Guide · Base44

Why is my Base44 app not working? The documented causes, from a blank page to a 403

A Base44 app that is "not working" usually has one of the problems Base44 documents: a blank screen after a change, changes that were never published, a backend function that fails or cannot be reached, data permission rules, a server error, or an app whose visibility keeps other people out. Each has its own fix, and Base44 suggests typing "Something is wrong" in the AI chat first.

Why it happens

A Base44 app has pages, backend functions, data with permission rules, and a publish step. Base44 notes that the live app keeps running a backend function from your last publish until you publish again, so the editor and the live site can disagree.

The causes, and how to fix each

1. A blank or white screen, or an app that never stops loading

Base44 says this "usually means something in your app's code broke", and that it often starts right after a change.

How to fix it

If an Issues Found message appears in the app editor, click Resolve with AI.
Refresh the preview, or clear your browser cache and reload; try another browser or device.
If it started after a recent change, click the Revert icon under that message in the AI chat, or restore an earlier version from Version history.
If the screen goes blank after you save data or publish, ask the AI to check that your data field types match the data your app saves.
Still stuck: contact Base44 Customer Care with your app link, what you see, when it started and any errors from the browser console.

Source: Base44: App editor overview (troubleshooting)

2. Changes do not appear on the live site

Your live app only changes when you publish. For backend functions, the live app keeps running the version from your last publish.

How to fix it

Check that you clicked Publish after your last change.
Clear your browser cache and reload the live app, or open it in another browser or device.
If you changed a backend function: Dashboard, Code, open the function's entry.ts, click Save & Redeploy, then publish.

Source: Base44: App editor overview (troubleshooting) · Base44: Working with code (troubleshooting backend functions)

3. A backend function returns 404 or an error

Base44 says functions accept GET and POST, and that opening a function's URL in a browser sends no data, so a working function can still return an error.

How to fix it

Test the function from Code. If the test passes, the problem is in the request: send the data the function expects.
If the test also returns 404, check that your plan includes backend functions.
Check that the call uses the function's exact name (its folder under base44 > functions), then open entry.ts, click Save & Redeploy and test again.

Source: Base44: Working with code (troubleshooting backend functions)

4. A function fails to deploy (ISOLATE_INTERNAL_FAILURE)

Base44 says the function could not start when it was deployed. It is sometimes short-lived; if it keeps failing, something in the code stops it from running.

How to fix it

Click Save & Redeploy again.
If it keeps failing, ask the AI chat to make the function compatible with Deno.serve without changing what it does. Functions wrap their logic in Deno.serve(), and imports start with npm:, jsr: or node:, or are relative paths.
Click Save & Redeploy, then publish so the live app gets the fixed function.

Source: Base44: Working with code (troubleshooting backend functions)

5. 403 "DNS points to prohibited IP" from a backend function

A chain of functions calling each other can be up to 7 long, counting the one that starts it. The 8th and later cannot reach Base44.

How to fix it

Find a function that invokes itself, or functions that invoke each other one after another.
Start each step from a new request instead: process one step, save progress on a record, and start the next step from the app or a scheduled workflow.
If a function calls another only to reuse its code, move that code into a file in base44/shared/ and import it in both.

Source: Base44: Working with code (troubleshooting backend functions)

6. Data permissions block, or expose, data

Base44's 403 entry names data permissions that are not properly set; missing rules can also let people see more than they should.

How to fix it

In the app editor, click Dashboard, then Run Security Scan.
Review each recommendation, then click Fix All on the permissions group or fix single issues.
Test again with different user roles.

Source: Base44: Running a security scan · Base44: Troubleshooting issues (error codes)

7. 500 Internal Server Error

Base44 says a 500 comes from the server, that you usually cannot fix it yourself, and that many are temporary.

How to fix it

Refresh and try again, check the Base44 status page or Discord for known issues, and contact Customer Care with your app name, where and when it happens, and any console errors if it keeps happening.

Source: Base44: Troubleshooting issues (error codes)

8. The link opens for you but not for others

A Private app opens only for people you invite, and a Workspace app only for members of your Base44 workspace.

How to fix it

Make sure the app is published.
In the Dashboard, open the App Visibility drop-down and choose Public, or invite the people who need access.
If you use a custom domain, open the built-in .base44.app address (under Domains in the dashboard) in another browser. If that works, the problem is the domain setup.

Source: Base44: Managing access and roles (app visibility)

Why you can't see it yourself

You're signed in, your customers aren't. You are signed in as the owner, so a Private app opens for you, your data rules fit your role and the editor shows your newest function. A stranger opens the live link with no invitation and the last published version.

Frequently asked questions

Why is my Base44 app blank after publishing?

Base44 says a blank screen usually means something in the app's code broke. If it happens after you save data or publish, ask the AI to check that your data field types match the data your app saves.

Why don't my changes show on the live Base44 site?

The live app changes only when you publish. If you changed a backend function, click Save & Redeploy in Code, then publish again.

Why can't other people open my Base44 app?

The app may be unpublished, or its visibility set to Private or Workspace. Choose Public in the App Visibility drop-down, or invite the people who need access.

What does "DNS points to prohibited IP" mean in Base44?

A chain of backend functions calling each other went past 7, counting the one that starts it.

Will Base44 support fix my app's code?

Base44 says its support does not provide hands-on debugging or fixes for your individual app code, prompts or architecture.

Sources (official documentation)

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