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Integration Problems

Comprehensive troubleshooting for third-party integrations including RSS feeds, calendars, weather, scheduling, and more.

Quick Reference​

Common Integration Issues:

Specific Integrations:

Common Integration Issues​

Integration Won't Connect​

Symptoms:

  • "Authorization failed" error
  • "Could not connect" message
  • Integration setup incomplete
  • Redirect loop during setup

Common Causes:

1. Browser Blocking Pop-ups​

Pop-up Blocker:

  • OAuth authorization opens in pop-up window
  • Browser may block pop-up

Solution:

  1. Look for pop-up blocked indicator in browser
  2. Allow pop-ups for brandcast.app
  3. Try authorization again
  4. Complete OAuth in pop-up window

Disable Pop-up Blocker:

  • Chrome: Settings → Privacy → Site Settings → Pop-ups → Allow for brandcast.app
  • Firefox: Settings → Privacy → Permissions → Exceptions (Pop-ups)
  • Edge: Settings → Cookies → Manage exceptions

2. Third-Party Cookies Disabled​

Cookie Settings:

  • OAuth requires third-party cookies
  • Some browsers block by default (Safari, Firefox)

Solution:

  1. Enable third-party cookies temporarily
  2. Complete authorization
  3. Can disable after authorization complete

Enable Cookies:

  • Chrome: Settings → Privacy → Cookies → Allow all cookies (temporarily)
  • Firefox: Settings → Privacy → Standard (or Custom with third-party cookies allowed)
  • Safari: Preferences → Privacy → Uncheck "Prevent cross-site tracking" (temporarily)

3. Browser Extensions Interfering​

Ad Blockers or Privacy Extensions:

  • uBlock Origin, Privacy Badger, etc.
  • May block OAuth requests

Solution:

  1. Disable extensions temporarily
  2. Try incognito/private mode
  3. Complete authorization
  4. Re-enable extensions

4. Account Permissions​

Insufficient Permissions:

  • Google account may not have access to requested data
  • Corporate G Suite account with restrictions
  • Calendar/slides not shared

Solution:

  1. Verify you have access to the service
  2. Check admin hasn't blocked third-party apps
  3. Contact IT if corporate account
  4. Try personal account to test

Integration Disconnected​

Symptoms:

  • Integration was working but now shows disconnected
  • "Reauthorize required" message
  • Data stopped updating
  • "Token expired" error

Common Causes:

1. Token Expiration​

OAuth Tokens Expire:

  • Most OAuth tokens expire after 30-90 days
  • BrandCast attempts auto-refresh
  • Sometimes manual reauthorization needed

Solution:

  1. Go to Content Sources → Find integration
  2. Click Reconnect or Reauthorize
  3. Complete OAuth flow again
  4. Integration reconnects

2. Password Changed​

Account Credentials Changed:

  • Changed password on Google, etc.
  • Revokes OAuth tokens for security
  • Need to reauthorize

Solution:

  • Reauthorize integration with new credentials
  • Integration works with new password

3. Permissions Revoked​

User Revoked Access:

  • Manually revoked BrandCast access in Google Account settings
  • Need to re-grant permissions

Solution:

  1. Reauthorize integration
  2. Grant all requested permissions
  3. Don't revoke permissions manually

Check Google Permissions:

  1. Go to myaccount.google.com/permissions
  2. Find BrandCast
  3. Verify permissions granted

4. Service Account Issues (Enterprise)​

For Enterprise Custom OAuth:

  • Service account credentials expired
  • API quota exceeded
  • Billing disabled on GCP project

Solution:

  • Verify service account credentials valid
  • Check GCP project billing enabled
  • Review API quotas
  • Contact support for help

Data Not Updating​

Symptoms:

  • Integration connected but data is stale
  • Shows old information
  • Last updated timestamp not recent
  • Manual refresh doesn't work

Troubleshooting:

Step 1: Check Update Interval​

Refresh Frequency:

  1. Edit integration source
  2. View Update Interval (seconds)
  3. Data only refreshes at this interval
  4. May need to reduce interval

Typical Intervals:

