If a video fails or stops

A video that fails uses no minutes. Its page says This video couldn’t be made. with the reason underneath, and these buttons:

• Try again records it again with the same start page, request, voice and look.
• Render what was recorded makes a video from the steps already recorded. It’s there when the video failed after its recording was done, while voicing or rendering, and has at least 2 steps. You can reword or remove the steps on the Script tab first. It uses minutes for the length of the video it makes.

Try again can’t change the request. To try a different request, make a new video.

The page couldn’t open

Message	What to do
That address doesn’t exist. Check the URL.	Fix the address in a new video.
Couldn’t connect to that site. Is it up?	Check the site works, then Try again.
The page took too long to load.	Try again later.
The site’s security certificate isn’t valid.	Fix the site’s certificate, or use another address.
That page couldn’t be opened. Check the address, then try again.	Check the page opens in your own browser, then Try again.
SayScreen couldn’t reach the internet just now. Try again in a minute.	Wait a minute, then Try again.
SayScreen runs online, so it can’t open localhost or private network addresses. Use your app’s public address.	Use a page anyone on the internet can reach. See Sites SayScreen can’t record.
This sign-in is still open in another browser (a sign-in or check that’s finishing). Try again in a minute.	Wait a minute, then Try again.

Sign-in problems

Message	What to do
Nobody signed in to site within 20 minutes. Use Check access to sign in, then try again.	Click Check access on the New video page, sign in, then Try again.
The AI still hits a sign-in screen after signing in. Check that this account can open the page, then try again.	Make sure the account you signed in with can open that page. Start on a page past the sign-in.

The recording stopped

Sometimes the AI stops partway, for example because a site blocks automated browsers, shows a captcha, or doesn’t have what the request asked for. It says why in its own words. If it had recorded at least 2 steps by then, a shorter video is still made from them, and the activity feed says Finished early. Otherwise the video fails, with messages like these:

• The AI got stuck before it got anywhere. Try again, or describe the lesson differently. Make a new video with a clearer, shorter request. See Write a request that gets the video you want.
• The AI declined to continue with this request. Make a new video with a different request.
• The AI ran out of turns before finishing. Make a new video with a shorter request, one task at a time.

Trouble on SayScreen’s side

If the AI service has trouble, the video stops wherever it got to and keeps nothing it recorded. Wait a few minutes, then Try again. The messages:

• The AI service is overloaded right now. Try again in a few minutes.
• Couldn’t reach the AI service. Try again in a few minutes.
• The AI service had a problem, with a code. If it keeps happening, email us.

If putting the video together goes wrong, you’ll see The video couldn’t be rendered., Processing the audio failed. or Something went wrong on our side. Click Render what was recorded to try again without recording again, or Try again if it isn’t there. If it keeps happening, email us.

Interrupted: the server restarted while this was running. means SayScreen restarted, usually for an update, while your video was being made. Nothing was used. Click Try again, or, on a video that was already finished, Record again or Update video.

Voice problems

• This voice is no longer available. Choose another one in Look & voice. Pick another Narrator on the Look & voice tab and click Update video.
• The voice service is busy right now. Try again in a few minutes. Wait, then try again. Lines already voiced aren’t voiced twice.
• The voice service had a problem, with a code. Try again. If it keeps happening, email us.

Messages about your minutes and plan

These show beside Create video, or when a button is refused. While some of them apply, the sidebar says Recording paused.

Message	What to do
You’ve used this month’s 60 minutes. They refill on date.	Wait for the refill date.
You’ve used your trial’s 5 minutes. Your plan starts on date, or you can start it now.	Click Start my plan for $49, or wait for the trial to end.
You’ve used what your trial includes. Your plan starts on date, or you can start it now.	Click Start my plan for $49, or wait for the trial to end.
You have a video recording already. Start the next one when it finishes.	Wait for your other video to finish.
This video runs 2:10, and you have 1:30 left. Recording it again could cut it short.	Make a shorter video, or wait for more minutes.
This edit adds about 0:40, and you have 0:20 left. Shorten it, or take something else out.	Shorten the words, or take a step out.
With this edit the video would run about 8:10, and it can run 8 minutes at most. Shorten it, or take something else out.	Shorten the words, or take a step out.
Your last payment didn’t go through. Update your card in Settings to keep making videos.	Click Update card in Settings, under Plan & billing.
Your trial is still being set up. Try again in a moment.	Wait a moment and try again.

If your plan has ended, SayScreen shows the Your plan has ended page instead. Click Start my plan there. A video that was waiting when the plan ended stops with Your plan has ended. Restart it to make videos again.

See Your trial, plan and minutes for how minutes work.

Still stuck

Email hey@sayscreen.com with the video’s address from your browser’s address bar and the message you saw, and a person will look at it.