When something looks wrong

In order of effort. The first three fix most of it.

1. Check the cost meter. The number tells you whether anything is happening at all. $0.00 after a message means no request was made — usually a missing key or an unassigned role.
2. Press Esc. Cancels a stuck stream.
3. Hit Freeze. The header button drops you back to ask mode.
4. Run /context. Shows what the next model call will carry, how many tokens come from repeated history, and the estimated price. If history has grown expensive, use /context save to refresh compact Project memory.
5. Open the Console. Help → Toggle Developer Tools → Console. Red errors live here.
6. Start a fresh session. Costs reset. SecretStorage is preserved and configured models survive.

Specific messages

“No drafter configured”

No model has the drafter role. Open /settings, pick a model, set its role to drafter, save.

“No API key for provider”

A model is configured but its provider key was never saved. /settings → pick the provider → paste → Save Key.

Model list is empty

The provider rejected the key or the network call failed; the error appears under the dropdown. The usual cause is a key pasted into the wrong provider slot.

Chat is paused and will not move

In order: an open BLOCKER raise (admit or dismiss it), the cost cap was hit (/cost), a context/cost preflight refused the next call (/context), or a stream is still running (Esc).

/freeze says PlanIncomplete

PLAN.md is missing a required section — Goal, Scope, Milestones with acceptance criteria, Risks, per-role Roles — or a BLOCKER is still open. The message names it.

Reviewer or Indexer is silent

By design. They speak when admitted or directly addressed via /role reviewer “…”. Background polling still happens; the cost meter confirms it.

The panel never appeared

The extension did not activate. Check the Console for red errors at activation, and confirm VS Code is 1.95.0 or newer (`engines.vscode` ^1.95.0).