebugAI: Analyze Terminal Error again. The panel also suggests pasting the exact error into DebugAI: Analyze Error with your own file open, so DebugAI can find the file to change.
Every other reason DebugAI declines to write a fix, and what to do about each, is in Apply and undo a fix.
Notices after a debug
N debugs left today. Resets midnight UTC.
Shown on the free plan when two or fewer debugs are left today. Nothing is wrong.
You have used N debugs this month (L included on your plan).
Shown once a month on Pro and Team, when you pass the debugs your plan includes. The message goes on to say that it is a heads-up, not a throttle, and that fair use applies above the included amount. Debugging keeps working.
Proactive Scan messages
Scans have their own daily limit, separate from debugs. More in Proactive Scan.
Daily scan limit reached
Today's scans are used. Free includes 3 a day, Pro 22 and Team 52. The count resets at midnight UTC. Upgrade opens the plans.
Scanning is a paid feature
Your account's plan includes no scans. The free plan includes 3 a day, so if you are on Free and see this, write to support@debugai.io.
Scan failed (N). Try again.
The scan request failed. Run DebugAI: Scan Workspace (Proactive) again.
An answer looks wrong
- Check the project is indexed, with DebugAI: Check Index Status. Most thin answers come from an index that is missing or partial.
- Send the whole error, stack trace included, not only its last line.
- Tell us. The thumbs down under an answer asks what went wrong: Wrong fix, Wrong file, Off-target error, Too generic or Other, and records your pick with that answer. Other opens the Feedback tab on your dashboard, where you can say more.