  • RSS feeds: 300-900 seconds (5-15 minutes)
  • Weather: 900 seconds (15 minutes)
  • Calendar: 1800-3600 seconds (30-60 minutes)
  • Stock market: 60 seconds (1 minute)

Step 2: Verify Last Fetch Status​

Check Fetch Result:

  1. Edit integration source
  2. Look for Last Fetch Status
  3. Check for error messages
  4. Read error details

Common Errors:

  • 401 Unauthorized: Reauthorize needed
  • 403 Forbidden: Permissions issue
  • 404 Not Found: URL changed or resource deleted
  • 429 Too Many Requests: Rate limit exceeded
  • 500 Server Error: Service provider issue

Step 3: Test Connection​

Manual Test:

  1. Edit integration source
  2. Click Test Connection
  3. Should fetch fresh data
  4. Check for errors

Test Successful but Still Not Updating:

  • Cache issue on display
  • Force refresh display browser
  • Or clear cache and restart browser

Step 4: Check Service Status​

External Service Down:

  • Google, weather service, etc. may be down
  • Check service status pages:
    • Google: status.cloud.google.com
    • Weather: Check provider website
  • Usually resolves automatically

API Rate Limits​

Symptoms:

  • "Rate limit exceeded" error
  • "Too many requests" (429 error)
  • Integration stops updating after working
  • Works for a while then fails

Common Causes:

Understanding Rate Limits​

What Are Rate Limits:

  • APIs limit how many requests you can make
  • Prevents abuse and ensures fair usage
  • Limits vary by service and plan

Example Limits:

  • RSS feeds: Varies by provider (often unlimited)
  • Google APIs: 10,000 requests/day (free), more on paid
  • Weather: 1,000 requests/day (free tier)
  • Stock data: Varies by provider

Solutions​

Reduce Request Frequency:

  1. Increase update interval
  2. Instead of 5 minutes, use 15 or 30 minutes
  3. Reduces API calls per day
  4. Balances freshness with limits

Upgrade API Plan:

  • Some services offer paid plans with higher limits
  • Google Workspace has higher API quotas
  • Weather APIs have premium tiers
  • Stock data providers have paid plans

Use BrandCast Proxy (Enterprise):

  • BrandCast can proxy requests
  • Uses BrandCast's API quota
  • Available for Enterprise plans
  • Contact support to enable

RSS Feed Issues​

Feed Not Found or Invalid​

Symptoms:

  • "Feed URL invalid" error
  • "Could not parse feed" error
  • Feed worked before but now fails
  • 404 Not Found error

Solutions:

Verify Feed URL​

Test Feed:

  1. Copy RSS feed URL
  2. Paste in browser address bar
  3. Should show XML content
  4. Look for <rss> or <feed> tags

Feed Format:

  • Valid: https://blog.example.com/feed
  • Valid: https://blog.example.com/rss.xml
  • Invalid: https://blog.example.com (homepage, not feed)
  • Invalid: https://blog.example.com/posts (not RSS feed)

Feed URL Changed​

Website Migrated:

  • Site may have changed CMS or structure
  • RSS feed URL changed
  • Need to find new URL

Find New Feed URL:

  1. Visit website
  2. Look for RSS icon or "Subscribe" link
  3. Right-click → Copy link address
  4. Update in BrandCast
  5. Save changes

Feed No Longer Exists​

Site Removed RSS:

  • Some sites discontinue RSS feeds
  • Check if feed ever existed
  • Look for alternatives

Alternatives:

  1. RSS Bridge - Create feeds from websites without RSS
  2. Feed43 - Extract RSS from HTML
  3. PolitePol - Generate RSS from pages
  4. Contact site owner and request RSS

Feed Content Not Showing​

Symptoms:

  • Feed connects but shows no items
  • Blank RSS content area
  • "No items available" message
  • Feed works in feed reader but not BrandCast

Solutions:

Check Max Items Setting​

Item Limit:

  1. Edit RSS feed source
  2. Check Max Items (default: 20)
  3. Feed may have fewer items
  4. Or all items filtered out

Content Filters​

Include/Exclude Filters:

  • If using filters (Professional/Enterprise)
  • Filters may exclude all content
  • Review filter criteria

