Troubleshooting AI Report Generation

DonorDesk always tries to give you a report. If the AI cannot write a section properly, it uses a basic (deterministic) version for that section and tells you why. The rest of the report continues.

Messages you may see and what to do

Message	Meaning	What to do
AI writing is switched off for this workspace, so a basic version was used.	AI is disabled.	An Admin can enable AI enabled in Settings → Settings.
AI writing is not set up for your organisation, so a basic version was used.	No AI provider is configured for your workspace.	Contact support@donordesk.online.
The AI service took too long for this section… Try again.	The provider timed out.	Regenerate that section.
The AI service returned no text / text we could not use…	Provider returned an empty or unusable answer.	Regenerate the section.
The AI service could not be reached… Try again later.	Provider or network problem.	Wait and retry.
The AI service refused this request because of personal data…	The content included personal data the provider rejects.	Remove personal details from the story or evidence text, then retry.
The AI text did not pass our fact checks, so a basic version was used.	The draft contained numbers or claims not supported by your data.	Check that indicator values are entered and verified, then regenerate.

Fallback sections are not billed as AI drafts.

"Generate report" is missing or disabled

• You need a role that can generate reports: Admin, Project Manager, M&E Officer or Grants Officer.
• A Reviewed donor template must be pinned to the period. Approve the template first.
• You may have reached your monthly AI drafts. Check Settings → Billing, buy a top-up pack (Team/Growth) or wait for the reset. You can still write manually.
• If a generation is already running, wait for it to finish.

The draft is generic or thin

• Enter and verify indicator values for the period.
• Upload evidence and link it to indicators and activities.
• Fill in Tell the Story.
• Make sure the donor template's sections have instructions and mandatory questions.

Numbers look different from what I expected

Tables, charts and comparisons come from verified data, not from the AI. Fix or verify the indicator value and regenerate or re-check. Use Use the evidence value in the Statements tab for statements that disagree.

Regenerate a section is blocked

Message	Fix
Sections can only be regenerated while the report is a draft.	Reopen or use the current draft.
This is an older version of the report.	Open the current version.
The report is still being written.	Wait for generation to finish.
This section is already being rewritten.	Wait a moment.
You can regenerate up to N sections per hour for one report.	Try again later, or edit manually.

Generation seems stuck

Generation runs in the background; a full report can take several minutes. Reload the period page. If nothing changes after about ten minutes, email support@donordesk.online with the project and period.

Style suggestions do not appear

AI Writing Style must be enabled for your workspace and switched on in Settings, and learns only after your team edits AI-drafted sections. See AI Settings.