Common Issues and Solutions

This article covers the top 10 most common issues Light users encounter and provides straightforward solutions for each.

# Issue 1: Can't Log In to Light

# Symptoms

• "Invalid credentials" error when logging in
• Password reset email not received
• Locked out after multiple login attempts

# Solutions

1. Wrong Credentials: Verify caps lock is off and you're entering your correct email and password
2. Reset Password:
   • Click "Forgot Password" on the login page
   • Enter your email address
   • Check your email (including spam folder) for reset link
   • Click the link and create a new password
3. Account Locked: Try again in 15 minutes (temporary lockout after 5 failed attempts)
4. Using SSO: If your company uses Single Sign-On, click "Sign in with SSO" instead of using password
5. Browser Cache: Clear browser cookies and cache, then try again

Tip: Keep your password reset email in a safe place for future reference.

# Issue 2: Data Not Syncing from Bank

# Symptoms

• Bank transactions missing from Light
• Balance doesn't match your bank
• No new transactions for several days

# Solutions

1. Check Connection Status:
   • Go to Settings (gear icon) → Bank accounts
   • Look for red warning icons next to account names
   • Click the account to view connection status
2. Reconnect Bank Account:
   • Click the account with sync issues
   • Select Renew connection
   • Re-enter bank login credentials through secure connection
   • Complete any multi-factor authentication
3. Wait for Sync:
   • Bank feeds sync automatically once or twice a day, depending on the feed's sync interval
   • New transactions can take up to 24 hours to appear
   • Don't add transactions manually if waiting for sync
4. Check Bank Connection Limits:
   • Some banks limit API connections
   • Contact your bank to verify they allow Light to access accounts
   • Increase connection frequency in Light settings if available
5. Provider-Specific Issues: See "Bank Connection Troubleshooting" article

# Issue 3: Invoices Not Extracting Data Correctly

# Symptoms

• AI parsing missed key invoice details
• Amounts extracted incorrectly
• Vendor names not recognized

# Solutions

1. Improve Image Quality:
   • Retake photo with better lighting
   • Ensure entire invoice is visible
   • Avoid glare or shadows
   • Keep camera steady
2. Try Different Upload Method:
   • If uploading a photo, try uploading a PDF instead
   • Scanned invoices often extract better than phone photos
3. Verify Invoice Format:
   • Standard invoice formats extract better than custom formats
   • Ensure text is horizontal (not angled)
   • Handwritten invoices may need manual entry
4. Manually Correct After Extraction:
   • Review and edit extracted fields before saving
   • Set defaults (such as a default ledger account) on the vendor record so future invoices from the same vendor are coded correctly
5. Contact Support for Complex Invoices:
   • Submit sample invoices that consistently fail
   • Light support can configure custom extraction rules

# Issue 4: Expenses Missing Categories

# Symptoms

• Receipts uploaded but no category assigned
• Wrong category auto-assigned to expenses
• "Uncategorized" appears for multiple transactions

# Solutions

1. Assign Categories Manually:
   • Go to Expenses
   • Find transactions with missing or wrong categories
   • Click the category field
   • Select the correct category from dropdown
   • Save the transaction
2. Set Vendor Defaults:
   • Set a default ledger account on the vendor record
   • Future purchases from the same vendor will be categorized using that default
3. Check Available Categories:
   • Your company may have custom categories
   • Ensure you're selecting from your company's defined list
   • Ask your admin if categories need to be added
4. Bulk Update:
   • For multiple transactions needing the same category
   • Select multiple transactions
   • Choose Bulk Update > Category
   • Select the category and apply to all

# Issue 5: Can't Find a Transaction

# Symptoms

• Transaction missing from ledger
• Search doesn't find the transaction
• Transaction appears on bank but not in Light

# Solutions

1. Check Filters:
   • Transactions may be filtered by date, account, or status
   • Click Filters and verify date range includes the transaction
   • Remove any filters restricting results
2. Verify Account:
   • Transaction may be in a different account than expected
   • Check all connected bank accounts
   • Look for similar amounts in different accounts
3. Search by Reference:
   • Use search box with invoice number or reference
   • Search by vendor name
   • Search by amount (exact or approximate)
4. Check If Posted:
   • Pending transactions may not appear in searches
   • Look in Pending Transactions section
   • Review reconciliation status
5. Multiple Document Posting:
   • Transaction may be in multiple places (invoice and payment)
   • Search across all document types
   • Consider filtering by document type

# Issue 6: Reconciliation Not Matching Transactions

# Symptoms

• Bank transactions won't match with accounting entries
• AI suggestions are incorrect
• Manual matches won't save