Adjust Filters:

  1. Edit RSS feed
  2. Go to Filters section
  3. Remove or adjust filters
  4. Test with no filters first

Feed Has No Recent Content​

Old or Inactive Feed:

  • Blog may not have posted recently
  • RSS feed technically working but empty
  • Check feed in browser for content

Feed Images Missing​

Symptoms:

  • Feed headlines show but no images
  • Broken image placeholders
  • Inconsistent image display

Solutions:

Feed Doesn't Include Images​

Not All Feeds Have Images:

  • Some RSS feeds don't include images
  • Only title and excerpt
  • BrandCast can't show what isn't in feed

Check Feed Format:

  1. View feed XML in browser
  2. Look for <enclosure> or <media:content> tags
  3. If absent, feed has no images
  4. Choose different display style (text-only)

Image URLs Relative​

Relative vs Absolute URLs:

  • Some feeds use relative URLs (won't work)
  • Example: /images/photo.jpg instead of https://example.com/images/photo.jpg
  • BrandCast can't resolve relative URLs

Solution:

  • Contact feed provider about issue
  • Use different feed if available
  • Display without images

Google Slides Issues​

Slides Not Appearing​

Symptoms:

  • Blank area where slides should be
  • "Could not load presentation" error
  • Slides worked before but now missing

Solutions:

Check Sharing Settings​

Presentation Must Be Public:

  1. Open Google Slides presentation
  2. Click Share (top-right)
  3. Under "Get link", click Change
  4. Select Anyone with the link → Viewer
  5. Click Done
  6. Copy link

Verify Link in BrandCast:

  • Paste link in browser (logged out)
  • Should be able to view without login
  • If asks for login, sharing not set correctly

URL Mismatch:

  • Created new presentation copy
  • Link in BrandCast is old presentation
  • Need to update link

Update Link:

  1. Get new presentation link from Google Slides
  2. Edit integration in BrandCast
  3. Update Presentation URL
  4. Save changes

Presentation Deleted​

File Removed:

  • Presentation may have been deleted
  • Moved to trash in Google Drive
  • Need to restore or use different presentation

Restore Presentation:

  1. Go to Google Drive
  2. Click Trash (left sidebar)
  3. Find presentation
  4. Right-click → Restore

Slides Not Advancing​

Symptoms:

  • Shows first slide only
  • Slides don't auto-advance
  • Stuck on one slide

Solutions:

Check Auto-Advance Settings​

Slide Duration:

  1. Edit Google Slides integration
  2. Check Slide Duration (seconds per slide)
  3. Default: 10 seconds
  4. May be set too long or to 0 (manual only)

Enable Auto-Advance:

  • Ensure auto-advance enabled in integration settings
  • Slide duration > 0 seconds
  • Save if changed

Presentation Embed Settings​

Google Slides Publish Settings:

  1. In Google Slides: File → Publish to web
  2. Check Auto-advance slides is enabled
  3. Set advance interval
  4. Republish

Note: Publishing to web is separate from sharing link

Slides Not Updating​

Symptoms:

  • Made changes in Google Slides
  • Changes don't appear in BrandCast
  • Shows old version of slides

Solutions:

Wait for Refresh Interval​

Slides Cache:

  • Slides refresh every 15-60 minutes (depending on settings)
  • Changes won't appear immediately
  • Wait for next refresh cycle

Force Refresh:

  1. Edit Google Slides integration
  2. Save without changes (triggers refresh)
  3. Or reduce refresh interval temporarily

Clear Display Cache​

Browser Caching:

  • Display may have cached old slides
  • Force refresh display browser
  • Ctrl+Shift+R or Cmd+Shift+R

Calendar Integration Issues​

Events Not Showing​

Symptoms:

  • Calendar connected but shows no events
  • "No upcoming events" when there should be
  • Events visible in Google Calendar but not BrandCast

Solutions:

Check Calendar Selection​

Multiple Calendars:

  • You may have multiple Google Calendars
  • Verify correct calendar selected

Select Calendar:

  1. Edit calendar integration
  2. Under Calendar, verify correct one selected
  3. May need to reauthorize to see all calendars

