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Use this page when a chat with Ari is not going the way you expect. Find what you see, then follow the steps under it. Changes Ari saved before a problem stay in your Model, and you can take back any of them in version history.

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Ari is taking a long time

Ari keeps working on cfo.ai’s servers until it finishes, even if you close the tab or switch chats. A large job, such as building a whole Model or importing a big workbook, takes many steps.
  • Check the status line above the message box. While its phrase changes and its meter counts up, Ari is working.
  • To see what Ari has done so far, open Activity under your message. Each finished step has a check mark.
  • To change direction without waiting, type your message and press Enter. Ari reads it at its next step. See Steer, stop, or add to Ari’s work.
  • To get a notice when Ari finishes, turn on Notify me when Ari finishes in this browser in Settings → Ari. See Settings.

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Ari seems stuck

  1. Read the status line. Ari hit a temporary connection issue. Retrying now. and Ari hit a temporary model-provider issue. Retrying now. mean Ari is retrying on its own. Wait a moment.
  2. If nothing changes for a long time, type “What are you working on right now?” and press Enter. Ari answers at its next step.
  3. If you still get no answer, press Esc in the message box, or select Stop. Then ask for a smaller piece of the work, such as one Page or one quarter.
Stopping keeps what Ari already saved. To check what it finished, ask “What did you change before I stopped you?”

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Ari stopped or showed an error

  • If the chat says Ari stopped before finishing., select Retry. Ari picks the work back up.
  • If your message shows Not sent., select Send again to send the same text as a new message.
  • If the chat says Ari’s turn ended: it waited [time] for [n] actions to finish, select Retry, or ask for a smaller piece first. Chat controls and messages explains the message.
  • If the chat says This request is too large for Ari to continue., the chat has grown too long. Start a new chat with ⌘ /, restate what you need, and attach only the files the new request needs.
  • If the chat says No internet connection or Connection lost, reconnect, then select Retry if it is offered. Ari keeps working on the server meanwhile.
  • If a reply starts I had to stop here, billing stopped the turn. The message names the cause and where to fix it. See Billing stops.
For every message a reply can end with, and what to do about each, see Chat controls and messages.

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Ari says web search is unavailable

When web search fails because of a problem on cfo.ai’s side, Ari tells you so. Nothing in your request caused it. Ask for the parts of the work that do not need the web, and ask for web research again later. See How Ari works with you.

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Ari says the memory service is unavailable

Ari’s saved memory lives in an outside service. When that service cannot answer, Ari’s memory search or save says so in one sentence that names the cause: a timeout, a rate limit, a server error, or a billing limit on cfo.ai’s side. Nothing in your request or your workspace caused it. The first three clear on their own, so ask again in a moment; the billing limit does not, and when the service returns is not known. Ari keeps working without its saved facts meanwhile, so restate a convention it should follow. Chat controls and messages lists each sentence. See also Ari’s memory and chat history.

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Ari’s answer or number looks wrong

  1. Ask Ari to show its work, for example “Show me the formula and the inputs behind that number.” See Ask Ari to show its work.
  2. Trace the number from the table: right-click the cell, choose Mention cell in chat, and ask where it comes from. See Ask Ari about a number.
  3. If a number does not match your books, ask Ari to compare one closed month with the source. The usual causes are a connection that is still loading and a Last close earlier than you expect. See Check that your numbers match your books.
  4. Tell Ari what is wrong and what is right in one message, for example “Churn should be 3% a month, not 3% a year.” See Correct Ari when it guesses.

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Ari changed something it should not have

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A table will not calculate

A table that cannot calculate shows a notice instead of values, usually with Retry. Select Retry, or wait a moment and try again. When the notice offers Fix, select it to ask Ari about the table. Each notice and what to do about it is in Formula errors and warnings.

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Ask a person

If none of this helps, press ⌘ ? to open the Help center, choose Ask a human under Getting started, and describe what happened. You can attach up to 3 screenshots. You can also email success@cfo.ai. See Ask a human.