Common Issues & Solutions

Issue 1: "GEMINI_API_KEY not found in .env file"

Problem: When running the menu option 6 (Check Opportunities) or any Gemini-related command, you get:

Error: GEMINI_API_KEY not found in .env file

Why This Happens:

The .env file is in C:\dev\itblogpros\.env
Scripts run from C:\dev\itblogpros\_automation\
The scripts need to know where to find the parent directory's .env file

Solution: ✅ Already Fixed!

The scripts have been updated to automatically load the .env file from the parent directory. Just restart the PowerShell menu and try again.

To Verify the Fix:

From the PowerShell menu, press E (Test Environment Variables)
You should see all your environment variables listed with ✅ checkmarks
If all are present, you're good to go!

If Still Not Working:

Run this test manually:

cd C:\dev\itblogpros\_automation
node test-env.js

This will show you exactly which variables are loading and which aren't.

Issue 2: "opportunities-latest.json not found"

Problem: When trying to check opportunities, you get a file not found error.

Solution:

From the PowerShell menu, press 9 (Run Bing Analysis)
Wait 20-30 seconds for it to complete
This creates the opportunities-latest.json file
Now try option 6 again

Issue 3: Menu Option Does Nothing

Problem: You select a menu option but nothing happens or you get an error.

Solution:

Method 1 - Run Commands Directly:

# From _automation directory
cd C:\dev\itblogpros\_automation

# Test environment
node test-env.js

# Check opportunities
node integrated-system.js opportunities

# Generate article
node integrated-system.js test

Method 2 - Use the Batch Menu Instead:

cd C:\dev\itblogpros\_automation
START-HERE.bat

Method 3 - Check Requirements:

Node.js installed: node --version (should show v14+)
Dependencies installed: npm install (from parent directory)
.env file exists: Check C:\dev\itblogpros\.env

Issue 4: "Module not found: @google/generative-ai"

Problem: Error about missing Google Generative AI package.

Solution:

cd C:\dev\itblogpros
npm install @google/generative-ai

Then restart the menu and try again.

Issue 5: Generated Article is Too Short/Long

Problem: Article doesn't meet the 1200-1500 word target.

Why This Happens:

Gemini sometimes ignores word count instructions
Complex topics may need more words
Simple topics may be too short

Solution:

The system automatically checks word count and gives scores:

1200-1500 words: ✅ 30 points (optimal)
1000-1200 words: 20 points (acceptable)
<1000 words: 10 points (needs revision)
1600 words: Review manually, may need editing

To Regenerate:

node integrated-system.js test

The system will keep trying until it gets a good article. Articles under 1200 words won't be auto-submitted to Bing.

Issue 6: Articles Not Auto-Submitting to Bing

Problem: Articles generate successfully but don't submit to Bing IndexNow.

Why This Happens: Articles need a quality score of 80+ to auto-submit. Check these requirements:

Quality Score Breakdown (100 points total):

✅ Word count (30 pts): Must be 1200-1500 words
✅ Title (10 pts): Must be SEO-optimized
✅ Description (10 pts): Under 155 characters
✅ "post" tag (10 pts): Must be first in tags array
✅ Amazon links (15 pts): Need 3+ product links
✅ FAQ section (10 pts): Need 5+ questions
✅ Affiliate disclosure (10 pts): At top and bottom
✅ Headers (5 pts): Proper H2/H3 structure

Solution: Review the article tracking file to see your scores:

cd C:\dev\itblogpros\_automation
node -e "console.log(require('./article-tracking.json'))"

Articles with 80+ quality score will show submittedToBing: true

Issue 7: PowerShell Script Won't Run

Problem: Double-clicking START-HERE.ps1 doesn't work or shows security warning.

Solution:

Option 1 - Run from PowerShell:

cd C:\dev\itblogpros\_automation
.\START-HERE.ps1

Option 2 - Change Execution Policy (One-time):

Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope CurrentUser -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned

Then run the script again.

Option 3 - Right-click the file: Right-click START-HERE.ps1 → Run with PowerShell

Issue 8: npm install Fails

Problem: npm install shows errors or fails to complete.

Solution:

Try these in order:

Clear npm cache:

npm cache clean --force

Delete node_modules and reinstall:

cd C:\dev\itblogpros
rmdir /s /q node_modules
npm install

Update npm:

npm install -g npm@latest

Check Node.js version:

node --version

Should be v14 or higher. If not, update Node.js from nodejs.org

Getting Help

Quick Diagnostic: From the PowerShell menu, press E to test environment variables. This will tell you exactly what's working and what's not.

Still Stuck?

Run the full verification:

cd C:\dev\itblogpros
node verify-integration.js

Check the logs: Look in _automation/article-tracking.json for error messages
Test manually:

cd C:\dev\itblogpros\_automation
node test-env.js
node integrated-system.js opportunities

Each command will give you specific error messages that you can use to diagnose the problem.

Quick Reference - What Each File Does

File	Purpose
`.env`	Stores all your API keys and configuration
`gemini-article-generator.js`	Generates articles using Gemini AI
`integrated-system.js`	Orchestrates the full workflow
`test-env.js`	Tests if environment variables are loading
`opportunities-latest.json`	Bing search data (generated by option 9)
`latest.json`	SEO health data (generated by option 0)
`article-tracking.json`	History of generated articles

Pro Tips

Always run option E first when you start the menu - it will catch any environment issues immediately
Run option 9 weekly to keep Bing opportunities fresh
Check tracking after each article:

node -e "const t = require('./article-tracking.json'); console.log(t[t.length-1])"

This shows your most recent article's scores

Batch generate during off-hours to save time
Target quality score 85+ for best SEO results

Last Updated: Based on fixes applied to resolve .env loading issues