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Troubleshooting & Error Reference

Error Reference Table

Error message Cause Solution
Not configured No credentials stored Run elestio login --email X --token Y
Authentication failed Wrong credentials or expired token Regenerate token at dash.elest.io/account/security
Account not approved New account without approval Wait for approval or contact support@elest.io
Template not found Wrong name or ID Run elestio templates search <name>
Invalid serverType Provider/region/size combo invalid Check elestio sizes --provider X
Service not found Wrong vmID or wrong project Run elestio services --project X
Deployment timeout Deployment is taking too long Check dashboard; contact support if > 10 min
Project not found Wrong projectId Run elestio projects to find the correct ID

Authentication Issues

"Authentication failed" repeatedly
# Step 1: Check current config
elestio config

# Step 2: Re-generate token in the Elestio dashboard
# Go to: https://dash.elest.io/account/security → Manage API Tokens → Create Token

# Step 3: Update credentials
elestio login --email "you@example.com" --token "new_token"

# Step 4: Verify
elestio auth test
The wrong user is being used
elestio whoami   # Check which account is active
elestio config   # See stored configuration

Deployment Issues

Service stuck in "Deploying" state
  1. Normal deployment takes 2–5 minutes
  2. CI/CD target deployment may take up to 10 minutes
  3. If > 10 minutes: check the Elestio dashboard for error messages
  4. Contact support@elest.io if still stuck after 15+ minutes
# Poll until deployed
elestio wait <vmID>

# Check current status
elestio service <vmID>
"Service not found," but it exists
# Verify you are using vmID (not serverID)
elestio services --project 112

# Both IDs are shown — ensure you use the correct one:
# vmID  → most commands (firewall, ssl, power, etc.)
# id    → backup endpoints
"Invalid serverType" when deploying
# Check valid combinations for your provider
elestio sizes --provider netcup
elestio sizes --provider hetzner

Pipeline Issues

Pipeline not building
# View build logs
elestio cicd pipeline-logs <vmID> <pipelineID>

# Restart the pipeline
elestio cicd pipeline-restart <vmID> <pipelineID>
App deployed but not reachable in the browser
  1. Check that your app is binding to the internal network, not 0.0.0.0:
    • Correct:  172.17.0.1:3000
    • Wrong:  0.0.0.0:3000
  2. SSH in and check containers:
ssh root@<ipv4>
cd /opt/app/<pipeline-name>
docker-compose ps
docker-compose logs
Pipeline fails after code push
# View deployment history
elestio cicd pipeline-history <vmID> <pipelineID>

# Check latest logs
elestio cicd pipeline-logs <vmID> <pipelineID>

Firewall Issues

Can't reach the service after enabling the firewall
  1. Ensure port 443 (HTTPS) is in the rules
  2. Ensure port 22 (SSH) is included if you need SSH access
  3. Re-check rules:
elestio firewall get <vmID>
  1. Temporarily disable to test:
elestio firewall disable <vmID>

SSL/Domain Issues

SSL certificate not provisioning
  1. Ensure your DNS A record points to the service's IPv4 before running ssl add
  2. DNS propagation can take up to 48 hours (typically 5–30 minutes)
  3. Check: elestio ssl list <vmID>
  4. Remove and re-add if stuck: elestio ssl remove <vmID> <domain> then re-add

Resize/Downgrade Issues

Service blocked after downgrade attempt

This happens when trying to downgrade on a provider that doesn't support it (Hetzner, GCP).

Supported for downgrade: Netcup, AWS, Azure, and Scaleway only.

Resolution: Contact support@elest.io with the vmID. They can restore the service.

General Debugging Flow

# 1. Verify authentication
elestio auth test

# 2. Check service status
elestio service <vmID>

# 3. Restart the application stack (fastest recovery)
elestio restart-stack <vmID>

# 4. If pipeline involved, check logs
elestio cicd pipeline-logs <vmID> <pipelineID>

# 5. Full reboot if restart-stack doesn't help
elestio reboot <vmID>

Getting Help

Channel Details
Email support support@elest.io
Dashboard https://dash.elest.io
API Docs https://api-doc.elest.io
Templates https://elest.io/fully-managed-services
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