Troubleshooting

Start by checking the installed version and the command’s supported flags:

simplified --version
simplified posts:create --help

These guides describe version 1.8.0. To install the latest published release, use npm install -g simplified-cli@latest.

The shell cannot find simplified

Confirm Node.js 22 or newer and npm are installed. Run npm install -g simplified-cli in the environment where you intend to use it, then open a new terminal. Check that your npm global executable directory is on PATH. Installing on your laptop does not install the command in a remote runner or hosted assistant.

No API key is configured, or access is denied

simplified auth:list
simplified auth:whoami
simplified teamspace:current

If needed, run simplified auth:login my-workspace and enter a valid key. An active saved profile overrides SIMPLIFIED_API_KEY. A 401 can indicate an invalid or revoked credential; a 403 can indicate insufficient access to the selected workspace or teamspace. Verify the scope before replacing credentials.

If you just changed workspace profiles, select teamspace:use default, inspect auth:whoami, then select an accessible teamspace.

Accounts or content are missing

Confirm the workspace and teamspace first. Use accounts:list without a network filter, then inspect account names and IDs. Social accounts must already be connected in Simplified. Content lists can be filtered or paginated; inspect those options before concluding an item is missing.

A flag or JSON payload is rejected

Use simplified COMMAND --help to confirm the flag. Check these common mistakes:

• posts:create --date takes a combined date and time; posts:update uses separate --date and --time flags.
• posts:list uses --tz; scheduled-post updates use --timezone.
• Analytics use singular --account; post commands use --accounts.
• --json usually names a file, while options such as --additional and --parameters take an inline JSON string.
• UUIDs, numeric IDs, local file paths, and remote URLs are not interchangeable.

The multiline shell examples use Bash/zsh-style quoting. Adapt quoting and line continuations when using another shell. JSON files avoid much of that escaping.

jq cannot parse the output

Some commands print headings before their JSON data. Do not pipe every command directly into jq. Use the output-handling guide and inspect the actual result shape. Errors and progress belong on stderr; do not merge them into stdout when parsing data.

A media URL cannot be fetched

Check that the URL is reachable without an authenticated browser session and has not expired. Upload local files with assets:upload. For signed asset URLs, use assets:get to retrieve a fresh file_url. Wait for processing to complete before sending an asset into another operation.

Generation fails or waiting times out

Save the task or variation IDs and query the matching status command. Check the returned error, selected model’s required fields, available credits, and source assets. A local timeout does not prove a remote job failed. Poll the existing job before resubmitting to avoid duplicate work.

For AI video, preserve both the art id and art_variation_id; status needs both. Generic image:task is not the status command for AI image variations.

A post is not published yet

Check whether it was created as a draft, queued, or scheduled. add_to_queue uses the account’s publishing queue, not an explicit immediate-publication flag. Inspect the post and account connection in Simplified for timing or platform-specific validation issues.

Get help with a reproducible report

Include the CLI version, command name, non-secret flags, error text, and relevant job identifiers. Remove API keys and private content before sharing logs. The command reference links each command family to its guide.