Widget troubleshooting

The widget builder is Beta. Treat the first build as a draft to inspect and test. A finished visual layout and a running integration are separate results; a card can look correct while its data request or action fails.

The builder closed or appears stuck

Open Studio and look for the existing tile. Closing the builder while it works does not cancel the build. A tile marked Building can return you to the same draft. Reopening it avoids creating multiple attempts when the first one is still active.

Read the current build stage and checks. If there is an error, record its first useful message before retrying. A focused revision such as “Keep the layout and fix the date calculation” is easier to verify than repeatedly requesting an entirely new widget.

It looks right but shows the wrong information

Check whether the preview uses sample data. Compare a small, read-only result against its original service. For example, confirm a displayed date or item title before relying on a larger summary.

If the widget needs an account or setting, use What it needs and the designated configuration controls. Do not paste keys into the builder’s conversation. A connected account alone does not guarantee that a generated widget uses the correct service or that its execution path is enabled in your build.

Use Ask your widget… to try one bounded operation. If it fails, distinguish a wrong input, an unavailable service, and an authorization error. Rebuilding the visuals will not resolve a missing account permission.

Inspect the running widget

Advanced → Server output exposes diagnostic output and supported restart or repair controls. Read the output before choosing Restart or Fix it. A restart can restore a stopped local process but cannot fix an invalid credential or a service outage by itself.

Under Actions and approvals, check the available actions and their confirmation settings. Sending or deleting actions remain consequential even when reached through a small widget. Verify external state before retrying an action whose result is uncertain.

Keep, revise, or discard

Choose Keep widget only after testing the draft. Kept widgets are available through Studio and Settings → Apps → My Apps. Reopen the existing item for revisions so you can compare the changed behavior with what already worked.

Throw away discards the draft and removes its draft folder. Preserve anything important first. For an icon-only problem, use the icon control instead of rebuilding the widget; changing the picture should not require changing its actions.

A kept widget is local software. There is no general public sharing marketplace in the current app, and another computer will not automatically have the same widget or credentials. See Studio, MCP connections, and Privacy.