> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.braintrust.dev/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Repair unhealthy Topics automation references

> Identify missing facet or topic map references, repair unhealthy Topics automation rows, and collect diagnostics for support.

> [!NOTE]
>
> **Applies to:**
>
> * Plan - Any
> * Deployment - Braintrust-hosted, Self-hosted
> *
> * Use case - Topics shows an unhealthy Active facets row or a missing topic map function error

## Summary

**Issue:** Topics shows an unhealthy row under **Active facets**, or the automation reports an error such as `Missing signature for topic map function_id:<function_id>`.

**Cause:** The signature error means Topics could not resolve a topic map function referenced by the automation. The message alone does not show whether the function was deleted or inaccessible. An unhealthy **Active facets** row can also indicate a missing source facet or another broken automation reference.

**Resolution:** Treat the automation error and the **Active facets** rows as separate diagnostics. To read the error, run [`bt topics status --full`](https://docs.braintrust.dev/reference/cli/topics#bt-topics-status) and check `last_error`. If **Active facets** shows an unhealthy row, use its repair action. If the signature error appears without an unhealthy row, do not delete anything based on the error alone. Collect the automation information and send it to Braintrust support.

## Inspect the unhealthy reference

1. Go to the [** Topics**](https://www.braintrust.dev/app/~/topics) page, click  **Automation**, and select an automation.
2. In the status sheet, expand **Active facets**.
3. Find the row with the red warning icon. Hover over the row or its action to see what is missing.

Use the action that appears for the row:

* **Restore facet:** The facet exists, but no topic map uses it. Restore the facet to make it eligible for topic generation.
* **Delete to fix:** The automation contains a reference that no longer matches the project's facets or topic maps. Read the confirmation dialog before continuing. Depending on the unhealthy reference, the action removes the reference from the automation or deletes the affected topic map function.

> [!NOTE]
>
> If [`bt topics status --full`](https://docs.braintrust.dev/reference/cli/topics#bt-topics-status) reports a `last_error` of `Missing read access`, the function exists but the Topics automation cannot read it. Follow [Cross-project scorer automation missing read access](https://docs.braintrust.dev/kb/cross-project-scorer-automation-missing-read-access) instead of deleting the reference.

## Collect automation information

If **Active facets** does not show a repair action, or the error continues after the repair, collect the automation's configuration and status:

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark-dimmed"}}
bt topics config --json    # Facet and topic map references held by the automation
bt topics status --full    # Pipeline health and last_error
```

Send both outputs to [Braintrust support](mailto:support@braintrust.dev) along with:

* The organization and project names.
* Whether a facet or topic map was recently deleted or changed.

[`bt topics config`](https://docs.braintrust.dev/reference/cli/topics#bt-topics-config) reports the automation ID and the facet and topic map references the automation holds, which identifies the reference that is missing or inaccessible. [`bt topics status --full`](https://docs.braintrust.dev/reference/cli/topics#bt-topics-status) reports the error alongside the pipeline state that produced it.

## Verify the repair

After repairing the unhealthy reference, click **Re-generate topics**. After processing completes, confirm that:

* **Active facets** no longer shows the unhealthy row.
* The automation progresses past its previous state.
* New facet summaries or topic classifications appear.


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