Troubleshooting
If something isn't working as expected, check here first. Most issues fall into one of the buckets below.
Sign-in issuesDirect link to Sign-in issues
"Invalid credentials"Direct link to "Invalid credentials"
Double-check the email and password you're entering, watching for extra spaces. If you recently changed your password, make sure you're using the new one.
"Your email is not verified yet"Direct link to "Your email is not verified yet"
You created an account but never clicked the verification link. Check your inbox for it — see Signing in for where to find a resend option, or contact [email protected].
A network or server errorDirect link to A network or server error
Check your connection, then try again in a minute. If it keeps happening, report it through Help → How to get support.
I forgot my password, or my reset link doesn't workDirect link to I forgot my password, or my reset link doesn't work
Password recovery is self-serve — see Signing in, and password recovery. If your reset link is missing its token, invalid, or expired, that page tells you so and offers to send a fresh one.
Editor issuesDirect link to Editor issues
Ilena says my screen is too smallDirect link to Ilena says my screen is too small
The editor places the foot gutter, the canvas, the project tree and the suggestion panel side by side. Below 1024 × 700 it stops opening and shows a message instead, because there is no arrangement of those four that stays usable on a phone.
- Your account and your subscription are unaffected. Your works are waiting for you.
- Widening the window is enough. Nothing needs to be signed in again and nothing is lost — the editor comes back as soon as there is room.
- A tablet in landscape works. Held upright it usually does not: the height is there, the width is not.
Account management at /account/ works at any size, so you can change your
password or check your subscription from a phone even when the editor cannot
open.
My save failedDirect link to My save failed
A red toast appears — Save failed, or the server's status code followed by its message. Two likely causes:
- Network hiccup — try again immediately. If it still fails, copy your work to the clipboard as a safety net, then refresh.
- Session expired — if you've been idle for a long time, sign back in and save again. Your unsaved text is still in the editor until you refresh.
The title bar shows * but I just savedDirect link to the-title-bar-shows--but-i-just-saved
The * means the editor differs from the last confirmed save. If you see
it right after saving, the save probably failed silently — look for a red
toast, and press Cmd/Ctrl+S again.
Feet or emotion counts never updateDirect link to Feet or emotion counts never update
Gutter analysis runs a short delay after you stop typing. If a verse line sits without an analysis for more than a few seconds, the AI service may be briefly unreachable. Try saving and reloading, or keep writing — the analysis is a guide, not a blocker. See The editor → The gutters.
Nothing appears when I press Ctrl+Space, or ghost text never shows upDirect link to Nothing appears when I press Ctrl+Space, or ghost text never shows up
Both suggestion modes need to be turned on in Settings → Tools, and only fire on a verse line that already has text and a work with a language set. If all of that is in place and still nothing shows, no suggestion was available that time — see Inspiration → What suggestions are based on.
Plain ⌘W closed Ilena's tab instead of my workDirect link to Plain ⌘W closed Ilena's tab instead of my work
That's your browser's close-tab shortcut, and a web page can't take it over — use Work → Close, or Ctrl+Cmd+W, which runs the same unsaved-changes confirmation. If you do close the tab this way while a work is dirty, your browser now prompts you before discarding it. See Keyboard shortcuts → Closing a work safely.
Workspace issuesDirect link to Workspace issues
Can't delete a projectDirect link to Can't delete a project
Projects can only be deleted once empty. Delete or move every work inside the project first, then delete the project. See Workspace → Deleting.
Dictionary issuesDirect link to Dictionary issues
A search or a rhyme lookup came back thin or emptyDirect link to A search or a rhyme lookup came back thin or empty
Try a simpler form of the word — singular, base form. Very rare, proper, or coined words may not be in the dictionary's reach. This isn't tied to your plan; there's one dictionary, the same for every account. See Dictionary.
Ideas basket issuesDirect link to Ideas basket issues
My ideas didn't loadDirect link to My ideas didn't load
The drawer shows Could not load your ideas. — usually a network hiccup. Close and reopen the drawer, or reload the page.
I deleted an idea by mistakeDirect link to I deleted an idea by mistake
There's no undo. See Ideas basket → Filtering and deleting.
Export issuesDirect link to Export issues
Export is greyed outDirect link to Export is greyed out
You need a work open first — see Export → Why Export is greyed out.
The PDF is missing my latest changesDirect link to The PDF is missing my latest changes
Export always uses the latest saved version. Save again, then re-export.
Export keeps failingDirect link to Export keeps failing
See Export → What can go wrong.
History issuesDirect link to History issues
I restored a version and lost what I was writingDirect link to I restored a version and lost what I was writing
Restoring saves for you: it copies the chosen version into a brand-new version that becomes the current one. That is deliberate — but it replaces whatever you had not saved yet. Ilena asks first when the open work has unsaved changes, and you can back out there.
Nothing else is lost. The version you restored from, and every version saved after it, stay in the list, so you can restore your way back. See History & Versions.
I can't see old versionsDirect link to I can't see old versions
Only saved versions show up in history. Unsaved changes from an earlier session aren't recoverable — Ilena doesn't autosave.
Account and legal issuesDirect link to Account and legal issues
I can't find where to change my email, plan, or delete my accountDirect link to I can't find where to change my email, plan, or delete my account
Most of it is not in the editor — it is on your account page. That is where your password, your sessions, your subscription, and your invoices live. Billing address and payment-method changes go through Stripe's own portal, opened from the Billing section. See Your account.
Some things are genuinely not available yet, and support does them with you at [email protected]: changing your email address, switching to a different plan (Solo to Studio, once Studio ships), deleting your account, and exporting your data. See What is still not available in the app.
A forgotten password is a separate case and is self-serve from the sign-in page — see Signing in, and password recovery.
A modal is blocking the app, asking me to accept something againDirect link to A modal is blocking the app, asking me to accept something again
Ilena occasionally publishes a new version of the Terms of Use or the Privacy Policy, and blocks the editor until you accept it or sign out — see Legal documents and re-consent → When a new version is published. Note that this gate never covers AI Transparency, so seeing it isn't related to that document.
Still stuck?Direct link to Still stuck?
Open Help → How to get support from the app menu, and pick the category that fits — Technical support, General questions, or Business inquiries. Include:
- What you were trying to do.
- What happened instead.
- The exact error message (or a screenshot).
- Approximate time (so our logs can be searched).
Typical response time is 1–2 business days.