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Authentication errors

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”Authentication required. Please sign in to generate README files.”

Error code: 401 Unauthorized This error occurs when you attempt to generate a README without being signed in. Solution:
  • Sign in to your GitRead account using the authentication modal
  • If you don’t have an account, create one using the sign-up option
  • After signing in, try generating the README again
GitRead requires authentication for all README generation requests to manage credits and maintain your history.

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”Unauthorized” (Credits or History)

Error code: 401 Unauthorized This error appears when trying to access credits or README history without authentication. Solution:
  • Ensure you’re signed in to your account
  • Refresh the page and sign in again if your session expired
  • Clear your browser cache and cookies, then sign in again

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”Insufficient credits. Please purchase more credits to continue.”

Error code: 402 Payment Required Your account has 0 credits remaining and cannot generate new READMEs. Solution:
  • Purchase additional credits using the credit purchase modal
  • Credits are available at $1.25 per credit through Stripe checkout
  • After purchasing, your credits will be automatically added to your account
Credits are only deducted after a successful README generation. Failed generations do not consume credits.

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”Error checking user credits. Please try again later.”

Error code: 500 Internal Server Error The system encountered an issue while checking your credit balance. Solution:
  • Wait a few moments and try again
  • Refresh the page to reload your credit balance
  • If the issue persists, contact support at [email protected]

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Repository validation errors

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”Invalid repository URL. Please provide a valid GitHub repository URL in the format: https://github.com/username/repository”

Error code: 400 Bad Request The URL you provided doesn’t match the required GitHub repository format. Solution:
  • Ensure your URL follows the exact format: https://github.com/username/repository
  • Remove any query parameters or hash fragments from the URL
  • Don’t include trailing slashes or additional path segments
  • Use HTTPS protocol only (HTTP is not supported)
Valid examples: 
https://github.com/vmath20/gitread
https://github.com/facebook/react
Invalid examples: 
http://github.com/user/repo (HTTP instead of HTTPS)
https://github.com/user/repo?tab=readme (includes query parameters)
https://github.com/user/repo#main (includes hash fragment)
https://github.com/user/repo/issues (additional path segments)

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“Repository not found or is private. Please check the URL.”

Error code: 500 Internal Server Error The repository doesn’t exist or is not publicly accessible. Solution:
  • Verify the repository URL is correct
  • Ensure the repository is public (not private)
  • Check that the repository hasn’t been deleted or renamed
  • Confirm the username and repository name are spelled correctly

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Repository size limit exceeded

Error message: “Repository content exceeds maximum token limit of 900,000 tokens (estimated X tokens)” Error code: 400 Bad Request The repository is too large to process. Solution:
  • Try using a smaller repository
  • Consider splitting large repositories into smaller components
  • Focus on repositories with fewer files or less complex structures
GitRead has limits on repository size to ensure reliable processing and generation quality. Very large repositories may exceed the 900,000 token limit.

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Generation errors

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”API rate limit exceeded. Please try again later.”

Error code: 500 Internal Server Error The AI service has reached its rate limit. Solution:
  • Wait a few minutes before trying again
  • The rate limit resets automatically after a short period
  • If you encounter this repeatedly, contact support

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”Request timed out. Please try a smaller repository.”

Error code: 500 Internal Server Error The repository took too long to process. Solution:
  • Try a smaller or less complex repository
  • Ensure your internet connection is stable
  • Retry the generation - temporary network issues may have caused the timeout

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”Error processing repository. Please check the URL and try again.”

Error code: 500 Internal Server Error A general processing error occurred during repository analysis. Solution:
  • Verify the repository URL is correct and accessible
  • Try again in a few moments
  • If the error persists, try a different repository to determine if the issue is repository-specific

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”Failed to generate README: No content returned from Gemini/OpenRouter.”

Error code: 500 Internal Server Error The AI model didn’t return any content. Solution:
  • Try generating again - this is usually a temporary issue
  • If the problem persists, contact support with the repository URL

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Server load errors

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”Server is busy. Please try again in a few moments.”

Error code: 429 Too Many Requests The server queue is full and cannot accept new requests. Solution:
  • Wait 30-60 seconds before trying again
  • The server processes requests in order and will become available shortly
  • Avoid repeatedly clicking the generate button
GitRead has a request queue with a maximum size of 20. When the queue is full, new requests are temporarily rejected to maintain service quality.

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Payment errors

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”Stripe session not found”

Error code: 400 Bad Request The payment session could not be found or has expired. Solution:
  • Start a new checkout session
  • Ensure you complete payment within the session timeout period
  • Don’t refresh or close the checkout page during payment

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”Invalid session”

Error code: 400 Bad Request The payment session doesn’t match your user account. Solution:
  • Ensure you’re signed in to the same account that initiated the checkout
  • Don’t switch accounts during the checkout process
  • Start a new checkout session if needed

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”Payment not completed”

Error code: 400 Bad Request The Stripe payment was not successfully completed. Solution:
  • Return to the checkout page and complete the payment
  • Verify your payment method is valid
  • Contact your bank if payment is declined

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”Error verifying payment”

Error code: 500 Internal Server Error The system couldn’t verify your payment status. Solution:
  • Wait a few minutes - payment verification can take time
  • Check your email for payment confirmation from Stripe
  • Contact support at [email protected] if credits aren’t added after successful payment

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History errors

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”Error fetching README history”

Error code: 500 Internal Server Error Cannot retrieve your saved READMEs. Solution:
  • Refresh the page
  • Sign out and sign back in
  • If the issue continues, contact support

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”Repository URL and README content are required”

Error code: 400 Bad Request Attempting to save a README without required information. Solution:
  • This is typically an application error
  • Try regenerating the README
  • Contact support if you see this error repeatedly

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Still need help?

If you’re experiencing an issue not covered here:
  1. Check that you’re using the latest version of your browser
  2. Try clearing your browser cache and cookies
  3. Disable browser extensions that might interfere with the application
  4. Try a different browser to rule out browser-specific issues
For persistent issues, contact support at [email protected] with:
  • A description of the error
  • The repository URL you were trying to use
  • Any error messages you received
  • Screenshots if applicable

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