> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://wl.macaly.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# FAQ

> Frequently asked questions about Macaly

## Getting Started

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="What kinds of projects can I build with Macaly?">
    Macaly is designed for building marketing websites, landing pages, portfolios, blogs, web apps (contact forms, booking pages, record-keeping systems), simple 3D apps and games, visuals, and prototypes or MVPs. It excels at professionally designed, fast-loading sites.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What types of projects is Macaly not suitable for?">
    Macaly is not the right tool for complex enterprise applications, native iOS or Android mobile apps, desktop software, or projects requiring PHP, Python backends, WordPress, or Supabase. It works exclusively with Next.js (React) and Convex as its database.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I build my project in a language other than English?">
    Yes, Macaly works fully in any language. Simply give the agent instructions in your preferred language (Czech, French, German, Spanish, etc.) and it will generate the project content in that language. If you need multilingual pages, describe clearly which sections should appear in which language.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does Macaly support user authentication and login?">
    Yes. Macaly can set up authentication using OTP (one-time password sent by email) or a standard email and password login system. Just describe what you need and the agent will implement it.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I edit text and small design changes without using credits?">
    Yes. [Visual edits](/docs/en/features/visual-edits) lets you click directly on text, images, and other elements in the preview and change them without sending a message to the agent. Those changes are written into your project when you save and use no credits. The exception is Ask AI on text or an image, which does use credits and shows the price before you run it.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I use Macaly on my phone, or do I need to download an app?">
    Macaly works great in a mobile browser, so you can create and manage your projects right from your phone. The one exception is Visual edits, which is available only on larger-screen devices.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Publishing & Deployment

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="How do I publish my project?">
    Click the **Publish** button in the top-right corner of the editor. After publishing, your site is live at a free Macaly subdomain (e.g. `myproject.macaly.app`). To connect a custom domain, go to **Settings → Domains**.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="The publish process has been stuck on building for a long time. What should I do?">
    The publishing UI can occasionally lag after a build. Open the published URL and reload it to check whether the new version is already live. If the site is unavailable or the status remains stuck, contact support with the chat URL, published URL, approximate time, and a screenshot or error details.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="My preview shows changes but my live site does not reflect them. Why?">
    The preview URL and the published URL (your Macaly subdomain or custom domain) are separate environments. Click **Publish** to push changes to the live site, then hard-refresh the published URL. If it still shows an older version, contact support with both URLs and the approximate publish time.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I download the source code of my project?">
    Yes. Go to **Settings** in your project and use the export option to download a ZIP of your source code.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do I have to tell my visitors that my site was made with AI?">
    Every published site carries a machine-readable `ai-generated` tag, but that is not a visible notice to your readers. Whether you need to disclose anything further about your content or your own AI features depends on applicable law and the specific use case. [Using AI responsibly](/docs/en/security/using-ai-responsibly) walks through the common cases.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="My app has its own AI chatbot. Does the platform's AI notice cover it?">
    No. The notice you see while building applies to the platform. If your project has a chatbot or any other AI feature, telling your end users about it is part of your application. Ask the agent to add a notice above the chat window or at the start of the conversation.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Domains & Hosting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="How do I connect my own custom domain?">
    In your project, go to **Settings → Domains**, type your domain name, and click **Connect**. Then follow the status shown there. Some white-label setups configure DNS automatically or activate the domain through a partner proxy. If the platform shows DNS records, add those exact values at your registrar and return to click **Refresh**.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What DNS records do I need to add for my custom domain?">
    Add records only when **Settings → Domains** asks you to. Manual setups typically need two records:

    * An **A record** for the root domain pointing to Macaly's IP address
    * A **CNAME record** for `www` pointing to Macaly's hostname

    The exact values are shown in **Settings → Domains** when you add your domain.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="My site works at www but shows an SSL error at the bare domain. How do I fix it?">
    Check **Settings → Domains** first. If it shows a missing apex record, add the exact A record displayed there and remove conflicting A or AAAA records for the root domain. If your white-label provider manages DNS automatically or uses a partner proxy, refresh the status and contact your brand's support team instead of changing records blindly.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="My domain still shows Pending or Not connected. What should I do?">
    If the page says that DNS is being configured automatically, wait a few minutes and click **Refresh**. For manual setup, confirm that the records at your registrar exactly match what the platform shows and remove conflicting records. DNS propagation can take up to 24 hours. For partner-proxy setups, contact your brand's support team if the domain does not activate.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I set up email for my custom domain?">
    Macaly does not provide email hosting. For email on your custom domain (e.g. [info@yoursite.com](mailto:info@yoursite.com)), sign up with a third-party provider such as Google Workspace, Zoho, or Microsoft 365, and configure their MX records with your registrar. Once you have an email address, the Macaly agent can set up contact forms to send notifications to it.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Email & Notifications

