AI image field attachments not loading: safe troubleshooting steps

Protect existing attachments before retrying

Do not clear the cell simply because the preview is missing. A retry can replace or append output depending on the field behavior. First confirm whether attachment names, counts, or stored values are still present.

The Thumbnail Generator template keeps landscape and vertical outputs in separate fields. That separation makes it easier to retry only the affected format without disturbing approved assets.

Check the configured model capability

• Confirm the selected provider and model support image generation rather than text-only output.
• Verify the API key, provider connection, and any model-specific access requirements.
• Run one selected cell instead of an entire table while diagnosing the connection.
• Read the visible error instead of interpreting a blank preview as success.

Verify the source fields used by the prompt

A valid image model can still fail when required source fields are empty or the selected row does not contain the expected attachment. Check the concept description, portrait, layout, and other referenced fields on the exact row you ran.

• Confirm the portrait or product source belongs to the selected record.
• Check that prompt field references still match current field names.
• Avoid running dependent image fields before their upstream concept or design field is ready.
• Use only source images you are permitted to process.

Confirm persistence after a successful retry

After one controlled retry succeeds, reload the table, open another record, return to the cell, and restart Kition. The same attachment count and previews should remain associated with the same row.

• The image renders before and after reload.
• The attachment belongs to the intended row and field.
• A retry does not create unexpected duplicates.
• Previously approved variants remain distinguishable from new results.

Capture enough evidence for a reproducible report

If the attachment still does not load, capture the template name, selected record, field name, attachment count, file name, model, provider, and whether the problem survives reload or restart. Do not include API keys or private source images in a public issue.

A useful report says whether another generated attachment loads in the same workspace, whether the affected file exists in the cell metadata, and whether a fresh output on a controlled record behaves differently. Those comparisons help separate a broken local path from a provider failure or a single corrupt result. Keep the failing workspace copy until the issue is understood; deleting the cell can remove the evidence needed to reproduce it.

When not to keep retrying

Stop repeated generation when the provider is failing, the source is missing, or the requested output violates model or platform policy. Preserve the previous value, document the visible error, and fix the underlying input or provider issue first.

The five-video completed example shows the expected relationship between source portraits, format-specific titles, generated attachments, and final review.

After recovery, compare the regenerated asset with the original brief rather than accepting it only because the preview now loads. A rendering fix does not validate likeness, text, orientation, or content. Keep the human creative review separate from the technical persistence check, and record which variant was finally selected.