Skip to content

Troubleshooting & FAQ

Section: 11-user-documentation
Document: Common Issues, Solutions & Frequently Asked Questions
Audience: All users

Jump to your issue:

🔧 Signup & Login Issues

Issue: OTP Not Received

Problem: Email verification code not arriving

Solutions:

  1. Check spam/junk folder

  2. OTP emails sometimes filtered as spam

  3. Add noreply@machineavatars.com to contacts

  4. Wait 60 seconds

  5. OTP valid for 60 seconds

  6. Request new OTP if expired

  7. Check email address

  8. Verify spelling is correct

  9. Some providers (temp email) blocked

  10. Try different email

  11. Use Gmail, Outlook, or work email

  12. Avoid temporary email services

  13. Contact support if issue persists

  14. Email: support@machineavatars.com
  15. Include: Your email address

Issue: Email Already Registered

Problem: "Email already exists" error during signup

Solution:

  1. Try logging in instead of signing up
  2. Forgot password? Use password reset
  3. Different account? Use another email

Issue: Login Failed / Invalid Credentials

Problem: Cannot log in with email/password

Solutions:

  1. Check password carefully

  2. Passwords are case-sensitive

  3. Check Caps Lock is off

  4. Reset password:

  5. Click "Forgot Password"

  6. Enter email
  7. Check email for OTP

  8. Set new password

  9. Verify account:

  10. Check if email verification completed
  11. Resend OTP if needed

🤖 Chatbot Creation Issues

Issue: Wizard Stuck/Frozen

Problem: Creation wizard not progressing

Solutions:

  1. Refresh page (your progress is NOT saved)
  2. Clear browser cache:
  3. Chrome: Ctrl+Shift+Delete
  4. Select "Cached images and files"
  5. Try different browser (Chrome recommended)
  6. Disable browser extensions (ad blockers)

Issue: Avatar Not Loading

Problem: 3D avatar appears black or doesn't render

Solutions:

  1. Check WebGL support:

  2. Visit: https://get.webgl.org

  3. If not supported, use Text chatbot instead

  4. Update graphics drivers (desktop)

  5. Enable hardware acceleration:

  6. Chrome Settings → Advanced → System

  7. Toggle "Use hardware acceleration"

  8. Try different device (newer device recommended)

Minimum requirements:

  • Modern browser (Chrome 90+, Firefox 88+, Safari 14+)
  • WebGL1 or WebGL2 support
  • 4GB RAM minimum

Issue: Creation Failed

Problem: Error during chatbot creation

Solutions:

  1. Check plan limits:

  2. Free: 1 chatbot max

  3. Upgrade if limit reached

  4. Try again (temporary server issue)

  5. Use simpler name (avoid special characters)

  6. Contact support with error message

📚 Data Training Issues

Issue: File Upload Failed

Problem: Cannot upload PDF/DOCX/TXT files

Solutions:

  1. Check file size:

  2. Free: Max 10MB

  3. Pro: Max 50MB

  4. Business+: Max 200MB

  5. Check file format:

  6. ✅ Supported: PDF, DOCX, TXT, XLSX, JSON, CSV

  7. ❌ Not supported: Images, videos, executables

  8. Check file corruption:

  9. Open file on your computer first

  10. Re-download if corrupted

  11. Try smaller files:

  12. Split large PDFs
  13. Remove images from DOCX

Issue: Website Crawling Timeout

Problem: Website crawl fails or times out

Solutions:

  1. Check URL is correct:

  2. Include https://

  3. Example: https://example.com

  4. Website blocking crawlers:

  5. Some sites block automated crawling

  6. Try different pages

  7. Download content manually → upload as PDF

  8. Slow website:

  9. Large websites take longer

  10. Try specific pages instead of homepage

  11. Crawl limits:

  12. Free: 5 pages
  13. Pro: 50 pages
  14. Reduce page count if failing

Issue: Unsupported File Format

Problem: "File format not supported" error

Supported formats:

