# I can't publish, or visitors still see the old version

> Why Publish changes, Unlisted or Public is greyed out or refused, what reaches visitors when, and why someone still sees the old version.

Source: https://www.chirpbuilder.com/help/troubleshooting/cant-publish  
Plans: Essentials, Creator, Business, Academy  
Last checked: 2026-10-28

When you're done, your changes are live, or you know who can publish them.

**Who this is for:** anyone who builds Chirps, the account owner and team members, when publishing is greyed
out or refused, or when a visitor still sees an old version. On a team, publishing needs the account owner,
a [workspace admin](https://www.chirpbuilder.com/help/start-here/glossary#workspace-admin), or an editor the owner lets publish.

## What you see

**In the editor, at the top:** a bar says **"Visitors still see the published version."** and lists what's
waiting, for example "Not published yet: description." **Publish changes** (1) is greyed out, with the reason
under it (2):

- **"Your role doesn't include publishing. Ask the account owner to publish it, or to let you publish."**
- **"This account's access is paused, so it can't publish Chirps. Contact support to sort it out."**

![The top of Dan's editor for Harbor Dental Front Desk, Unlisted, Editing for Priya Shah, after he saved a new description: the bar says Visitors still see the published version. Not published yet: description., with Discard and the greyed-out Publish changes button (1), and under it Your role doesn't include publishing. Ask the account owner to publish it, or to let you publish. (2)](https://mjmtbasmrtksluvlnema.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/help-media/web-optimized/troubleshooting/cant-publish/SS-FIX-090-01__publish-greyed__business__detail__v01.webp?v=dd555f8488)

**Under 8. Sharing:** **Unlisted** and **Public** are greyed out (1), and so is **Draft** on a published
Chirp when your role doesn't include publishing, with the same reason under them (2). Viewers see
**"You can view this workspace but not change it."** The **Share** window shows the reason under **Who
can open it**.

![Section 8, Sharing, in Dan's editor for Harbor Dental Front Desk: Draft (Only you and your team), Unlisted (Anyone with the link, chosen) and Public (Anyone, and on the owner's profile), all greyed out (1); under them Your role doesn't include publishing. Ask the account owner to publish it, or to let you publish. (2); then the Access code (optional) box, Copy link, the Chirp's link, and the note on what applies when you save and what waits for Publish changes.](https://mjmtbasmrtksluvlnema.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/help-media/web-optimized/troubleshooting/cant-publish/SS-FIX-090-02__sharing-no-publish__business__detail__v01.webp?v=008f221c77)

**A red message when you click Save, Publish changes, Unlisted or Public:**

- **"Choose a Chirp Builder plan to create or change Chirps."**
- **"Your role doesn't include publishing. Ask the account owner to publish it, or to let you publish."**
- **"This account's access is paused, so it can't publish Chirps. Contact support to sort it out."**
- **"Couldn't publish the Chirp. Please try again."**: try again in a moment.
- **"Chirp not found"**: you don't have access to this Chirp anymore. Ask the account owner.

**Visitors** see the old version, with no message. After you unpublish or archive a Chirp, they see
"Chirp not found".

When publishing works, Chirp Builder says **"Published. Visitors see your changes now."**

## Your role doesn't include publishing

On someone else's team, editors publish only if the account owner lets them. Without it:

- **Publish changes**, **Unlisted** and **Public** are greyed out, and so is **Draft** once the Chirp is
  published. **Archive this Chirp** isn't there.
- **Save** still works. Saved edits wait in the bar until someone who can publish clicks **Publish
  changes**. A new Chirp they make stays a Draft.
- Some changes reach visitors without publishing, so editors can still make them. The [access code](https://www.chirpbuilder.com/help/start-here/glossary#access-code),
  **Pause this Chirp** and the daily limits apply when they click **Save**. Knowledge files and the **[Actions](https://www.chirpbuilder.com/help/start-here/glossary#action)
  on** switch apply straight away.

To let an editor publish (account owner):

1. Open **Settings** and find **Team**.
2. Turn on **Can publish (publish changes, and make Chirps and Collections public, unlisted or draft)** for
   that editor. It saves straight away.
3. The editor reloads the editor page to get it.

On Business, a workspace admin can also do this for the workspaces they run, in **Settings** under **People
in …**, with the **Publish** switch. See [Invite people to your workspaces](https://www.chirpbuilder.com/help/business-teams/invite).

To publish it yourself instead: on the **Chirps** page, the Chirp's card says **Unpublished changes**. Open it
and click **Publish changes**.

Workspace admins can always publish. Viewers can look but not change anything.

## The account has no plan

**"Choose a Chirp Builder plan to create or change Chirps."** Saving, **Publish changes**, and choosing
**Unlisted** or **Public** all need a plan. For a team member, it's the account owner's plan. Meanwhile,
visitors see "This Chirp is temporarily unavailable. Please check back later."

To get a plan, email joanaltres@dfydata.com, or write to us from **Help** about **Plan and billing**. See
[What you can do without a plan](https://www.chirpbuilder.com/help/account-billing/no-plan).

