Common Upload Problems and How to Solve Them
Guide to solving the most common file upload errors: web page saved instead of audio (e-SAJ/PJe), corrupted file, unsupported format, plan limit, and stuck upload.
Before transcription begins, every file goes through a deep validation that checks whether there is real audio inside. When something is rejected, the message says why — this guide explains each case and what to do.
"The uploaded file is a saved web page (HTML)"
The classic case: you downloaded a hearing recording from a portal like e-SAJ or PJe without being logged in, and the portal returned the login page instead of the media. The file has the right extension (.mp3, .asf...), but inside it's HTML.
How to fix: access the court portal authenticated, download the recording again and check the size — real recordings are several MB; the login page is only a few KB. See Court case files for details.
"The file does not appear to be a valid audio or video"
The file is corrupted or has no audio track. Common causes: interrupted download, a failed export, or a faulty USB drive.
How to fix: try playing the file in a local player (VLC, for example). If the player can't open it either, generate/download the file again from the source.
"The file X is not supported"
Extensions that are clearly not media (.pdf, .doc, .txt, .zip, .jpg...) are rejected immediately. Audio editor project files (.aup3, .sesx, .ptx, .flp...) are also rejected — in these cases the message explains how to export the audio from the project (e.g., Audacity → File → Export → MP3).
"The file size exceeds your plan's limit"
Each plan has a per-file cap: 500 MB on Free, 1 GB on Lite, 2 GB on Advanced, 5 GB on Pro and above.
How to fix: convert to a smaller format (a video's MP3 is a fraction of the size), split the file, or upgrade your plan. See Accepted formats and limits.
File exceeds the duration limit
File duration is also per plan (30 min on Free, up to 600 min on business plans), with a 10% tolerance. Beyond that, the job is blocked with the indicated limit.
Upload gets stuck or connection drops
Large uploads are sent in chunks and resume where they stopped: re-upload the same file and it continues from the last confirmed chunk. Stuck jobs are automatically detected by the system (within minutes) and recover on their own. See Uploading large files.
Upload blocked before it starts
- Unverified email: uploading requires a verified account (email or WhatsApp) — see Creating an account and verifying;
- Batch file limit: you've reached your plan's maximum simultaneous files — wait for the ones in progress;
- Insufficient credits: top up cycles or use the Standard/Nano engine, which consume less (or nothing).
WhatsApp recordings (.ogg/.opus) and some browser recordings have incomplete headers — validation includes a tolerant second pass precisely to save them. If such an audio file is rejected, try re-uploading before converting.
Frequently Asked Questions
The file plays on my computer but was rejected. What now?
Re-upload once (validation includes a tolerant second attempt). If it fails again, convert to MP3 with a local converter and upload the MP3 — and open a ticket with the details so we can investigate the format.
Was I charged for a rejected file?
No. Cycles are only deducted after a successfully completed transcription.
I got "too many requests". What is that?
Per-user rate protection. Wait a minute and continue — large batches move through the queue on their own, without you having to click again.
The upload finished but transcription failed. Is that a different issue?
Yes — that's already processing. Temporary failures are automatically retried; see What happens when it fails and Common errors and solutions.
Related articles
- Accepted formats and limits
- Uploading large files
- Court case files
- Automatic format conversion
- Common errors and solutions
Didn't resolve your question? Open a ticket — normal-priority tickets are answered within 24 hours.