Event Privacy Settings​

Private Events:

  • Private or confidential events may not show
  • Check event privacy in Google Calendar

Make Events Public:

  1. Open Google Calendar
  2. Click event
  3. Change visibility to "Public" or "Default"
  4. Save

Date Range Too Small​

Days Ahead Setting:

  1. Edit calendar integration
  2. Check Days Ahead (e.g., 7, 30)
  3. Events outside range won't show
  4. Increase range if needed

No Events in Range:

  • May have no upcoming events in next X days
  • Create test event to verify connection

Calendar Permissions​

BrandCast Needs Access:

  • Verify BrandCast has calendar access

Check Permissions:

  1. Go to myaccount.google.com/permissions
  2. Find BrandCast
  3. Verify calendar permission granted
  4. Remove and reauthorize if needed

iCal Feed Issues​

Symptoms:

  • iCal feed not working
  • "Could not fetch calendar" error
  • Events not updating

Solutions:

Verify Feed URL​

iCal URL Format:

  • Should end in .ics
  • Example: https://calendar.google.com/calendar/ical/example/basic.ics

Test Feed:

  1. Paste iCal URL in browser
  2. Should download .ics file
  3. Open file to verify events inside

Feed Access Permissions​

Public vs Private:

  • iCal feed must be publicly accessible
  • No authentication required (Standard plans)
  • Or use authenticated feed (Enterprise)

Make Feed Public:

  • Google Calendar: Settings → Share with specific people or groups → Make available to public
  • Generate new public iCal URL
  • Update in BrandCast

Feed URL Expired​

Regenerate Feed:

  • iCal URLs sometimes expire or change
  • Need to regenerate

Get New iCal URL:

  1. Google Calendar: Settings → Integrate calendar → Secret address in iCal format
  2. Copy new URL
  3. Update in BrandCast

Weather Integration Issues​

Weather Not Displaying​

Symptoms:

  • Weather widget blank
  • "Weather unavailable" error
  • No weather data showing

Solutions:

Verify Location Format​

Location Entry:

  • US ZIP code: 5 digits (e.g., 10001)
  • City name: "City, State" or "City, Country"
  • International: Include country code

Examples:

  • Valid: 90210
  • Valid: Los Angeles, CA
  • Valid: London, UK
  • Invalid: Los Angeles (ambiguous - multiple cities)
  • Invalid: 902 (incomplete ZIP)

Location Not Found​

Try Different Format:

  1. If ZIP code fails, try city name
  2. If city name fails, try ZIP
  3. Try nearby larger city
  4. Verify spelling

International Locations:

  • Always include country
  • Use English city names
  • Example: Tokyo, Japan not 東京

Wrong Location Weather​

Symptoms:

  • Shows weather for different city
  • Incorrect location data

Solutions:

Verify Location Setting​

Check Configuration:

  1. Edit weather integration
  2. Verify Location field
  3. Ensure matches display physical location
  4. Save if changed

ZIP Code Ambiguity​

Multiple Locations:

  • Some ZIP codes cover large areas
  • Weather may be for ZIP code center, not exact location

Solution:

  • Use specific city name instead
  • Include state/country for precision

Weather Data Outdated​

Symptoms:

  • Weather not current
  • Shows old temperature
  • Forecast not updating

Solutions:

Check Update Interval​

Refresh Frequency:

  • Default: 15 minutes
  • Weather data only updates at this interval

Reduce Interval:

  1. Edit weather integration
  2. Reduce Update Interval
  3. Recommended minimum: 5 minutes (300 seconds)
  4. Save

Weather API Issue​

Service Provider:

  • BrandCast uses third-party weather API
  • Service may be temporarily down
  • Check status.brandcast.app
  • Usually resolves automatically

ZoomShift Integration Issues​

Schedules Not Showing​

Symptoms:

  • Schedule widget blank
  • "No schedules available" message
  • Employees not appearing

Solutions:

Verify ZoomShift Connection​

Check Authorization:

  1. Go to Content Sources → Find ZoomShift integration
  2. Check connection status
  3. If disconnected, click Reconnect
  4. Log into ZoomShift
  5. Authorize BrandCast

