---
title: "Saddle Troubleshooting and FAQ: Fix Connection and Permission Errors"
url: "https://plugpress.co/docs/troubleshooting.md"
canonical: "https://plugpress.co/docs/troubleshooting/"
published: "2026-07-28"
modified: "2026-07-28"
author: "Fahim"
tags:
  - "Saddle"
---

# Saddle Troubleshooting and FAQ: Fix Connection and Permission Errors

Most Saddle problems fall into four buckets: a rejected key, a key that never arrives, a permission refusal, or a deletion that "stopped to ask." The first two are connection issues with quick fixes; the last two are Saddle's safety systems working as designed. Here's how to tell them apart and fix each one.

## Why does my AI app get a 401 "key rejected" error?

**Cause:** the connection's sign-in key was revoked or rotated — it no longer matches what the site expects.

**Fix:** reconnect the app from **Saddle → Connections**. If you just rotated the key on purpose, paste the fresh setup snippet into your AI app and you're done. Old snippets stop working the moment a key rotates.

## Why does my AI app get a 401 "no key arrived" error?

**Cause:** your web server is stripping the `Authorization` header before it reaches WordPress. This is a common default on some hosts, especially with certain Apache and FastCGI configurations — the AI app is sending the key, but the server drops it.

**Fix:** open **Saddle → Connections → Connection details & health** and run the connection check. On most hosts it can apply the fix automatically. If it can't, it will tell you what to change in your server configuration.

## Why was a tool call refused with a permission error?

**Cause:** one of the owner's controls blocked it — the global pause switch, the connection's access level, or that specific tool being toggled off. A refused call changes nothing on the site.

**Fix:** if the action should be allowed, check the three controls in order: the pause switch in **Saddle → Settings**, then the access level and the individual tool toggle in **Saddle → Permissions**. Details in [Permissions and Access Levels](/docs/permissions-access-levels/). Retrying without changing anything won't help — the refusal is deliberate.

## My AI said a deletion needs confirmation. Is something broken?

No — that's the [approval gate](/docs/safe-deletions/). Deletions always return a preview and a single-use token first; nothing is deleted until the AI calls again with that token after you approve. Review the preview and give the go-ahead if you want it deleted.

## Frequently asked questions

### Can I see what an AI app changed on my site?

Yes — Saddle keeps an activity log of every change made through connected AI apps, newest first, visible in the dashboard.

### How do I cut off AI access instantly?

Flip the pause switch in **Saddle → Settings** to suspend all connections at once, or revoke a single connection's key in **Saddle → Connections** to cut off one app.

### Does Saddle work with multiple AI apps at once?

Yes. Create a separate connection per app in **Saddle → Connections** — each gets its own key and can be revoked independently. See [Getting Started](/docs/getting-started/).

### An AI edit looks wrong — can I undo it?

Posts and pages keep normal WordPress revisions, so you can restore a previous version from the editor. Trashed items can be restored until the trash is emptied.