## The account's access is paused

**"This account's access is paused, so it can't publish Chirps. Contact support to sort it out."** Chirp
Builder paused the account while the page was open. **Contact support** opens an email to us. The next page
you open signs you out. See [My access is paused](https://www.chirpbuilder.com/help/troubleshooting/access-paused).

## The Chirp is a draft

A draft isn't public yet, so there's no bar and no **Publish changes**: there's no published version to
update. To publish it, choose **Unlisted** or **Public** under **8. Sharing** and click **Save**. That
publishes it straight away. The **Share** window says the same: "Drafts are private. Switch to Unlisted or
Public to share."

## Your change isn't published yet

Once a Chirp is published, most edits stay private when you save, so you can test them in the preview first.

1. If the top of the editor says **Unsaved changes**, the edit isn't saved yet. Click **Save**.
2. The bar lists what's waiting, for example "Not published yet: description, AI model."
3. Click **Publish changes**. To throw the edits away instead, click **Discard** and confirm.

Not every setting waits for **Publish changes**:

| When it reaches visitors | What |
|---|---|
| After **Publish changes** | Everything the bar can list: name, description, instructions, conversation starters, picture, AI model, extra models, model choice for visitors, web search, image creation, image model, creativity, reply length, instruction protection, visitor uploads, knowledge mode, full-text limit, brand color, greeting, welcome content, Chirp Builder badge, button text, button link and Actions |
| As soon as you click **Save** | **Draft**, **Unlisted** or **Public**, the access code, **Pause this Chirp**, the daily limits and **Main address** |
| Straight away, without Save | **Who can open this Chirp**, knowledge files, lead forms, the **Actions on** switch, **Archive this Chirp** and **Bring back from the archive** |

The editor says so under **8. Sharing**: "Edits to a published Chirp stay private until you click Publish
changes. The main address, access code, pause and limits apply as soon as you save. Who can open this
Chirp, knowledge files and lead forms apply straight away."

So a change can reach visitors before you publish. **Discard** only throws away what's in the bar. To bring
back what visitors saw before, see [Go back to an earlier version](https://www.chirpbuilder.com/help/chirps/saved-versions).

**Testing it:** the preview in the editor uses your latest saved edits. Visitors, and you on **Open public
page**, get the published version.

## Someone still sees the old version after you published

Chirp Builder doesn't keep old copies of a Chirp's page: a page that opens after you publish gets the new
version.

- **A page that was already open:** answers follow the new version from the visitor's next message. The
  name, picture, starters, greeting, welcome content, colors and button change when they reload the page.
- **An earlier chat:** a chat reopened from the visitor's chat list keeps its earlier messages, and the Chirp
  reads them as part of the conversation. They click **New chat**.
- **Your website:** reload the page with the chat on it. You don't need new code.
- **A main address you just changed:** browsers that followed the old address may keep going there for a
  while. See [A main address for a Chirp](https://www.chirpbuilder.com/help/publishing/main-address).
- **"Temporarily unavailable" or a key message** isn't about publishing: see
  [Visitors see "temporarily unavailable" or a busy message](https://www.chirpbuilder.com/help/troubleshooting/chirp-not-answering).

## Collections

- Collections have no **Publish changes**: their own changes apply when you click **Save**.
- Making a Collection **Unlisted** or **Public** needs publishing, like a Chirp. Editors without it see
  "Your role doesn't include publishing. Ask the account owner to publish it, or to let you publish." For a
  paused account: "This account's access is paused, so it can't publish Collections. Contact support to sort
  it out."
- A Collection's page shows each Chirp's published version. It leaves out Draft and archived Chirps without
  a message: the Collection's editor marks them "Draft, so visitors don't see it until it's published" or
  "Archived, so visitors don't see it".

## Course changes students don't see

Courses in an Academy have their own publishing:

- Changes to lessons, quizzes, tutors, the lesson order, and the course's title, subtitle, description and
  cover reach students after **Publish changes** on the course. Until then, the editor says "You have
  changes students don't see yet."
- **Address**, **How students join**, **Show in the Academy's course list** and **Certificate on
  completion** work as soon as you click **Save details**.
- A tutor that's a published Chirp answers with its published version: publish the Chirp's changes too.

See [Publish a course and update it](https://www.chirpbuilder.com/help/academy-educators/publish).

## Good to know

- **The account owner sees Unpublished changes** on a Chirp's card when a team member saved edits that wait
  for publishing.
- **Your AI app may not be allowed to publish.** With **Create and edit** access, it's told "This AI app can
  create and edit, but not publish, delete or change who can open a Chirp." Publish in Chirp Builder, or see
  [My AI app can't connect or can't make changes](https://www.chirpbuilder.com/help/troubleshooting/ai-app-cant-connect).
- **Each publish saves a version** you can go back to: 10 on Essentials, 30 on Creator and Academy, 100 on
  Business. See [Go back to an earlier version](https://www.chirpbuilder.com/help/chirps/saved-versions).
- **Publishing step by step:** see [Publish, update or unpublish a Chirp](https://www.chirpbuilder.com/help/chirps/publish).