Check Date Range​

Schedule Period:

  1. Edit ZoomShift integration
  2. Verify Date Range (today, week, month)
  3. No schedules may exist for selected range
  4. Check ZoomShift directly for schedules

Location/Department Filters​

Filter Settings:

  • May be filtering to specific location/department
  • No employees in that filter

Adjust Filters:

  1. Edit ZoomShift integration
  2. Check location and department filters
  3. Remove filters or adjust
  4. Save

Schedule Not Updating​

Symptoms:

  • Schedule shows old data
  • Recent changes in ZoomShift don't appear
  • Employees showing wrong shifts

Solutions:

Refresh Interval​

Update Frequency:

  • Default: 30 minutes
  • Changes won't appear immediately

Force Refresh:

  1. Edit ZoomShift integration
  2. Click Test Connection
  3. Or save without changes
  4. Wait for next refresh

Sync Issues​

ZoomShift API:

  • API may be delayed
  • Changes take time to propagate
  • Usually updates within 5-10 minutes

Stock Market Integration Issues​

Stock Prices Not Showing​

Symptoms:

  • Ticker shows "N/A"
  • Stock prices blank
  • "Symbol not found" error

Solutions:

Verify Stock Symbols​

Correct Symbols:

  • Use official ticker symbols
  • Examples: AAPL (Apple), GOOGL (Alphabet), MSFT (Microsoft)
  • Case-insensitive but must be exact

Check Symbols:

  1. Search on Yahoo Finance or Google Finance
  2. Copy exact symbol
  3. Update in BrandCast

Common Mistakes:

  • Using company name instead of symbol
  • Typos in symbol
  • Outdated symbol (company merged/renamed)

Market Hours​

Stock Market Closed:

  • Stocks only update when market is open
  • NYSE hours: 9:30 AM - 4:00 PM ET, Monday-Friday
  • Closed weekends and holidays
  • Shows last closing price when closed

No Error:

  • This is expected behavior
  • Prices update when market reopens

Stock Prices Outdated​

Symptoms:

  • Prices not current
  • Delayed by several minutes
  • Shows pre-market prices during market hours

Solutions:

Check Update Interval​

Refresh Frequency:

  • Default: 60 seconds (1 minute)
  • Can reduce for more frequent updates (Enterprise)

Real-Time vs Delayed:

  • Free stock APIs have 15-minute delay
  • Real-time requires paid API (Enterprise)
  • Verify API tier

API Rate Limits​

Too Many Requests:

  • Stock APIs have strict rate limits
  • If exceeded, updates pause
  • Increase update interval
  • Upgrade to paid API tier

Integration Best Practices​

Configuration​

Update Intervals:

  • Set based on data freshness needs
  • Balance freshness with API limits
  • Recommended intervals:
    • RSS: 5-15 minutes
    • Weather: 15-30 minutes
    • Calendar: 30-60 minutes
    • Schedules: 30 minutes
    • Stock: 60 seconds (paid) or 5 minutes (free)

Error Handling:

  • Enable fallback content for integrations
  • Show cached data if fetch fails
  • Configure error messages

Monitoring​

Regular Checks:

  • Review integration status weekly
  • Check for disconnected integrations
  • Monitor API usage and limits
  • Reauthorize before tokens expire

Alerts:

  • Enable email alerts for failed integrations (Enterprise)
  • Monitor error logs
  • Set up uptime monitoring

Security​

OAuth Best Practices:

  • Don't share OAuth tokens
  • Reauthorize if security concerns
  • Use dedicated service accounts (Enterprise)
  • Rotate credentials periodically

API Keys:

  • Keep API keys secure
  • Don't expose in client-side code
  • Rotate keys if compromised
  • Use environment variables

Getting Help​

Still Having Integration Issues?

  1. Check Other Guides:

  2. Review Integration Guides:

  3. Check Service Status:

  4. Contact Support:

    • Email: [email protected]
    • Include: Integration type, error messages, screenshots
    • Describe: What you're trying to do, what's happening instead
    • Attach: Screenshots of integration settings (hide sensitive data)

Next Steps​