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Can Macaly send emails from my project?">
    Yes. Macaly has a built-in email API powered by Resend. By default, outgoing emails are sent from `no-reply@macaly.dev`. To send from your own domain address, you need your own Resend account and API key. Ask the agent to set up email functionality and provide your desired sender and recipient address.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What are the email sending limits?">
    The default limit is a maximum of 10 emails per minute per application. Macaly can only send emails, not receive them. It is not suitable for newsletters or bulk marketing emails.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="My OTP login emails are not arriving. What should I do?">
    First, check your spam or junk folder. If emails are truly not arriving, contact support with the link to your project and the email address involved. The team can investigate email delivery on the backend.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Working with the Agent

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="The agent got stuck or is taking too long. What can I do?">
    If the agent shows no progress for more than 10 to 15 minutes, reload the page first. If the preview is frozen, open the preview menu and choose **Rebuild Preview** on newer projects or **Restart App** on older projects.

    If the last change left the project in a broken state, use **Version history** where available or **Restore this version** on the last good agent response. If the problem persists, report the issue from the affected response and include the chat link, approximate time, and a screenshot or error details.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="The agent keeps making the same error. How do I avoid burning credits?">
    When reporting an error, be as specific as possible. Describe what you were doing before the error, what you see now, what is not working, and what the correct behavior should be. The more detail you provide, the better the agent can fix it on the first try.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Should I split large requests into smaller steps?">
    Yes. The amount of work the agent can complete varies by task and may include parallel work, so there is no single useful step limit. Break large or dependent requests into manageable prompts, verify each result, and then continue.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I create a backup of my project?">
    Use **Version history** where available or **Restore this version** to return to a known-good build. Duplicate the project when you want a separate branch to experiment in, not as the primary recovery mechanism. Normal duplicates start without conversation history, and projects with a database let you choose whether to create a new database or use the same one.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I restore a previous version of my project?">
    Yes. Open **Version history** where available to browse previous previews, identify the latest and published builds, open a version separately, or restore it. You can also use **Restore this version** under an agent response to return the project code to that point.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="When should I use /compact?">
    Use `/compact` when a long chat starts losing focus or before moving into a new but related task. It summarizes the conversation while keeping the same project and code. Creating the summary uses credits and requires a minimum balance, but the shorter context may reduce the cost of later messages. Avoid running it after every message because repeated summaries can lose detail.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Technical Issues & Errors

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="What does Error code 524 or a timeout mean?">
    Error 524 is a timeout, meaning the server did not respond in time. Try refreshing the page after a minute or two. If it persists, contact support with your chat link. You can check for ongoing incidents at status.macaly.com.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="The preview says Failed to Start or the development server crashed. What should I do?">
    Reload the page first. If the preview still does not start, open the preview menu and choose **Rebuild Preview** on newer projects or **Restart App** on older projects. If it still fails, contact support with the chat link, approximate time, and the error details.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="I get &#x22;Application error: a client-side exception has occurred&#x22;. What is wrong?">
    Browser translation can sometimes interfere with the editor, so disable automatic translation for the platform domain and reload as a first check. If the error persists or appears on the published site, report it with the chat URL, published URL, approximate time, and a screenshot or error details.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why can another person not open the preview link I copied?">
    A private preview can require an authorized platform session. Do not use a directly copied private preview URL as a public share link. Set the project to **Anyone with the link** from **Share**, then send the generated shared link. If an authorized teammate still sees an unauthorized or blank preview, reload the project and contact support if it continues.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Image uploads are failing. What are the size limits?">
    Single images must not exceed 8000×8000 pixels. If uploading more than 20 images in one request, each must be under 2000×2000 pixels. Files should be under 5 MB. If you encounter an SVG upload error, contact support.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Duplicating Projects

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="How do I duplicate a project?">
    Open the chat menu and select **Duplicate**. A normal duplicate copies the project code, content, and files without the conversation history. If the project has a database, choose **Create new database** to copy the current data into an independent database, or **Use same database** to let both projects read and write the same data. The second option is available only when duplicating within the same workspace.

