Common easyCMS Errors and What They Mean
An index of the exact wording easyCMS and your players put on screen, the plain meaning of each message, and the article that fixes that particular one.
Find the message you are seeing: each has its plain meaning and the guide that fixes it.
Check in Studio first
My screens puts each screen’s state into words.
| Studio says | What it means | Go to |
|---|---|---|
| Offline, “last seen …” | The player has stopped checking in | Display Shows as Offline |
| Offline, “not connected yet” | The screen has never checked in | A New Display Is Not Showing Up |
| “A new screen is switched on but not added to your account yet” | It waits for you to add it | Add it now (Add a screen) |
| “Showing its default layout. Choose a design to change it.” | Nothing is scheduled | The Screen Only Shows the easyCMS Logo |
| “Still missing some files” | Downloads have not finished | Display Is Online but Content Never Changes |
| “…but the screen has not played it yet” | A change is over an hour late | Display Is Online but Content Never Changes |
Messages when you add a screen
These appear on Studio’s Add a screen page or at Add a display.
| Message | What it means and what to do |
|---|---|
| That display is no longer available to claim. | Already connected, or it last checked in over half an hour ago. Restart the player, then reload. |
| Display self-enrolment is not enabled. | Switched off at our end. Tell us. |
| The CMS could not be reached. Please try again. | Temporary, at our end. |
| That sign-in attempt expired., Sign-in was cancelled., We couldn’t sign you in. | The sign-in was not finished within ten minutes. Sign in again. |
| It runs on a free 7-day trial, then switches off unless you add a licence. | Every licence is in use: the screen connects on a trial. Add a licence before the day shown, or ask us to deauthorise a screen you no longer run. Deauthorise, never delete. |
| … is switched off: its free 7-day trial ended. | The trial ended without a licence. It keeps its designs and schedule: add a licence and it comes back on within a few minutes. |
| Your plan covers up to N displays and they are all in use. | The plan’s own limit (5 on Standard, 25 on PRO). Upgrade to PRO or ask us about Enterprise. |
An empty list usually means you are not on the same internet connection as the screen, or it has not checked in yet.
Messages the player shows
Read them in the player’s status window: i on a keyboard for Android (a mouse click on older builds) or Windows; on LG webOS the yellow button, then Status in the Action bar. See Reading the Player Status Window.
| Message | What it means | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Not connected yet. In easyCMS Studio, open Add a screen and press Connect. (before November 2026: …awaiting Authorisation from an Administrator…) | It waits to be added, holding no licence until then, or its free trial ended | Add a screen: see A New Display Is Not Showing Up |
| Player is missing dependencies | Files a layout needs are missing | Clearing its cached data is a display setting only we can change: send us the screen’s name. Never delete files on the device by hand. If it returns, we reinstall the files. |
| Client found response content type of ‘text/plain;charset=UTF-8’, but expected ‘text/xml’. (Windows Player Options) | Player and CMS versions do not match, usually the latest player on easyCMS V3 | Windows Player Says “Client Found Response Content Type” |
| Licensed: false, or Unlicensed | The player licence is missing or failed to re-verify | Player Licence Problems |
Watch out A failed licence check shows nothing on screen. Android, LG webOS and Samsung Tizen players re-verify about every 30 days; when that fails, the screen keeps playing what it has and takes nothing new. Windows players are free and never do this.
Icons in the advanced editor
The Displays page in classic easyCMS shows the same states as icons.
- Cloud: changes queued for the next check-in.
- Cross: downloading.
- Tick: up to date; if it still looks wrong, check the layout or schedule.
- Logged in: an X means no recent check-in, usually because the device is offline or off.
No message at all
Black screens · Videos that will not play · No sound · Wrong content at the wrong time · Changes that take minutes
Still stuck? Send a support request
Message not listed? Send a support request with a photo of the status window and the screen’s name.
Related articles: Reading the Player Status Window, A New Display Is Not Showing Up or Says It Is Awaiting Approval, Your Screen Stopped Taking New Content: Player Licence Problems, Getting Help and Support Options