Troubleshooting connections and integrations

Start here: the three usual suspects

Before diving into any specific integration, know that the overwhelming majority of connection problems come down to one of three causes:

1. Wrong workspace/organization. Connections and data are scoped per organization. If you're acting in the wrong one, everything looks "missing" or "broken."
2. DNS not propagated (or mistyped). Domain, email, and site connections all depend on DNS records resolving. "Not verified" usually means "not propagated yet" or "typo."
3. Expired or insufficient authorization. Social tokens expire, payment sessions time out, and external accounts need the right admin role.

Check these first — they resolve most tickets in seconds.

A general diagnostic sequence

When any connection isn't working, walk this ladder:

1. Confirm the active workspace. Top-left switcher — are you in the right organization? Switch and retry.
2. Confirm you're signed in. A "sign in to your workspace" or 401 message means your session lapsed. Re-authenticate.
3. Check the connection's own status. Every connection surface shows health — Social Connections (Connected / Reconnect), Mail/Domains (Waiting for TXT / Pending DNS / Verified), Billing (entitlement state). Read the status; it usually names the problem.
4. Distinguish empty from error. "No data yet" is not a failure. Confirm whether the app is erroring or simply has nothing to show.
5. Give async things a moment. DNS, webhooks, and entitlement syncs are not always instant. Wait briefly, then refresh before escalating.
6. Reproduce cleanly. Try in a fresh tab, signed into the correct external account, with popups allowed for the workspace.

Problem: domain or email won't verify

• Re-copy the exact record from Stretch; a single wrong character fails it.
• Watch for host doubling — some DNS providers append your domain automatically, turning _stretchsuite into _stretchsuite.example.com.example.com.
• Only one SPF record is allowed per domain — merge, don't add a second.
• Ownership first, routing second — a verified TXT proves ownership but doesn't route traffic; you still need the CNAME/A record.
• Wait for propagation (minutes to hours), then click Verify DNS again.

Problem: a social channel stopped publishing

• Open Social → Connections and look for Reconnect required. Tokens expire and revoke on password changes — reconnect and re-authorize.
• Ensure you authorize as an admin of the Page/Business, not a personal profile.
• If a specific post failed, check the platform's own content rules before blaming the connection.

Problem: I paid but the app is still gated

• Entitlements update after the payment webhook syncs — usually seconds. Refresh Billing / My Apps.
• Don't re-purchase because of a short delay; that risks a duplicate charge.
• If it stays gated, contact support with your checkout confirmation.

Problem: an app won't load data

• Confirm the right organization is selected — the gateway serves only your active org.
• A "gateway path not allowed" message points to an unsupported action/bug, not a setting you can change.
• A 503 / gateway not configured is an environment/operational issue for the platform team, not a user fix.

A realistic example

A marketer reports "StretchMail is broken — my newsletter won't send":

1. Support checks the workspace — the marketer was in the wrong organization. Switching to Payne Coaching shows the real Mail data.
2. The sending domain shows Pending DNS — the DKIM record was mistyped. They fix it and click Verify DNS; after propagation it's Verified.
3. A test send now lands in the inbox. Nothing was actually "broken" — it was wrong-org plus a DNS typo, the two most common causes.

When to contact support

Escalate (with specifics) when:

• A domain has been correctly configured and propagated for hours but still won't verify.
• A payment succeeded but entitlements haven't updated after a reasonable wait.
• You see a 503 gateway error or a persistent "path not allowed."
• A StretchWP SSO/login stays pending long after provisioning.

Include your organization, the exact status/error text, the domain or account involved, and any confirmation/receipt so support can trace it quickly.

Tips

• Screenshot the exact status text — it's the fastest way for support to pinpoint the cause.
• Change one thing at a time when fixing DNS, then re-verify, so you know what worked.
• Keep external admin access to the accounts you connect; losing it (a departed staffer, a changed password) silently breaks connections.

FAQ

Why do things say "verified" then later fail? Usually someone edited or removed a DNS record, or an external token was revoked. Re-check the underlying record/authorization.

How long should I wait before escalating? For DNS, up to a few hours; for webhooks/entitlements, a few minutes. Beyond that, escalate.

Is a blank app a bug? Often not — it may just be empty. Confirm whether it's erroring or genuinely has no data yet.