If you’re using Tavus to help with your go-to-market (GTM) strategy and things aren’t going as planned, you’re not alone. Whether your videos aren’t personalizing right, integrations are flaky, or you’re just getting generic “something went wrong” errors, this guide’s for you. I’ll break down the most common Tavus headaches, how to fix them, and what’s usually not worth stressing over.
Let’s get you unstuck, fast.
Step 1: Pinpoint the Problem (Don’t Assume It’s Tavus)
Before you dive into settings or try random fixes, slow down and define what’s actually going wrong. Tavus does a lot—video generation, personalization, automation, integrations—so “it’s broken” isn’t specific enough.
Ask yourself: - Is the issue with video generation or personalization? - Are integrations (like Salesforce, HubSpot, Zapier) failing? - Are emails or campaigns not triggering? - Are you getting error messages? If so, what exactly do they say? - Is it just slow, or totally failing to deliver?
Pro tip: Many Tavus “failures” are really issues with your CRM, email service, or API keys expiring. Tavus just shows the error.
What’s not worth your time: Blaming Tavus for things outside its control. If your CRM API is down or you’re sending the wrong data, Tavus can’t fix that.
Step 2: Fix Video Generation & Personalization Issues
Common symptoms:
- Videos don’t personalize (wrong names, generic content)
- Output is missing or garbled
- Stuck in “processing” forever
Troubleshooting:
a) Check Your Data Inputs
Tavus personalizes videos based on the data you feed it. If you send a blank or broken CSV, or if your CRM fields are empty, you’ll get generic or failed videos.
- Open your source data. Are all the personalization fields (like {FirstName}) filled in?
- Watch out for typos in your merge tags.
{FirstName}isn’t the same as{firstname}. - If you’re using integrations, test with a known-good record. Does it work for anyone?
b) Review Your Templates
- Double-check that your template video is set up with the right placeholders.
- If Tavus can’t find a matching tag, it’ll usually default or fail.
- Some platforms are case-sensitive. Consistency matters.
c) Understand Processing Delays
- High load or large batches mean videos can take longer—sometimes hours.
- If it’s been more than a few hours, that’s not normal. Check Tavus’s status page or reach out to support.
What to ignore: Don’t waste time re-uploading the same video over and over. If your template or data’s broken, that won’t help.
Step 3: Solve Integration Headaches
Common symptoms:
- Tavus can’t connect to your CRM or email tool
- Data doesn’t sync, or fields are missing
- Connections randomly break
Troubleshooting:
a) Re-authenticate Integrations
- OAuth connections (like Salesforce, HubSpot) often expire. Go to Tavus’s integration settings and reconnect.
- If you’re using API keys, check for typos or expired keys. Replace with fresh ones.
- Some CRMs require you to re-authorize after password changes.
b) Check Permission Scopes
- Tavus needs access to specific fields in your CRM. If you’ve restricted permissions, it can’t work.
- Make sure the Tavus app/user has rights to read/write the data you expect.
c) Test with Simple Data
- Try a basic test: one contact, minimal data. If that works, the issue’s likely with your bulk data or mapping.
d) Watch for Rate Limits
- Some integrations (especially Salesforce) have hard limits on API calls. If you run big batches, you can hit these fast.
- Slow down your processing or stagger your campaigns if you run into “too many requests” errors.
What to ignore: Don’t assume uninstalling and reinstalling the integration will magically fix deep data mapping problems. Focus on the data and permissions.
Step 4: Debug “Something Went Wrong” Errors
Common symptoms:
- Generic error messages
- No videos generated, or videos fail to send
- Tavus dashboard shows red exclamation marks or warnings
Troubleshooting:
a) Refresh and Retry
- Sometimes, it’s a simple browser hiccup. Refresh the page and try again.
- If you’re using browser extensions or blockers, try disabling them—they sometimes break web apps.
b) Check Tavus’s Status
- Visit Tavus’s official status page or support Twitter. If they’re having an outage, you’re not going to solve it yourself.
- If it’s a widespread problem, save yourself the headache and wait it out.
c) Look for Specific Error Codes
- If you see an error code (like 400, 401, 500), note it down. Paste it into Tavus’s support docs or Google it.
- 401s usually mean you’re not authenticated. 500s are Tavus’s problem.
d) Clear Your Cache/Use Another Browser
- Sometimes cookies or corrupted cache break web app sessions.
- Try in Chrome and Firefox—if both fail, it’s likely not your browser.
What to ignore: Don’t waste hours clicking around the dashboard. If it’s a generic, persistent error, it’s probably on Tavus’s end or a bad integration.
Step 5: Handle Delivery and Campaign Issues
Common symptoms:
- Videos are generated but don’t get delivered (emails, SMS, CRM tasks)
- Campaigns don’t trigger, or only some recipients get messages
Troubleshooting:
a) Check Your Outbound Platform
- Tavus hands off delivery to your email/SMS/CRM tool. If delivery fails, check their logs.
- Are you over your sending limits? Is your domain blacklisted? These are outside Tavus’s control.
b) Review Campaign Triggers
- Automation only works if triggers are set up right. Double-check your automation rules and filters.
- Sometimes a single typo or extra space in a trigger rule can break everything.
c) Test with a Small Group
- Try sending to just yourself or a test contact. If that works, your big batch or segment setup may be off.
d) Look for Spam/Promotion Folders
- Personalized videos often get flagged by spam filters, especially if you’re sending at high volume or with lots of links.
- Check junk or promotions folders, and warm up your sending domain if you’re new.
What to ignore: Don’t expect Tavus to troubleshoot your ESP’s delivery issues. Use their docs, but remember, Tavus can’t control what happens after the handoff.
Step 6: Know When to Contact Support (and What to Send Them)
If you’ve tried the steps above and still can’t get Tavus working:
- Document what you’ve tried (screenshots, error messages, sample data).
- Be specific: “Videos aren’t generating for contacts where {FirstName} is blank” is better than “it’s not working.”
- Include details on your browser, integration platforms, campaign setup, and any recent changes you made.
Support teams can’t read minds—give them something to go on, and you’ll get faster, more useful help.
A Few Final Thoughts
Tavus is powerful, but it’s not magic. Most issues come down to bad data, expired integrations, or automation setup mistakes. Don’t overthink it: start small, test with real examples, and only scale up once you know things are working. Ignore the hype about “instant personalization at scale”—real-world success comes from simple, reliable workflows.
If you hit a wall, strip things back to basics. One video, one recipient, one integration. Fix what’s in front of you, then iterate. Sometimes, simple just works.