  • ✅ PDF (.pdf)
  • ✅ Word (.docx, .doc)
  • ✅ Text (.txt)
  • ✅ Excel (.xlsx, .xls)
  • ✅ JSON (.json)
  • ✅ CSV (.csv)

Workarounds:

  • Convert to PDF first
  • Copy text → paste as plain text
  • Export to supported format

Issue: Extracted Text Garbled

Problem: Uploaded file text looks wrong/unreadable

Causes & Solutions:

  1. Scanned PDF (image-based):

  2. Use OCR tool first

  3. Convert to text-searchable PDF

  4. Or manually type content

  5. Non-English characters:

  6. Ensure UTF-8 encoding

  7. Save as Unicode text file

  8. Complex formatting:

  9. Simplify document format
  10. Remove tables, images
  11. Use plain text

💬 Chatbot Response Issues

Issue: Chatbot Not Responding

Problem: No response after sending message

Solutions:

  1. Wait 5-10 seconds (first query slower)

  2. Check internet connection

  3. Refresh page and try again

  4. Check chatbot status:

  5. Go to Dashboard

  6. Verify chatbot is "Active"

  7. Check plan limits:

  8. Free: 50 conversations/month
  9. Upgrade if limit reached

Issue: Irrelevant Answers / "I Don't Know"

Problem: Chatbot gives wrong or unhelpful answers

Solutions:

  1. Add more training data:

  2. Upload comprehensive documents

  3. Add specific Q&A pairs

  4. Cover common questions

  5. Improve question clarity:

  6. User may ask unclear questions

  7. Add examples to training data

  8. Update system prompt:

  9. Guide chatbot behavior

  10. Set expectations clearly

  11. Check retrieved context:

  12. View conversation in Analytics
  13. See what context was used
  14. Improve matching content

Best practice: Aim for 10+ documents or 20+ Q&A pairs minimum

Issue: Slow Responses (>10 seconds)

Problem: Chatbot takes too long to respond

Causes & Solutions:

  1. Large knowledge base:

  2. 1000+ documents slow search

  3. Organize by topic

  4. Use multiple chatbots

  5. Complex LLM model:

  6. GPT-4 slower than GPT-3.5

  7. Switch to GPT-3.5 Turbo for speed

  8. High traffic:

  9. Temporary server load

  10. Try again later

  11. Network latency:

  12. Check your internet speed
  13. Try different network

Typical response times:

  • Text chatbot: 1-2 seconds
  • Voice chatbot: 2-3 seconds
  • 3D chatbot: 3-5 seconds

🌐 Embedding Issues

Issue: Widget Not Showing on Website

Problem: Embedded chatbot doesn't appear

Solutions:

  1. Check embed code:

  2. Verify code copied completely

  3. Check for typos

  4. Placement in HTML:

  5. Add before closing </body> tag

  6. Don't put inside other iframes

  7. Clear browser cache:

  8. Hard refresh: Ctrl+F5 (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+R (Mac)

  9. Check console errors:

  10. Open browser DevTools (F12)
  11. Look for errors in Console tab

Issue: CORS Errors

Problem: "Cross-Origin Request Blocked" error

This is a known issue - being fixed!

Temporary workaround:

  • Use iFrame embed instead of JavaScript widget
  • Or contact support for domain whitelisting

Issue: Styling Issues / Wrong Size

Problem: Chatbot too large/small or wrong colors

Solutions:

  1. Adjust iframe dimensions:
<iframe width="400" <!-- Change width -->
  height="600"
  <!-- Change height -->
  ... ></iframe
>
  1. Use CSS:
iframe {
  max-width: 100%;
  border-radius: 10px;
}
  1. Responsive design: 
    <iframe style="width: 100%; height: 600px; max-width: 400px;" ...></iframe>

💳 Billing Issues

Issue: Payment Failed

Problem: Cannot complete subscription payment

Solutions:

