Troubleshooting

Solutions to common problems and issues

Find solutions to common problems you might encounter while using PDF Ghost.

Can't Log In

Problem: Unable to sign in to your account

Solutions:

Verify your credentials
- Check email address is correct
- Ensure Caps Lock is off
- Try password reset if unsure
Check email verification
- Account must be verified
- Check spam folder for verification email
- Request new verification email
Clear browser cache
- Clear cookies and cache
- Try incognito/private mode
- Try different browser
Check account status
- Account may be suspended
- Contact support for account issues

Forgot Password

Solution:

Click Forgot Password on login page
Enter your email address
Check email for reset link
Click link and create new password
Try logging in again

If you don't receive the email:

Check spam/junk folder
Verify email address is correct
Wait 5-10 minutes and try again
Contact support if still not received

Two-Factor Authentication Issues

Problem: Can't access authenticator app or lost device

Solutions:

Use backup codes
- Enter a backup code instead of 2FA code
- Each code works only once
Contact support
- Provide account verification details
- Support can temporarily disable 2FA
- Reset 2FA after regaining access

Account Locked

Problem: Too many failed login attempts

Solution:

Wait 15-30 minutes before trying again
Use password reset if needed
Contact support if urgently needed
Ensure you're using correct email

Upload & Job Creation Issues

PDF Upload Fails

Problem: Cannot upload PDF file

Solutions:

Check file size
- Size limits vary by plan (Free: 1 MB, Starter: 5 MB, Pro: 100 MB, Team: 250 MB, Enterprise: 1000 MB)
- Compress large PDFs if needed or upgrade your plan
- Split very large documents
Verify file format
- Must be valid PDF format
- Not password-protected
- Not corrupted
- Try opening in PDF reader first
Check internet connection
- Ensure stable connection
- Try again if connection dropped
- Use wired connection for large files
Browser issues
- Try different browser
- Disable browser extensions
- Clear cache and cookies
- Update browser to latest version

"PDF Analysis Failed"

Problem: Error analyzing uploaded PDF

Causes & Solutions:

Corrupted PDF

Try opening PDF in Adobe Reader
Export/save as new PDF
Use PDF repair tool

Password-Protected PDF

Remove password protection
Re-save without security
Use original unprotected version

Unsupported PDF Version

Save as standard PDF format
Use PDF 1.4 or later
Remove advanced features

Complex PDF Structure

Simplify document if possible
Remove embedded videos/audio
Flatten form fields
Contact support for help

Recipients Won't Import

Problem: CSV import fails or shows errors

Solutions:

Check CSV format
- Use proper CSV structure
- Include header row
- One recipient per line
- No special characters
Verify email addresses
- Must be valid email format
- No spaces or typos
- Remove duplicates
- Test with single recipient first
File encoding
- Save as UTF-8 encoding
- Use plain text CSV
- Avoid Excel-specific formatting

Job Stuck in "Queued"

Problem: Job not progressing to processing

Solutions:

Wait for processing
- Jobs process in order
- Check estimated wait time
- Large jobs ahead may cause delay
Check system status
- Visit status page
- Look for maintenance notices
- Outages may delay processing
Refresh the page
- Sometimes status doesn't update
- Use browser refresh
- Check again in a few minutes
Contact support if
- Stuck for over 1 hour
- No system issues reported
- Other jobs processing normally

Job Failed

Problem: Job shows "Failed" status

Common Causes:

Insufficient Credits

Check plan limits
Upgrade plan or wait for renewal
Purchase additional token packs from Settings → Billing for instant top-up
Remove some recipients and retry

PDF Processing Error

PDF may be corrupted
Complex PDF structure
Unsupported features
Try with simpler PDF

Invalid Recipients

Check all email addresses
Remove invalid entries
Verify recipient list

System Error

Temporary server issue
Try creating job again
Contact support if persists

Download Issues

Can't Download Artifacts

Problem: Download button not working or file won't download

Solutions:

Check job status
- Must be "Completed"
- Wait if still processing
- Verify artifacts were generated
Browser issues
- Allow pop-ups for PDF Ghost
- Check download folder
- Try different browser
- Disable download managers
Check retention period
- Artifacts may have expired
- Review plan retention limits
- Create new job if expired
File size issues
- Large files take time to prepare
- Wait for download to initiate
- Don't cancel prematurely