    Secrets are copied automatically when you duplicate your own project. Copies made from a shared project or template do not inherit sensitive environment data. Republish the duplicate and relink any custom domain you want it to use.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do duplicates share the same database?">
    It depends on the choice you make while duplicating. **Create new database** copies the current data into an independent database, so later schema or data changes do not cross between projects. **Use same database** keeps both projects connected to one database, so changes in either project are visible in the other.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I share my project so someone else can duplicate it into their account?">
    Yes. Click **Share** next to the **Publish** button and set the visibility to **Anyone with the link**. Share the link. Anyone who opens it can view the project and duplicate it into their own Macaly account.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="I build websites for clients. Can they take the site over into their own Macaly account?">
    Yes. Any project can be duplicated and shared with your client. They can then continue developing and managing the site in their own Macaly account, independently from you.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Databases

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="What database does Macaly use?">
    Macaly projects use Convex as the backend database. You can view and manage your data through the **Database** tab inside the Macaly editor.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I export or import my project's database?">
    Yes, directly from the **Database** tab. **Export** downloads a full snapshot of your data as a ZIP file, useful as a backup or for migrating to your own Convex account. **Import** restores a snapshot into your project; it replaces all existing data, so Macaly asks for explicit confirmation before proceeding.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I migrate my project database to my own Convex account?">
    Yes. Export a database snapshot (ZIP) from the **Database** tab, create your own Convex account, import the snapshot following the guide at docs.convex.dev, then update the Convex secrets in your Macaly project settings. There will be brief downtime during the cutover.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="If I switch to my own Convex database, can I still use Macaly to build?">
    Yes. You can continue developing with Macaly after migrating to your own Convex database. The **Database** tab inside Macaly will no longer work, but all other functionality continues normally.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## SEO

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="How does Macaly handle SEO?">
    Macaly builds search-engine-friendly sites. Server-side rendering, clean HTML, and meta tags are all handled by Macaly for you. Once you publish your project, the SEO audit scores your site and tells you what to improve. You can also edit meta tags, page titles, and descriptions in **Settings → SEO**.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why can't I run the SEO audit?">
    The audit only checks your site after you publish. If you haven't published your project yet, publish it and the audit will run automatically.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="My SEO audit looks out of date. Why?">
    The audit reflects your last published version. If you've changed something since then, publish your project again and the audit results will refresh.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What is AI readiness?">
    AI readiness measures how well AI crawlers, such as those from ChatGPT, Claude, or Perplexity, can reach your site and understand it. It checks that your content is on the page itself rather than loaded with JavaScript, that AI crawlers aren't blocked, and that an llms.txt file is available to guide them. Macaly renders your pages on the server automatically.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I improve my SEO score?">
    Work through the list of issues, errors first, then warnings. Either use the Fix all with AI button and hand the agent every issue at once, or work through them one by one. Then publish your changes and the score updates on the next audit.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="My site is not appearing in Google search. What can I do?">
    Google indexing takes a while, often days to weeks. To speed it up, submit your site URL to Google Search Console at search.google.com/search-console. You can also share your URL on social media, since Google crawls links it finds elsewhere on the web.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I embed a Macaly site in another website using an iframe?">
    Technically yes, using your published Macaly URL in an iframe. However, content inside iframes is poorly indexed by search engines, which has a negative impact on your SEO. A better approach is to use Macaly as a standalone site with its own custom domain.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Account Management

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="How do I change my email address?">
    Contact support and provide the new email address. They will update it on the backend. Note: you cannot use an email address that is already registered to another Macaly account.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="I cannot log in and I am not receiving OTP emails.">
    Check your spam or junk folder first. If the email is not arriving at all, contact support. They can verify your account status and help with authentication.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I permanently delete my account?">
    Contact support and request account deletion. They will delete your account and all associated data. Note: this action is irreversible. All projects, credits, and data will be permanently removed.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Support

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="How quickly does Macaly support respond?">
    The team aims to respond within one business day. Support is based in Europe (CET timezone) and is closed on weekends. During holiday periods responses may take a bit longer.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I request a review of credits used by a failed response?">
    On the affected agent response, choose **Report issue** and, if the option is available for your workspace, select **Request a credit review**. The automated review usually takes about a minute and can restore credits for clear agent or platform failures. If the option is unavailable or the result needs another look, contact support with the chat link and report details.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Is there a status page where I can check for outages?">
    Yes. [status.macaly.com](https://status.macaly.com) shows information about active incidents and recent outages.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>


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