  1. Check card details:

  2. Card number correct

  3. CVV correct

  4. Expiry date valid

  5. Sufficient funds:

  6. Check card balance

  7. Contact your bank

  8. Try different payment method:

  9. Different card

  10. UPI (India)

  11. Net banking

  12. International cards:

  13. Enable international transactions

  14. Some banks block foreign transactions

  15. Contact support with:

  16. Order ID
  17. Payment method tried
  18. Error message

Issue: Subscription Not Active After Payment

Problem: Paid but still on Free plan

Solutions:

  1. Wait 5 minutes (processing time)

  2. Refresh page / logout and login

  3. Check payment status:

  4. Dashboard → Billing

  5. Look for "Payment Pending"

  6. Email receipt:

  7. Check email for confirmation

  8. If no email, payment may have failed

  9. Contact support with:

  10. Transaction ID
  11. Payment screenshot

Issue: Need Refund

Problem: Want to cancel and get refund

Refund policy:

  • ✅ Within 7 days: Full refund
  • ❌ After 7 days: No refund (prorated downgrades available)

Process:

  1. Email: billing@machineavatars.com
  2. Include: Order ID, Reason
  3. Response: Within 2 business days
  4. Refund: 5-7 business days

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

General

Q: Is MachineAvatars free? A: Yes! Free plan includes 1 chatbot and 50 conversations/month. Upgrade for more.

Q: Can I try before buying? A: Yes! Use Free plan to test fully. Upgrade when ready.

Q: Do I need coding skills? A: No! Everything is point-and-click. No coding required.

Data & Privacy

Q: Is my data secure? A: Yes! We use:

  • AES-256 encryption (data at rest)
  • TLS 1.3 (data in transit)
  • Azure infrastructure (SOC 2, ISO 27001)
  • Full compliance: GDPR, DPDPA 2023

Q: Who owns the chatbot responses? A: You own all chatbot conversations and data. We don't use your data to train models.

Q: Can I export my data? A: Yes! Download all conversations, uploaded files, and configuration anytime.

Q: What happens to deleted chatbots? A: Soft-deleted for 7 days (recoverable), then permanently deleted. Training data deleted immediately.

Features

Q: How many languages supported? A: 95+ languages supported by GPT-4. Avatar voices: English only (more coming soon).

Q: Can chatbot make API calls? A: Not yet. Planned for Q2 2025 (Enterprise plan).

Q: Can I use my own OpenAI API key? A: Not currently. Planned for Enterprise plan.

Q: Does chatbot learn from conversations? A: No. It only uses your uploaded training data. Responses don't update automatically.

Technical

Q: What LLM models are used? A: GPT-4 Turbo (default), GPT-4, GPT-3.5 Turbo. You can choose in settings.

Q: What browsers are supported? A: Chrome 90+, Firefox 88+, Safari 14+, Edge 90+. Chrome recommended.

Q: Does it work on mobile? A: Yes! Fully responsive. 3D chatbots work on mobile but may be slow on older devices.

Q: Can I integrate with my CRM/helpdesk? A: Zapier integration coming Q2 2025. Enterprise custom integrations available.

Billing

Q: Can I cancel anytime? A: Yes! Cancel anytime. No long-term contracts.

Q: Do unused conversations roll over? A: No. Conversation limits reset monthly.

Q: What happens if I exceed limits? A: Chatbot pauses. Upgrade or wait for monthly reset.

Q: Are there setup fees? A: No setup fees. Pay only monthly subscription.

📞 Still Need Help?

Contact Support:

  • 📧 Email: support@machineavatars.com
  • 💬 Live Chat: Available in dashboard (Pro+ plans)
  • 📱 Phone: +91-XXXX-XXXXXX (Enterprise only)

Response Times:

  • Free: Within 48 hours
  • Pro: Within 24 hours
  • Business: Within 12 hours
  • Premium/Enterprise: Within 4 hours

Before contacting:

  • Check this guide first
  • Have your account email ready
  • Screenshot any error messages
  • Note browser/device details

We're here to help! 💙

Next: Best Practices →