Common Issues & Solutions

Find solutions to frequently encountered problems in CPA Buddy.

Login & Authentication

Can’t Log In

Symptoms: Unable to sign in, password not accepted

Solutions:

1. Verify your email address is correct (check for typos)
2. Ensure Caps Lock is not enabled
3. Click Forgot Password on the login page to reset your password
4. Clear your browser cache and cookies
5. Try an incognito or private browser window

Session Expired

Symptoms: Suddenly logged out, “Session expired” message

Why it happens: For security, sessions expire after a period of inactivity.

Solution: Log in again. Your work is automatically saved.

Invitation Link Not Working

Symptoms: Invitation link shows an error or expired message

Solutions:

1. Check that the full link was copied (email clients sometimes truncate links)
2. Invitation links expire after 10 days — request a new invitation
3. Contact your firm administrator for a new invitation

Performance Issues

Pages Loading Slowly

Solutions:

1. Check your internet connection
2. Clear browser cache
3. Try a different browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge)
4. Disable browser extensions temporarily
5. Check if the issue persists on a different device

Features Not Responding

Solutions:

1. Refresh the page
2. Log out and log back in
3. Clear browser cache
4. Check for browser updates

Email & Firm Inbox Issues

Not Receiving Emails in Firm Inbox

Possible causes:

• Mail is going elsewhere
• Firm email configuration issue
• Sender not recognized

Solutions:

1. Check the Snoozed tab — the message may have been deferred
2. Check Administration > Recycle Bin — the message may have been deleted (deleted emails are permanently removed after 60 days)
3. Clear the firm inbox search field
4. Verify your firm’s email address format with your admin
5. Contact support if emails are still missing

Can’t Send Emails

Solutions:

1. Ensure your firm’s shortname is configured correctly
2. Verify the recipient email address is valid
3. Check if attachments are too large (limit: 25MB per file)
4. Try sending without attachments to isolate the issue

Email Not Linking to Client

Solutions:

1. Verify the sender’s email matches the client record
2. Manually link the email using the link feature on the email detail view
3. Update the client’s email address if it changed

Client & Engagement Issues

Can’t Find a Client

Solutions:

1. Check spelling in the search field
2. Try searching by email instead of name
3. Clear filters (client type, engagements)
4. Switch between Active and Inactive tabs
5. Verify the client was created successfully

Engagement Status Won’t Update

Solutions:

1. Refresh the page
2. Check if you have permission to update the engagement
3. Ensure all required fields are filled
4. Clear browser cache and try again

Workflow Issues

Can’t Assign a Workflow to a Client

Solutions:

1. Confirm the template is published (firm templates must be published before assignment)
2. Check that you have permission to assign workflows (owners, admins, and managers)
3. Refresh the Workflows page and try again

Workflow Steps Not Progressing

Solutions:

1. Open the active workflow and check the current step status
2. Complete or skip blocked steps if applicable
3. Contact your admin if the workflow appears stuck after a refresh

Billing & Subscription Issues

Invite Staff Button Is Greyed Out

Cause: All seats on your plan are in use.

Solutions:

1. Click your profile avatar, then Billing & Usage under Admin (or go to /settings?tab=subscription) to add seats or upgrade your plan
2. Deactivate an inactive staff member to free a seat

Payment or Subscription Problems

Solutions:

1. Owners and admins: click your profile avatar, then Billing & Usage under Admin (or go to /settings?tab=subscription)
2. Update your payment method via the Stripe customer portal
3. For firm invoices and timesheet approval, open Administration > Billing & Timesheets
4. If you see a past-due or cancelled banner, follow the in-app prompts to restore access
5. Contact support if billing status does not update after payment

Browser Compatibility

Supported Browsers

CPA Buddy works best with:

• Google Chrome (recommended) — latest version
• Mozilla Firefox — latest version
• Microsoft Edge — latest version
• Safari — latest version

Not Supported

• Internet Explorer (any version)
• Outdated browser versions

Still Need Help?

If your issue isn’t listed here or the solutions don’t work:

1. Search the Help Center for related topics
2. Contact Support with:
   • Description of the issue
   • Steps to reproduce
   • Any error messages
   • Browser and device information

Our support team typically responds within 24 hours on business days.

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Can’t find what you’re looking for? Contact our support team.