Bulk Download Fails

Problem: "Download All" creates empty or incomplete ZIP

Solutions:

Try individual downloads
- Download each artifact separately
- Verify each one works
- Create your own ZIP locally
Check available artifacts
- Ensure all artifacts completed
- Some may have failed generation
- Only successful artifacts included
Browser/connection issues
- Use stable connection
- Try again with different browser
- Download during off-peak hours
Contact support
- For recurring issues
- Provide job ID
- Describe exact error

Downloaded PDF Won't Open

Problem: Downloaded artifact appears corrupted

Solutions:

Try different PDF reader
- Adobe Reader (recommended)
- Preview (Mac)
- Browser built-in viewer
Re-download the file
- First download may have failed
- Clear downloads and retry
- Verify complete download
Check file size
- Compare to original
- Incomplete download is smaller
- Download again if size wrong
Report to support
- If consistently failing
- Provide job ID and recipient
- We'll investigate and regenerate

Leak Detection Issues

"No Fingerprint Found"

Problem: Leak analysis finds no fingerprint

Possible Reasons:

Not a PDF Ghost Document

Document wasn't fingerprinted by your org
Came from different source
Never processed by PDF Ghost

Fingerprint Removed

Document heavily modified
Converted to different format
Sophisticated removal attempt

Wrong Organization

Document from different account
Can't detect other org's fingerprints
Verify you created original job

Document Modified

Completely regenerated
Format converted (PDF → Word → PDF)
Too heavily edited

Solutions:

Verify original job exists in your account
Try uploading complete document (not excerpt)
Check if document from current organization
Contact support for manual analysis

Leak Analysis Failed

Problem: Error during leak check processing

Solutions:

Check PDF validity
- Ensure PDF opens normally
- Try different PDF viewer
- Re-save if possible
File size
- Size limits vary by plan
- Compress if needed or upgrade plan
- Upload complete pages only
Retry the analysis
- Temporary processing error
- Try again in a few minutes
- Use different browser
Contact support
- Provide error details
- Include job ID if known
- We can attempt manual analysis

Ambiguous Results

Problem: Multiple possible matches or low confidence

Causes:

Document partially modified
Some fingerprints removed
Incomplete document uploaded

Solutions:

Upload full document if possible
Review all potential matches
Consider context of where document was found
Contact support for detailed analysis

Organization & Team Issues

Can't Invite Team Members

Problem: Invitation fails or button disabled

Solutions:

Check permissions
- Must be organization owner or admin
- Member role can't invite others
- Contact your org admin
Verify member limit
- Check plan member limit
- Upgrade plan if at limit
- Remove inactive members
Email address issues
- Use valid email format
- Check for typos
- Member may already be invited

Member Can't Accept Invitation

Problem: Team member reports invitation issues

Solutions:

Check email
- Look in spam folder
- Verify correct email address
- Resend invitation
Expired invitation
- Invitations expire after 7 days
- Send new invitation
- Have them check immediately
Account conflicts
- Email may already have account
- Try logging in first
- Contact support for help

Can't Access Organization Settings

Problem: Settings menu not available or shows error

Solutions:

Verify role
- Only admins access org settings
- Members see limited settings
- Contact admin for permission change
Check which organization
- Ensure correct org selected
- Use organization switcher
- Verify membership status
Browser issues
- Try refreshing page
- Clear cache
- Use different browser

Billing & Payment Issues

Payment Declined

Problem: Credit card payment fails

Solutions:

Verify card details
- Check card number
- Verify expiration date
- Confirm CVV code
- Check billing address
Contact your bank
- May need to authorize payment
- Check available credit
- Verify international payments allowed
Try different payment method
- Use different card
- Try alternative payment option
- Contact support for help

Plan Upgrade Not Working

Problem: Can't upgrade to higher plan

Solutions:

Check payment method
- Must have valid payment on file
- Update expired cards
- Add payment method if needed
Clear existing issues
- Resolve overdue invoices
- Contact support about account status
- Clear any payment holds
Try again later
- Temporary payment processing issue
- Wait 15-30 minutes
- Contact support if urgent

Incorrect Billing

Problem: Charged wrong amount or unexpected charge

Solutions:

Review invoice
- Check invoice details
- Verify usage charges
- Look for overage fees
- Review plan changes
Contact support
- Provide invoice number
- Explain discrepancy
- Request billing review
- We'll investigate and adjust