Troubleshooting

Connection Issues

Problem: "Unauthorized" or 401 errors

Solutions:

• Verify your API key is correctly pasted in the configuration file (no extra spaces)

• Check that the API key hasn't expired or been revoked in the Nightfall dashboard

• Ensure you're using "Bearer YOUR_KEY" format, not just "YOUR_KEY"

• Restart your AI client after updating the configuration

Problem: MCP server not appearing in client

Solutions:

• Verify the configuration file is in the correct location for your operating system

• Check JSON syntax is valid (use a JSON validator if needed)

• For Claude Desktop: ensure npx is installed (requires Node.js)

• Review client logs for specific error messages

Query Issues

Problem: No results returned

Solutions:

• Broaden your time range (data may be older than expected)

• Check filter criteria aren't too restrictive

• Verify the integration or resource name is spelled correctly

• Confirm you have violations/events matching your criteria in the Nightfall dashboard

Problem: Rate limit errors (429)

Solutions:

• Wait for the duration specified in the Retry-After header

• Reduce query frequency or batch similar requests

• Contact Nightfall support if hitting limits during normal usage

Performance

Problem: Slow query responses

Solutions:

• Use more specific filters to reduce result set size

• Limit date ranges to recent periods when possible

• Request paginated results for large datasets

• Complex aggregations may take longer—this is expected behavior