# Troubleshooting with the Activity log

> Use the Activity log to diagnose stalled jobs, failed scans, expired GA4 access, inactive theme embeds and quota limits in the Sphen Shopify app.

Canonical URL: https://sphen.ai/help/troubleshooting/
Last updated: 2026-08-14

## What it does

Check **Activity** whenever something you started hasn't shown up: a sync that never finished, drafts that never appeared, a scan with no results, or an apply that seems not to have reached your store. Every background job Sphen runs is listed there with live progress, a status and — when it failed — the error. It is the first place to look before assuming something is broken.

### Why it matters

Most apparent failures are jobs still running or a permission that lapsed, not lost data. Reading the job list takes thirty seconds and tells you whether to wait, retry, or fix a connection — instead of re-running an expensive scan or re-applying changes that already landed.

## Setup

1. Open **Activity** from the main navigation. Jobs are listed newest first with a live badge for anything currently running.
2. Narrow the list with **Type** (Sync, Audit, Apply, Revert, Webhook, AI proposals, Bulk apply, Blog articles, AI shopping insights, Translations) and **Status** (Running, Completed, Failed, Pending).
3. Read the status: **Running** means work is in progress and the page updates live. **Pending** means queued. **Completed** means it finished. **Failed** means it stopped with an error.
4. Press **Details** on a job to see the objects it touched, when it started and completed, its duration and the full error text.
5. Watch for the **Stalled** marker on a running job: it means no progress for a while. It reconciles automatically, so give it time before acting.
6. If jobs are sitting in **Pending**, press **Run pending** to push the queue along.
7. Still stuck? Note the job type, status and error text from **Details** before contacting support.

## Reading the results

**Stalled job.** A running job shows **Stalled** and stops progressing. It reconciles automatically — wait, then press **Run pending**. Repeat stalls on the same job type belong in a support message with the job details.

**Failed scan.** The job shows **Failed**, or the overview reports the last scan couldn't finish. Start a new scan from the overview. If it fails again, check your remaining scan allowance under **Settings → Plans** first — see [AI visibility](/help/ai-visibility). In the Activity table the same failure is labelled by job type, so you may read **Audit failed**, **Apply failed** or **Sync failed** instead; the fix is the one for that job type below.

**GA4 auth expired.** Analytics show **GA4 connection expired** and the daily traffic sync stops. Google no longer accepts the stored access, usually after a revoke or account change. Open **Settings → Integrations** and press **Reconnect GA4** — see [Analytics](/help/analytics).

**Theme embed not active.** The audit keeps reporting structured-data gaps and **Connections & status** shows **Not active**. The embed is off in your live theme. Fix it via [Theme integration](/help/theme-integration), then re-run the audit.

**Quota exceeded.** An action is refused with **Monthly limit reached** and the app names which allowance is used up. Wait for the reset at the start of next month or upgrade — see [Plans & billing](/help/billing).

**Missing permissions.** You see **Reinstall required**, or a write fails on a permission error. Reopen Sphen from your Shopify admin so the missing permission can be granted, then retry the action.

## Troubleshooting

### The whole app shows an error and won't load a page.

The error screen states that your store data is safe and nothing was changed. Press **Reload page**, or **Back to overview**. If it repeats on the same page, note what you clicked before contacting support.

### Background processing is paused.

Messages like “background processing is paused right now” are platform-wide, not specific to your store. Your settings are saved and take effect when processing resumes; try again shortly.

### Sphen says the Shopify session is missing.

The app was opened outside the embedded Shopify admin. Open it from the **Apps** section of your Shopify admin.

## Frequently asked questions

### Can a failed job leave my store half-changed?

Changes are applied per field, so a failed bulk run can leave some applied and some not. Your open-actions list under **Recommendations** always carries the true status — re-apply from there.

### How long should a job take?

Syncs and audits scale with catalog size and can run for many minutes on large stores. Blog drafts take a few minutes each; bulk applies take a few seconds per item. All of them survive you leaving the page.

### Are jobs from other stores visible here?

No. The log is scoped to your store; a job belonging to another store cannot be opened.

## Still stuck?

Support answers installation, catalog sync, audit, billing, privacy, and account questions for the SPHEN.AI Shopify app. https://sphen.ai/support/