Troubleshooting

Debug information, logs, known issues, and common fixes for the Zencoder IDE plugin (VS Code and JetBrains).

Get Help

Discord Community

Real-time help from the community and Zencoder team.

Reddit Community

Discuss with developers in the Zencoder subreddit.

Email Support

For account or sensitive issues — [e-mail]

Before reporting a new issue, please gather the debug information described below — it dramatically speeds up resolution.

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Debug Information

Each request to Zencoder is assigned a unique Operation ID. Sharing this identifier helps us trace exactly what happened in our systems.

Enabling Debug Info

VS Code

1. Go to Settings (File > Preferences > Settings or press Ctrl+, / Cmd+,).

2. Search for Zencoder: Display debug info.

3. Check the box labeled Controls whether debug information is displayed in the interface.

   

Once enabled, Operation IDs appear in the Zencoder interface for each request:

JetBrains IDEs

1. Go to Settings/Preferences (File > Settings or press Ctrl+Alt+S / Cmd+,).

2. Navigate to Tools > Zencoder.

3. Scroll to Advanced Settings and check Show debug info.

   

Operation IDs will appear in the Zencoder interface:

Copy and paste the Operation ID along with any error messages (screenshots help) when reporting an issue.

Accessing Logs

VS Code

Zencoder logs live in the Output panel:

1. Open the Output panel with Shift+Cmd+U (macOS) or Ctrl+Shift+U (Windows/Linux).

2. In the dropdown at the top-right, select Zencoder.

3. Use Ctrl/Cmd+A then Ctrl/Cmd+C to copy the whole log, or take a screenshot of the relevant lines.

   

JetBrains IDEs

JetBrains IDEs write logs to a dedicated file:

1. From the main menu, choose Help.

2. Click Show Log in Finder (macOS) or Show Log in Explorer (Windows).

3. Attach the idea.log file to your bug report.

   

Tips for Useful Logs

1. Reproduce the issue right before capturing the log so the relevant entries are included.
2. Include any error messages shown in the UI.
3. Describe the steps that led to the issue.
4. Mention your OS, IDE version, and Zencoder plugin version.
5. Redact tokens, API keys, and other sensitive data before sharing publicly.

Screen Recordings

A short recording (using Loom, macOS Shift+Cmd+5, or Windows Win+G) is often the fastest way to explain a UI issue.

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Known Issues

VS Code: Gray Screen of Death (GSOD)

Symptoms: The Zencoder chat panel opens as a gray, unresponsive area with no content or error messages. May occur intermittently.

Status: We’re aware and actively working on a permanent fix.

Workaround:

1. Save any open work and quit VS Code completely (not just close the window).
2. Terminate lingering VS Code processes:
   • Windows: end all VS Code processes in Task Manager.
   • macOS: quit any VS Code processes in Activity Monitor.
   • Linux: run pkill code.
3. Relaunch VS Code — the Zencoder chat should render correctly.

If the panel is still gray after restart:

• Disable and re-enable the Zencoder extension.
• Run Developer: Reload Window from the Command Palette (Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + P).
• Check for VS Code and Zencoder extension updates.

Windows: CLI installation fails (PowerShell execution policy)

Symptoms: Installing Claude Code or OpenAI Codex through the Universal AI Platform fails with a PowerShell execution policy error such as:

File ...\InstallClaudeCode.ps1 cannot be loaded because running scripts is disabled on this system.

Fix:

1. Open PowerShell

   Open PowerShell from your Windows system.

2. Set execution policy

   Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser
   
3. Confirm

   Type Y and press Enter to accept the policy change.

4. Retry the install

   Re-run the Claude Code / Codex installation from the Universal AI Platform.

GPT-5 fails with your own OpenAI API key (BYOK)

Symptoms: Server errors when selecting GPT-5 with a BYOK OpenAI key, or the key connects but GPT-5 refuses to run.

Why it happens: This is almost always an OpenAI-side restriction, not a Zencoder issue. GPT-5 access depends on:

1. Usage tier — your OpenAI organization must be on a qualifying tier (1–5).
2. Organization verification — some orgs must complete OpenAI’s verification.
3. API credits / billing — insufficient credits will fail requests.

See OpenAI’s model availability doc for the current matrix.

Configure your key correctly:

1. Click the Zencoder three-dot menu (⋮) in your IDE.
2. Select User API Keys.
3. Paste your OpenAI API key and toggle it on.
4. Select GPT-5 from the model selector.

Fix access:

1. Check your tier in the OpenAI Developer Console.
2. Complete organization verification if prompted.
3. Confirm you have credits or an active billing method.

Zencoder cannot assist with OpenAI verification — the process is entirely managed by OpenAI. While waiting, use an alternative model.

If it still fails after verification: verify the key has no extra spaces, isn’t expired or revoked, and try regenerating it in the OpenAI dashboard.

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Reporting a New Issue

If your problem isn’t listed above, reach out through any of the support channels at the top of this page. Include:

• Your Operation ID (see Debug Information).
• The plugin version, IDE version, and OS.
• Steps to reproduce and expected vs. actual behavior.
• Logs and, when useful, a screen recording.
• The email address on your Zencoder account (so we can locate your workspace).

For sensitive data or account issues, prefer email — [e-mail] — over public channels.

For more ways to reach us, see the Community and Support page.