Use this article when an AI Configurator chat seems to re-process the same file, when Pending Changes keeps refilling after you apply, or when applied data appears to roll back the next day. After this you will have identified the cause and either cleared the loop or confirmed the data is correct and the symptom is cosmetic.
Symptom table
Symptom | Check (where to look) | Fix (action) | Verify (what you'll see) |
Chat keeps re-processing the same file | Open the chat dock; look at the file pill list in the active conversation. Duplicates appear as separate pills with the same file name. | Select New conversation in the chat header to clear context, then re-upload the file once. | The new conversation lists one file pill and one progress strip; staged row count matches the source row count. |
Pending Changes count climbs after you apply | Open Pending Changes in the sidebar; inspect the timestamps on the new rows. | Identify whether the new rows are manual edits or a second chat extraction. Discard or apply intentionally — manual edits and chat staging both feed the same queue. | After the next Apply Changes, the count returns to zero and stays there for the working session. |
Apply Changes fails partially | Open the failure banner; select View Errors. The dialog lists each row that failed and the validation reason. | Fix the named rows in their editors (substrate weight outside range, missing tag on a press, duplicate machine name), then re-stage and re-apply. | The error banner disappears and the Pending Changes count returns to zero on the next apply. |
Chat shows correct data but tables do not | Open Pending Changes in the sidebar. | If rows are listed there, select Apply Changes. If not, re-open the chat conversation and select Stage changes. | The expected rows appear in Print Machines or Substrates tables after apply. |
Applied data appears reverted the next day | Open History from the Estimate Setup header. Compare today's snapshot against yesterday's snapshot. | If a later import batch overwrote your rows, select Restore this version on the known-good snapshot. If a teammate rolled back intentionally, coordinate before re-applying. | The restored rows appear in the live tables; History shows the restore as the most recent change. |
Imported press never selected for a quote | Open Issue analysis on the quote; expand the Excluded machines section. | Read the exclusion reason. If it is "no machine matches tags", add the substrate's tags to the press. If it is "missing click rate" or "missing plate cost", open the press record and fill in the missing field. | After Recalculate, the press appears in the assigned route information instead of Excluded machines. |
Worked examples
Example 1 — Chat re-processes a paper catalog every time Northgate Press opens it
Northgate Press imports a 200-row paper catalog through AI Configurator. The first extraction completes and 200 rows stage in Pending Changes. The next morning, the chat re-processes the same file from scratch without being asked.
Diagnosis: Open the chat dock. The file pill from yesterday is still attached to the conversation. Whatever the operator typed today restarts processing on the same attachment.
Fix: Select New conversation in the chat header. Drop the file once if the import has not yet been staged. Otherwise leave the new conversation empty — the prior staged rows are already in Pending Changes and unaffected.
Verify: The new conversation opens empty with no file pills. The previously-staged rows are still in Pending Changes with their original timestamps.
Example 2 — Apply fails on three rows because a press tag does not exist yet
Northgate Press imports a finishing-machine list that references the tag "Offset OK". The configurator stages the rows but Apply Changes fails with a banner showing three errors.
Diagnosis: Select View Errors. The dialog lists the three rows and the reason: "tag 'Offset OK' not found". The tag was assumed by the source spreadsheet but has not been created in the shop yet.
Fix: Open Tags under the press configuration and add the "Offset OK" tag. Re-stage the affected rows in the chat (or leave them in Pending Changes and re-apply if the validation re-runs on apply).
Verify: Apply Changes succeeds. The Pending Changes count returns to zero. The three finishing machines appear in Finishing Machines with the new tag attached.
What if this didn't fix it?
If the chat still loops after New conversation, or if Apply Changes continues to fail with errors that do not map to a specific row, the issue is in the import-processing service rather than in setup. Open a support request and include the conversation ID from the chat dock, the file you uploaded, a screenshot of the View Errors dialog if relevant, and the timestamps of the apply attempts. Linking the AI Configurator reference in the ticket helps the support team scope the report.