Beyond specific error messages, these general debugging techniques will help you diagnose and resolve issues faster.

1. Use the RevenueCat Dashboard

The dashboard is your first debugging tool. It shows real-time data about your configuration and user activity.

Customer History

1. Go to RevenueCat dashboard.
2. Navigate to Customer lists.
3. Search for a user by:
   • App User ID.
   • Email (if set).
   • Transaction ID.
4. View their complete purchase history, active entitlements, and subscription status.

This helps you verify:

• Did the purchase actually process?
• What entitlements does the user have?
• When did their subscription expire?
• Any failed transactions?

Configuration Validation

The dashboard shows warnings for configuration issues:

• Missing service credentials.
• Products not found in stores.
• Offerings with no packages.
• Paywalls not published.

2. Test in Sandbox vs Production

Always test in both environments to catch environment-specific issues.

Sandbox Testing (iOS)

Pros:

• No real charges.
• Faster subscription renewals (5 minutes = 1 month).
• Easy to test subscription lifecycle.

Cons:

• Requires sandbox account setup.
• Sometimes flaky/slow.
• Different behavior than production.

Production Testing

For iOS: Use TestFlight with sandbox accounts or create a separate "testing" build

For Android: Use Internal Testing track with license testers

When to test in production:

• Before major releases.
• After significant configuration changes.
• To verify the complete end-to-end flow.

3. Use Test Store for Faster Testing

RevenueCat Test Store eliminates many sandbox headaches:

• No real store dependencies: Works without App Store Connect or Google Play.
• Deterministic outcomes: Control whether purchases succeed/fail.
• Works in Simulator/Emulator: No device needed.
• CI/CD friendly: Perfect for automated tests.

Learn more:

• Test Store for iOS
• Test Store for Android

4. Clear Caches When Things Get Weird

Sometimes cached data causes strange behavior.

Clear RevenueCat Customer Info Cache

iOS:

// Force SDK to fetch fresh data
Purchases.shared.invalidateCustomerInfoCache()

Android:

// Force SDK to fetch fresh data
Purchases.sharedInstance.invalidateCustomerInfoCache()

Clear Device/App Cache

iOS:

1. Delete the app.
2. Restart the device.
3. Reinstall the app.

Android:

1. Go to Settings → Apps.
2. Find your app.
3. Tap Storage → Clear Cache.
4. Also clear Google Play Store cache.

5. Check the RevenueCat Community

Chances are someone has encountered your issue before.

• RevenueCat Community Forum: Search for your error.
• RevenueCat Documentation: Official docs and guides.
• GitHub Repositories: Check issues and PRs.

6. Network Debugging with Proxies

Use Charles Proxy or similar tools to inspect network traffic:

What to Look For:

• API requests to api.revenuecat.com.
• HTTP status codes (200 = success, 401 = auth issue, etc.).
• Request/response payloads.
• Request timing (slow requests indicate network issues).

Setup Charles Proxy:

1. Download Charles Proxy.
2. Configure device to use Charles as proxy.
3. Install Charles certificate on device.
4. Run your app and watch requests.

7. Isolate the Problem

When debugging, try to narrow down what's causing the issue:

Create a Minimal Test Case

// Test just SDK initialization
Purchases.logLevel = .debug
Purchases.configure(withAPIKey: "appl_xxx")
print("SDK initialized")

// Test just fetching offerings
Task {
    do {
        let offerings = try await Purchases.shared.offerings()
        print("Offerings fetched: \(offerings.all.count)")
    } catch {
        print("Error: \(error)")
    }
}

This helps you determine if the issue is with:

• SDK initialization.
• Network/API access.
• Product configuration.
• Your app's UI/logic.

8. Compare with Sample Apps

RevenueCat provides official sample apps that are known to work:

• iOS Examples
• Android Examples
• Flutter Examples

Clone them and:

1. Replace the API key with yours.
2. See if they work with your configuration.
3. Compare your implementation with the sample code.

Common Debugging Scenarios Quick Reference

Debugging Checklist

Before asking for help, verify you've done these steps:

• Enabled debug logging (Purchases.logLevel = .debug).
• Checked RevenueCat dashboard for configuration warnings.
• Verified customer in dashboard (if applicable).
• Checked product IDs match between store and RevenueCat.
• Verified API key is correct for platform.
• Tested in both sandbox and production (if possible).
• Cleared caches and restarted app.
• Searched community forum for similar issues.
• Created minimal test case to isolate problem.
• Checked official documentation.