---
title: "When a run stalls"
description: "The checks to make, in order, when a Project stops producing or never started."
updated: "2026-08-28"
verifiedAgainst:
  - packages/shared/src/autopilot.ts
  - packages/shared/src/free-grant.ts
  - packages/shared/src/project-lifecycle.ts
---

Nothing is publishing. These are the checks in the order that resolves it
fastest.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Is Autopilot activated for this Project?">
    Activation is per Project and explicit. A finished setup with Autopilot never
    activated is the single most common cause. Check the switcher first: you may
    be looking at a different Project than the one you configured.
  </Step>
  <Step title="Is its status active?">
    Autopilot can be `active`, `paused`, `disabled` or `error`. An `error` state
    carries a reason with it, which is usually the whole answer.
  </Step>
  <Step title="Is the Project archived?">
    An archived Project refuses work, and archiving pauses Autopilot. Restore it
    first.
  </Step>
  <Step title="Are there approved Topics left?">
    Autopilot drafts against approved Topics. A Project that has used them all
    stops until more are approved, unless topic supply is enabled in Full mode.
  </Step>
  <Step title="Is there allowance left?">
    Posts, topics and images are metered per Project. The usage page for the
    Project shows what is left. A paid Project mid month with nothing left is
    working correctly and resumes at the next period. A Free Project with nothing
    left will not resume on its own, because its grant is a lifetime total rather
    than a monthly one.
  </Step>
  <Step title="Are the posts sitting at a gate?">
    Look for posts in `needs_approval`. If they are there, the pipeline is
    working and waiting for a person. Check the Direction's approval policy.
  </Step>
  <Step title="Is billing in order?">
    A failed renewal restricts a workspace. The payment banner in the workspace
    says so. See [changing a plan](/billing/change-plan).
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Posts are produced but never appear on the blog

That is Assisted mode, or Directions set to `review`. Both are working as
configured. See [modes](/autopilot/modes).

## Still stuck

Write to [hello@blogged.dev](mailto:hello@blogged.dev) with the Project name and
roughly when you expected the post. Runs are recorded, so the answer is usually
in the run rather than a guess.