Documentation Menu
Agent Not Responding
What to do when your agent stops responding to messages.
On this page
Check If the Agent Is Running
Open your agent’s detail page in the dashboard. The status indicator shows whether the agent is running, stopped, or in an error state. A stopped agent cannot receive or respond to any messages. Click Start to bring it back online.
Check the Activity Tab
The Activity tab on your agent’s detail page shows recent events and any errors the agent encountered. Look for error messages related to API calls, connection failures, or configuration problems. This is the fastest way to identify what went wrong.
Verify Your API Keys
Your agent cannot respond without a working API key. Go to the Keys tab and confirm your keys are present and valid. Common issues include:
- The key was revoked or rotated at the provider.
- The key’s usage quota is exhausted for the current billing period.
- The provider is experiencing an outage.
Test the key by visiting the provider’s dashboard and checking its status directly.
Restart the Agent
If the agent shows as running but is not responding, restart it. Click Stop, wait for the shutdown to complete, then click Start. This clears any stuck processes or corrupted state in the agent’s runtime.
Check Channel Connections
If the agent is running but not responding on a specific channel (WhatsApp, Signal, email), the channel connection may have dropped. Open the agent’s channel settings and verify the connection is active. WhatsApp and Signal sessions can expire and may require re-scanning the QR code.
Check Your Provider’s Status
AI providers occasionally have outages. If your keys are valid and the agent is running, check your provider’s status page (e.g., status.anthropic.com or status.openai.com) to rule out an upstream issue.
Related Docs
- Common Issues — quick fixes for other frequent problems
- Connection Problems — WebSocket and channel connectivity troubleshooting
- Starting & Stopping — restart your agent to clear stuck state