Troubleshooting

#A coding CLI isn’t detected

PaneScale looks on your PATH and in the usual install folders, and caches the result for a while.

1. Open a normal terminal and run the CLI, for example claude --version. If that fails, the CLI isn’t installed for your user.
2. If you installed it while PaneScale was open, click Check again in Settings → Agents & accounts.
3. If you use a version manager such as Volta or nvm, make sure the CLI is installed for the Node version that is active by default.

#A pane closes right after it starts

Run the same CLI in a normal terminal in the same folder. Most often it asks for a first-time sign-in, a trust confirmation for the folder, or an update. Do that once, then start the pane again. For a pane with an account profile, use Sign in next to the profile in Settings.

#Panes take long to appear

Panes normally open instantly from ready sessions. If they don’t:

• Right after PaneScale starts, ready sessions are still being prepared. Give it a few seconds.
• Low memory: PaneScale always keeps 4 GB free and prepares fewer sessions when memory is tight. Close panes or apps you don’t need.
• A different account or start option than the default can’t use a waiting session; such panes start fresh. They still appear immediately and take your input while the CLI boots.
• Many panes at once start in a staggered order on purpose, so the window stays responsive.

#A pane stays “working” or never shows “waits for you”

Status comes from hooks (Claude Code), terminal notifications (Codex and others) and the visible screen. See where status comes from.

• Hover the session in the dashboard to see which signal decided the status.
• A Claude Code pane marked limited gets no hook events — check whether your own Claude settings disable hooks.
• Text-mode CLIs can only be recognized from what is on screen. Scroll the pane to the bottom so the prompt is visible.
• If a CLI changed its screen in a new version, detection may lag behind until PaneScale is updated. The pane still works normally.
• Restart in the pane menu resets the status.

#A session shows “waiting for 1 shell”

The agent’s turn is over, but it still runs background work — a dev server, a watcher, sub-agents. That isn’t done. Stop the background work in the agent (for Claude Code, its own task list), or let it run.

#The session name is wrong

Names come from the first task, the topic or the first command — see Session names. Press F2 in the pane to set your own, or leave the field empty to go back to the automatic name.

#Limits don’t show, or look old

• Nothing at all: the usage meter only appears once a subscription is found. Sign in with claude or codex login in a terminal.
• “Query throttled”: providers allow about one usage query per minute and account. PaneScale waits and keeps the last values. Another app polling the same account uses up that allowance.
• “Sign-in expired”: start the CLI once in a terminal; it refreshes its own sign-in. PaneScale never refreshes credentials.
• Live values come from Claude Code panes. If you configured your own Claude status line, PaneScale doesn’t replace it — limits then come from queries only.

See Usage & limits.

#Spend shows $0 or misses a model

The first scan reads all session logs once and shows its progress on the Usage page. Models without a known price are flagged — their tokens count, their dollars don’t. Prices refresh daily.

#The autopilot didn’t start

Open the preflight. A blocked row stops the night — most often a missing Git identity (git config --global user.email), no required check, an empty queue, or less than 2 GB of free disk space. A scheduled start that was missed while PaneScale was closed or the computer slept waits for your click.

#Every autopilot task fails

Open a task’s Attempts, checks and log.

• A required check that already failed at the baseline must be fixed by the agent for every task. Fix it first, or make it optional for the night — see Baseline.
• Checks need dependencies: PaneScale links your node_modules into each worktree. If your project needs other build output, add a build step as a check.
• Not found errors mean the check command doesn’t exist in a plain shell — try it in a terminal pane first.

#Point & Fix can’t find the source

Debug information comes from development builds. Make sure the browser shows your dev server, not a production build. Without debug info, PaneScale falls back to text search and labels results as candidates — or choose None of these — the agent searches itself. Point & Fix only works with localhost, 127.0.0.1 and [::1] addresses.

#A page doesn’t load in the browser

Some sites forbid being shown inside other pages. Use Open externally. For your own dev server, check that it is running and listening on the address you typed.

#Voice doesn’t record

• Install whisper.cpp and download a model in Settings → Voice & dictation.
• Allow microphone access for desktop apps in Windows Settings → Privacy & security → Microphone.

#Notifications don’t appear

Desktop notifications only appear while the PaneScale window isn’t visible. Use Send test notification in Settings → Notifications; if nothing shows, allow PaneScale in Windows Settings → System → Notifications and check Do not disturb.

#Updates don’t show up

PaneScale checks at start, every ten minutes and when the window gets focus. If the badge never appears, open Settings → Updates & support and click Check.

#Memory runs low with many panes

Every pane is a separate agent process — a Claude Code session with its MCP servers needs roughly 450 MB. Close idle sessions in one go with Close idle on the dashboard, close panes you don’t need, or work with fewer panes at a time. The toolbar shows how much memory your panes use.

#The grid or terminals feel slow

• Turn GPU rendering off and on again in Settings → General — some graphics drivers misbehave with WebGL.
• Use the Compact or Dense density for many panes.
• Very chatty processes (log tailing, watchers) in many panes at once cost rendering time; give them their own pane and maximize the one you work in.

#Diagnostics

If none of this helps, open Settings → Updates & support and choose Export JSON under Export diagnostics. The file contains the build, database integrity, engine and feature counters and recent errors — no conversations, no source code, and secrets are removed. Attach it to an email to support.