Thread Stuck or Failed
Published February 28, 2026 · Last updated March 5, 2026 · 2 min read
A thread you started reported failure, stopped responding, or never finished its task.
Why This Happens
Threads working on a task must report their result — success, failure, or that they need more information — before finishing. If a thread can't complete, Obvious retries it automatically. If retries don't resolve the issue, the thread is marked as failed.
Three common causes:
- Something went wrong mid-task. A connection timed out, a required credential was missing, or the thread hit an error it couldn't recover from.
- The thread finished but didn't report back. It completed its work but never confirmed the result, so Obvious treated it as incomplete.
- The thread is waiting on you. It needs additional information before it can continue.
Check the Thread's Status
- Open the project sidebar and find the thread by name.
- Click the thread to view its conversation history.
- Look for the most recent message. A system message about continuing the task means Obvious retried automatically. A failure message means retries didn't work.
Fix It
Thread reported failure with an error:
- Missing credentials — Add the required secret to the project, then send a message to the thread telling it to try again.
- Connection or timeout error — These are often temporary. Send a message to the thread asking it to retry.
- Task was too broad — Break the goal into smaller, more specific threads.
Thread went silent:
It ran out of processing time without reporting a result. Send a message with next-step instructions — Obvious restarts the thread automatically when you do.
Thread is waiting for input:
Open the thread, read what it's asking for, and reply. It picks back up on its own.
Prevent It Next Time
- Provide everything upfront. Include credentials, file references, and specific instructions when you start the thread. Threads don't carry over your conversation history.
- Keep objectives specific. "Research competitor X and create a summary" works better than "do competitor research."
- Define what the result should look like. The more specific you are about the expected output, the less likely the thread is to get stuck.
Still Stuck?
Archive the thread and start a new one with a revised prompt. Copy useful context from the failed thread's conversation into the new prompt.
If that doesn't resolve it, contact Obvious support at help@obvious.ai with the thread name and project.