# Solutions

1. Verify Amounts Match:
   • Reconciliation requires amounts to balance
   • Add up accounting entries—must equal bank transaction
   • Check for bank fees or currency conversion
2. Check Dates:
   • Bank transactions may post after accounting entries
   • Allow 3-5 business day variance
   • Adjust dates if transaction was misdated in accounting
3. Review Existing Matches:
   • Transaction may already be matched
   • Search to see if it's in a reconciliation group already
   • Unmatched transactions: delete the old match first
4. Create Supporting Documents:
   • For unmatched bank activity, create accounting documents
   • Create journal entries for bank fees
   • Create credit memos for returns
   • Then reconcile the new documents
5. Check Status:
   • Verify reconciliation period is open
   • Some statuses prevent new matches
   • Ask admin to unlock reconciliation if needed

# Issue 7: Report Not Showing Expected Data

# Symptoms

• Report is blank or incomplete
• Data doesn't match what you expect
• Report hasn't updated recently

# Solutions

1. Check Filters and Date Range:
   • Verify report date range matches what you want
   • Remove any active filters
   • Check if filters are hiding data
2. Verify Permissions:
   • You may not have access to all data
   • Ask admin if you need access to restricted entities
   • Confirm you can view the accounts/departments in the report
3. Refresh the Data:
   • Click Refresh in the report header
   • Wait 30 seconds for data to reload
   • Larger reports take longer to process
4. Check Data Entry:
   • Data may not have been entered or posted
   • Verify transactions were posted (not still pending)
   • Confirm posting date matches report date range
5. Change Report View:
   • Try a different report type or format
   • Export data to CSV for manual review
   • Contact support if specific reports consistently fail

# Issue 8: Getting "Insufficient Permission" Errors

# Symptoms

• Can't access certain accounts or reports
• "Permission denied" messages
• Unable to approve or post transactions

# Solutions

1. Verify Your Role:
   • Go to Settings (gear icon) → Profile
   • Check your assigned role
   • Certain roles have limited permissions
2. Request Access:
   • Contact your Light administrator
   • Ask for the specific permission you need
   • Provide business justification if needed
3. Check Entity Access:
   • You may have access to your role but not your entity
   • Verify you're assigned to the company/department you need
   • Ask admin to add you to the right entity
4. Clear Browser Cache:
   • Permissions update instantly but may not reflect immediately
   • Clear cookies and refresh page
   • Sign out and back in to pick up new permissions
5. Ask a Colleague:
   • Ask someone with the required permission to complete the action

# Issue 9: Integration Is Not Working

# Symptoms

• Connected app doesn't sync
• Integration shows "disconnected" or "error"
• Data not flowing between systems

# Solutions

1. Verify Integration Is Active:
   • Go to Settings → Integrations
   • Look for your integration in the list
   • Check status indicator (green = connected, red = error)
2. Check Credentials:
   • Many integrations require re-authentication
   • Click the integration to view status
   • Select Reconnect and re-enter credentials
3. Review Logs:
   • Click integration to view error logs
   • Logs show specific reasons for failures
   • Common issues (rate limits, auth failures) are usually clear
4. Check Third-Party Service:
   • Verify the connected service is operational
   • Check third-party status page for outages
   • Some integrations require services to be up
5. Re-enable Integration:
   • Disable the integration
   • Wait 5 minutes
   • Re-enable it
   • Verify it reconnects properly

# Issue 10: Performance Is Slow

# Symptoms

• Pages take a long time to load
• Scrolling or typing is sluggish
• Reports take many minutes to process

# Solutions

1. Check Your Internet:
   • Slow internet causes slow application
   • Test your connection speed
   • Move closer to WiFi or restart modem
2. Clear Browser Cache:
   • Accumulated cache can slow browsing
   • Clear cache from browser settings
   • Refresh the page
   • Log out and back in
3. Use Faster Browser:
   • Modern browsers (Chrome, Edge, Safari) perform best
   • Avoid older browser versions
   • Update your browser to latest version
4. Close Extra Tabs:
   • Multiple Light tabs use more resources
   • Keep only necessary tabs open
   • Close other browser tabs to free memory
5. Smaller Reports:
   • Large reports with much data process slowly
   • Filter data to smaller date ranges
   • Run reports during off-peak hours
   • Contact support for persistent slow performance

# Getting More Help

If these solutions don't resolve your issue:

• See "Contacting Light Support" article
• Gather relevant information (error messages, screenshots, transaction IDs)
• Contact support through your preferred channel

# Related Articles

• Bank connection troubleshooting
• Integration sync issues
• Data import errors
• Contacting Light support