Common Issues

This page covers solutions to common issues you may encounter while using ProductManager.

Connection Issues

"Could not connect to Shopify"

Possible causes:

  • Invalid API credentials
  • Network connectivity issues
  • Shopify API rate limiting

Solutions:

  1. Verify your Client ID and Secret are correct
  2. Check your internet connection
  3. Wait a few minutes if rate limited
  4. Try the "Test Connection" button in settings

"Access denied" error

Cause: The custom app doesn't have the required API scopes.

Solution:

  1. Go to your Shopify admin > Settings > Apps > Develop apps
  2. Open your custom app
  3. Configure Admin API scopes
  4. Ensure these scopes are enabled:
    • read_products, write_products
    • read_inventory, write_inventory
    • read_locations
  5. Reinstall the app after changing scopes

Sync Issues

Products not showing after sync

Possible causes:

  • Sync still in progress
  • Filter is hiding products
  • Cache issue

Solutions:

  1. Check the status bar for sync progress
  2. Clear any active filters (set Status to "All")
  3. Try File > Clear Cache and Resync

"Some products failed to sync"

Solutions:

  1. Check the log file for specific errors
  2. Verify network connectivity
  3. Try syncing again after a few minutes
  4. For persistent failures, check if products exist in Shopify

Editing Issues

Changes not saving to Shopify

Possible causes:

  • Network disconnection during save
  • API rate limiting
  • Product was modified in Shopify

Solutions:

  1. Check network connectivity
  2. Wait and try again
  3. Refresh products and re-apply changes

"Product has been modified" warning

Cause: The product was changed in Shopify after you loaded it.

Solution:

  1. Click "Refresh" to get the latest version
  2. Re-apply your changes
  3. Save again

Performance Issues

Application is slow

Possible causes:

  • Large number of products loaded
  • Low system memory
  • Too many columns visible

Solutions:

  1. Use filters to reduce visible products
  2. Close other applications
  3. Hide unused columns in Column Settings
  4. Clear cache and restart

Grid scrolling is laggy

Solutions:

  1. Reduce the number of visible columns
  2. Use filters to show fewer products
  3. Disable images in grid (Settings > Display)

Import/Export Issues

Import file not recognized

Possible causes:

  • Unsupported file format
  • Corrupted file
  • Wrong encoding

Solutions:

  1. Ensure file is CSV, XLSX, or supported format
  2. Try saving as UTF-8 encoded CSV
  3. Check file isn't corrupted by opening in Excel

Export missing some products

Cause: Export only includes selected products or current filter.

Solution:

  1. Clear all filters
  2. Select all products (Ctrl+A)
  3. Export again

License Issues

"License not valid"

Solutions:

  1. Verify license key is entered correctly
  2. Check for extra spaces before/after key
  3. Ensure subscription is active
  4. Contact support if issues persist

"License activation limit reached"

Cause: License has been activated on too many devices.

Solutions:

  1. Deactivate on unused devices
  2. Contact support to reset activations

Startup Issues

Splash screen hangs

Cause: The app is waiting for a dialog that's hidden behind the splash screen.

Solution:

  1. This was fixed in v0.4.9 - update to the latest version
  2. If stuck, press Alt+Tab to see if there's a hidden dialog
  3. Press Alt+F4 to close and restart

Application won't close properly

Cause: Background processes (like WebView2) may not be terminating.

Solution:

  1. This was fixed in v0.4.8 - update to the latest version
  2. If stuck, use Task Manager to end the ProductManager process
  3. Check for multiple instances running

Welcome dialog appears every startup

Cause: Settings weren't persisting correctly.

Solution:

  1. This was fixed in v0.4.8 - update to the latest version
  2. After dismissing the dialog, check Settings saves properly
  3. Verify write permissions to %AppData%\HFProductManager

Installer Issues

Installer says .NET is missing but it's installed

Cause: The installer's .NET detection checks may fail on some systems.

Solution:

  1. This was fixed in v0.4.8 installer - download the latest installer
  2. If still failing, manually install .NET 8 Desktop Runtime from Microsoft
  3. Run the installer again after .NET is confirmed installed

Installer hangs during .NET check

Solution:

  1. Cancel the installer
  2. Install .NET 8 Desktop Runtime from Microsoft directly
  3. Run the ProductManager installer again

AI Issues

"No AI provider configured"

Solution:

  1. Go to Tools > Settings > AI Settings
  2. Enter an API key for at least one provider (Gemini, Claude, or OpenAI)
  3. Save settings and retry

"API key not valid"

Solutions:

  1. Check the key was copied correctly (no extra spaces)
  2. Verify the key is active in the provider's dashboard
  3. Check your API quota/billing status

"Rate limit exceeded"

Solutions:

  1. Increase delay between requests in AI generator settings
  2. Reduce concurrent request count
  3. Wait 60 seconds and retry
  4. Check provider quota limits

Bulk Operation Issues

Bulk operation stuck or not progressing

Solutions:

  1. Check network connectivity
  2. If the progress window is unresponsive, wait a minute for timeout
  3. Click Cancel to abort the operation
  4. Check the log file for detailed error messages

"Some items failed" after bulk operation

Cause: Some products couldn't be updated due to API errors or conflicts.

Solutions:

  1. Review the error details in the results
  2. Check if failed products exist in Shopify
  3. Retry the operation with just the failed items
  4. Check Shopify admin for any issues with those products

Multi-Store Issues

Store switch is slow

Cause: Large product cache needs to be loaded from disk.

Solutions:

  1. This is normal for stores with many products
  2. Wait for the loading to complete
  3. Consider clearing cache for stores you rarely use

"Token expired" error

Cause: OAuth token needs refresh.

Solutions:

  1. Tokens auto-refresh on next API call
  2. Try switching away from and back to the store
  3. If persistent, delete and re-add the store connection

Getting More Help

If your issue isn't listed here:

  1. Check the Error Messages guide
  2. Press F1 for context-sensitive help
  3. Review log files in %LocalAppData%\HFProductManager\Logs
  4. Contact support with your log file attached

Log File Location

The application log contains detailed error information:

Path: %LocalAppData%\HFProductManager\Logs\activity.log

This log includes:

  • Startup sequence details
  • API call results
  • Error messages with stack traces
  • Operation timing information