When you download a project from Imagen, the app writes your AI-edited settings back to your photos as metadata. Imagen does not modify your original image files. For catalog-based projects, edits are written into your Lightroom Classic catalog. For folder-based projects, edits are saved as XMP sidecar files next to your original photos.

Most download problems fall into one of three categories: the download won’t start or errors out, the download completes, but edits aren’t visible, or you see a specific error code. Find your situation below.

Steps to troubleshoot download issues

1. The Imagen app is updated to its latest version for Mac or Windows.
    
2. Close Lightroom Classic completely. Don't just minimize it. Lightroom locks your catalog while it’s running, which blocks Imagen from writing edits.
    
3. Update Imagen to the latest version.
    
4. If you have an error code, find it in this list and click the link to open its guide. Each error code guide has steps to help fix the issue.
    
5. Check your disk space. You need at least 500 MB free (1 GB recommended).
    
6. Verify your photos are stored locally. Photos and catalogs stored on cloud-synced folders (Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive, iCloud) can cause download failures. Move them to your computer’s internal drive if needed. See Upload issues with external drives or cloud-synced folders.
    
7. Reconnect external drives. If your photos are on an external drive, make sure it’s connected and powered on.
    
8. Mac only: Grant Imagen folder access. Go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Files and Folders, find ImagenAI, and toggle your folders on. Also check Full Disk Access. See Grant Imagen access to folders (Mac).

If these steps don’t resolve it, continue below.

Download won’t start or gets stuck

If nothing happens after clicking Review edits or the download hangs:

Check that the selection is complete

(Lightroom Classic catalog projects only) For catalog-based projects, the selection process must finish before downloading can begin. Look for the loading indicator. If it’s still spinning, wait for it to complete.

Check your internet connection 

• Try a different network to verify if the network is causing an internet connection issue. For example, use a mobile phone hotspot to connect to the internet. If the issue happens on both networks, it's not a network issue.
   
• Switch to a wired (Ethernet) connection if you're on WiFi. WiFi instability is a common cause of upload stalls for large projects.
   
• (Windows users) Make sure your firewall isn't blocking Imagen. Include these URLs as exceptions to the firewall:
  
  - imagen-ai-op.com
  - imagen-ai.com
  - amazon.com
  - amazonaws.com

• VPNs or antivirus programs might create network issues. Try disabling them, then try uploading again.

Mac folder permissions

If Imagen can’t access your catalog or photos, the download won’t start. 

See Grant Imagen access to folders (Mac) and Download not starting.

HDR Merge download issues

HDR Merge projects have a specific requirement: the download folder path must match the folder your original photos were uploaded. If the path doesn’t match, the download will fail.

Merged photos are saved in a sub-folder within your download folder, named with the original filename plus -HDR. For example: IMG_001-HDR.dng.

See HDR Merge for real estate.

My download completed, but the photos look unedited

If your edits don't seem to apply after a download, the root cause is usually a mismatch between your upload and download settings. If the download completed but your images do not appear edited, see one of these guides: 

• Edits not showing up after download to a Lightroom Classic catalog
• Edits not showing in Lightroom Classic after upload from a folder
• Edits not showing after downloading for Lightroom, Bridge, and Photoshop (Adobe Camera Raw)

Can I download my paid project again?

You can always re-download a paid project. There’s no limit and no additional cost. Go to the Projects page, click the three dots on your project, and select Download Edits. 

The catalog doesn’t need to be the exact same file, as long as it contains the original images in the same folder structure, Imagen can apply the edits. If your Lightroom catalog is corrupted, you can download the edits into a new catalog. See Can I download my paid project again?

Still not able to download your photos?

If you’ve worked through the steps above and the download is still failing, upload the project again, and contact our customer success team: they will issue a credit for the duplication.