Common Errors & Troubleshooting
Solutions to frequently encountered issues
Reading time: ~6 minutes
1. How to Use This Page
What This Page Is For
This page helps you identify and understand common issues you may encounter while using FinanceModel. It provides guidance on what might be happening and suggests next steps—whether that's adjusting your approach, checking your inputs, or contacting support.
Check System Status First
If you're experiencing widespread issues or the platform seems unresponsive, check our System Status page first. There may be known service disruptions or ongoing maintenance that explains what you're seeing.
Before Contacting Support
Many issues have straightforward explanations or can be resolved by reviewing your inputs and assumptions. Before reaching out to support, check this page to see if your situation is covered. This often saves time and helps you get back to work faster.
How This Page Is Organized
Issues are grouped by category: data and extraction, modeling and calculations, exports, and performance. Find the section that matches what you're experiencing, then review the common symptoms and guidance provided.
2. Data & Extraction Issues
Issues with data extraction or import typically appear early in the modeling process.
Incomplete or Missing Data
Symptoms: Some expected values are blank or missing after import. Fields that should contain data appear empty.
Guidance: Review the source file to confirm the data exists and is in an expected format. Check that column headers match what the platform expects. Data in unexpected locations or formats may not be recognized during extraction.
Unexpected Values After Extraction
Symptoms: Numbers appear different than in the source file. Values seem to be in wrong fields or have unexpected formatting.
Guidance: Check the source file for formatting issues such as merged cells, hidden rows, or unusual number formats. Review the extracted data carefully and compare against the original. If values are consistently off, the source structure may not align with extraction expectations.
Period Alignment Issues
Symptoms: Data appears in the wrong time periods. Annual and quarterly data seems misaligned.
Guidance: Verify that period labels in your source file are clear and consistent. Check whether the source uses fiscal years, calendar years, or other conventions. Review the model's period settings to ensure they match your source data.
3. Modeling & Calculation Issues
Unexpected outputs or calculation behavior often stem from inputs and assumptions rather than platform errors.
Outputs Look Unexpected
Symptoms: Model outputs seem too high, too low, or inconsistent with expectations.
Guidance: Start by reviewing your key inputs and assumptions. Outputs are calculated directly from inputs—if inputs are incorrect or unrealistic, outputs will reflect that. Check for data entry errors, misplaced decimal points, or assumptions that don't reflect your intent.
Scenario Changes Don't Behave as Expected
Symptoms: Switching scenarios doesn't change outputs as anticipated. Different scenarios produce similar or identical results.
Guidance: Verify that scenario-specific inputs have actually been changed. If two scenarios have similar inputs, they will produce similar outputs. Check that you're viewing the correct scenario and that changes were saved properly.
Sensitivities Show Counterintuitive Results
Symptoms: Sensitivity analysis shows unexpected directions or magnitudes of change.
Guidance: Consider whether other model relationships might explain the result. In complex models, multiple factors interact. A change in one input may have secondary effects that offset or amplify the primary effect. Review the model logic to understand the full chain of calculations.
Remember: Outputs Depend on Inputs
Most unexpected calculation results are explained by inputs or assumptions, not by platform errors. Before assuming something is wrong, trace the calculation from inputs to outputs to understand why the result appears as it does.
4. Export Issues
Export-related issues typically involve the export process or differences between platform view and exported files.
Export Fails or Doesn't Complete
Symptoms: Export process starts but doesn't finish. No file is downloaded. Error message appears during export.
Guidance: Try the export again—temporary network issues can interrupt downloads. If the problem persists, check whether your model is unusually large or complex. Very large models may take longer to export. Ensure your browser allows downloads from the platform.
Exported File Looks Different Than Expected
Symptoms: Formatting in exported file differs from platform view. Layout or organization is not what was expected.
Guidance: Some formatting differences between platform and export are normal due to differences in how applications render content. Review the exported file carefully. If critical information is missing or incorrect, verify the source data in the platform before re-exporting.
Changes Not Reflected in Exports
Symptoms: Recent changes to the model don't appear in the exported file.
Guidance: Exports capture the model state at the time of export. If you made changes after exporting, those changes won't appear in the existing export file. Create a new export to include the latest changes.
5. Performance & Stability
Performance issues can affect your experience, especially with large or complex models.
Slowness with Large Models
Symptoms: Platform responds slowly when working with large datasets. Calculations take longer than expected. Scrolling or navigation feels sluggish.
Guidance: Large models with many scenarios, periods, or line items require more processing. Consider whether all data is necessary for your current analysis. Reducing the scope of active scenarios or focusing on key metrics may improve responsiveness.
Browser Responsiveness Issues
Symptoms: Browser becomes unresponsive. Pages freeze temporarily. Multiple tabs affect performance.
Guidance: Complex applications benefit from dedicated browser resources. Close unnecessary tabs and applications. Ensure your browser is up to date. If issues persist, try refreshing the page or using a different browser.
General Performance Tips
- Use a modern, up-to-date browser
- Close other tabs and applications when working with large models
- Avoid working on very large models over slow network connections
- Save your work regularly to prevent loss from unexpected interruptions
6. When to Contact Support
If you've reviewed this page and the issue persists, or if you encounter something not covered here, support can help.
Contact Support When:
- You've reviewed this page and the issue remains unresolved
- You encounter an error message that doesn't make sense
- Something that previously worked no longer functions
- You believe there may be a bug or platform issue
- You need guidance beyond what documentation provides
Before Contacting Support, Gather:
- A clear description of what you were trying to do
- What happened vs. what you expected to happen
- Steps you've already taken to troubleshoot
- Any error messages you encountered (exact text if possible)
- The browser and device you're using