Common Issues general

I Paid Someone to Build My App and Now It's Broken

You hired a freelancer on Fiverr, Upwork, or another platform to build your app or website. It worked for a while, but now something is broken. Maybe the developer disappeared, isn't responding, or wants more money to fix what should have worked in the first place.

This is one of the most frustrating situations — you already spent money, you have a product that half-works, and you don't know enough about the code to understand what went wrong. The original developer might have cut corners, left messy code, or built something that was never meant to last.

You need someone new to look at the code, figure out what's broken, and actually fix it — without starting from scratch and losing everything you already paid for.

Error Messages You Might See

502 Bad Gateway 500 Internal Server Error This site can't be reached Application error Database connection failed
502 Bad Gateway500 Internal Server ErrorThis site can't be reachedApplication errorDatabase connection failed

Common Causes

  • Developer used shortcuts — Many budget freelancers copy-paste code from templates or use AI without testing properly, leaving hidden problems
  • No documentation — The developer didn't leave any notes about how the app works, making it nearly impossible to maintain
  • Hosting or server expired — The developer set up hosting under their own account, and the subscription ran out
  • Hardcoded credentials — Passwords and API keys were written directly into the code instead of being stored securely, and they've since changed or expired
  • No version control — There's no history of changes, so there's no way to undo what broke

How to Fix It

  1. Get access to everything — Make sure you have the code, hosting login, domain registrar login, and any database passwords before doing anything else
  2. Don't let the original developer make more changes — If they already broke it, more changes from them could make things worse
  3. Get a second opinion — Have a different developer review the code and give you an honest assessment of what it'll take to fix
  4. Check if the hosting is still active — Log into your hosting provider and make sure the subscription hasn't lapsed
  5. Document what's broken — Write down exactly what works, what doesn't, and any error messages you see so the next developer can start quickly

Real developers can help you.

Richard McSorley Richard McSorley Full-Stack Software Engineer with 8+ years building high-performance applications for enterprise clients. Shipped production systems at Walmart (4,000+ stores), Cigna (20M+ users), and Arkansas Blue Cross. 5 patents in retail/supply chain tech. Currently focused on AI integrations, automation tools, and TypeScript-first architectures. Jen Jacobsen Jen Jacobsen I’m a Full-Stack Developer with over 10 years of experience building modern web and mobile applications. I enjoy working across the full product lifecycle — turning ideas into real, well-built products that are intuitive for users and scalable for businesses. I particularly enjoy building mobile apps, modern web platforms, and solving complex technical problems in a way that keeps systems clean, reliable, and easy to maintain. zipking zipking I am a technologist and product builder dedicated to creating high-impact solutions at the intersection of AI and specialized markets. Currently, I am focused on PropScan (EstateGuard), an AI-driven SaaS platform tailored for the Japanese real estate industry, and exploring the potential of Archify. As an INFJ-T, I approach development with a "systems-thinking" mindset—balancing technical precision with a deep understanding of user needs. I particularly enjoy the challenge of architecting Vertical AI SaaS and optimizing Small Language Models (SLMs) to solve specific, real-world business problems. Whether I'm in a CTO-level leadership role or hands-on with the code, I thrive on building tools that turn complex data into actionable value. Alvin Voo Alvin Voo I’ve watched the tech landscape evolve over the last decade—from the structured days of Java Server Pages to the current "wild west" of Agentic-driven development. While AI can "vibe" a frontend into existence, I specialize in the architecture that keeps it from collapsing. My expertise lies in the critical backend infrastructure: the parts that must be fast, secure, and scalable. I thrive on high-pressure environments, such as when I had only three weeks to architect and launch an Ethereum redemption system with minimal prior crypto knowledge, turning it into a major revenue stream. What I bring to your project: Forensic Debugging: I don't just "patch" bugs; I use tools like Datadog and Explain Analyzers to map out bottlenecks and resolve root causes—like significantly reducing memory usage by optimizing complex DB joins. Full-Stack Context: Deep experience in Node.js and React, ensuring backends play perfectly with mobile and web teams. Sanity in the Age of AI: I bridge the gap between "best practices" and modern speed, ensuring your project isn't just built fast, but built to last. Milan Surelia Milan Surelia Milan Surelia is a Mobile App Developer with 5+ years of experience crafting scalable, cross-platform apps at 7Span and Meticha. At 7Span, he engineers feature-rich Flutter apps with smooth performance and modern UI. As the Co-Founder of Meticha, he builds open-source tools and developer-focused products that solve real-world problems. Expertise: 💡 Developing cross-platform apps using Flutter, Dart, and Jetpack Compose for Android, iOS, and Web. 🖋️ Sharing insights through technical writing, blogging, and open-source contributions. 🤝 Collaborating closely with designers, PMs, and developers to build seamless mobile experiences. Notable Achievements: 🎯 Revamped the Vepaar app into Vepaar Store & CRM with a 2x performance boost and smoother UX. 🚀 Launched Compose101 — a Jetpack Compose starter kit to speed up Android development. 🌟 Open source contributions on Github & StackOverflow for Flutter & Dart 🎖️ Worked on improving app performance and user experience with smart solutions. Milan is always happy to connect, work on new ideas, and explore the latest in technology. prajwalfullstack prajwalfullstack Hi Im a full stack developer, a vibe coded MVP to Market ready product, I'm here to help Tejas Chokhawala Tejas Chokhawala Full-stack engineer with 5 years experience building production web apps using React, Next.js and TypeScript. Focused on performance, clean architecture and shipping fast. Experienced with Supabase/Postgres backends, Stripe billing, and building AI-assisted developer tools. MFox MFox Full-stack professional senior engineer (15+years). Extensive experience in software development, qa, and IP networking. Jared Hasson Jared Hasson Full time lead founding dev at a cyber security saas startup, with 10 yoe and a bachelor's in CS. Building & debugging software products is what I've spent my time on for forever Luca Liberati Luca Liberati I work on monoliths and microservices, backends and frontends, manage K8s clusters and love to design apps architecture

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Frequently Asked Questions

Should I ask the original developer to fix it?

If they're still responsive and the project is under warranty or guarantee, you can try. But if they've disappeared or are asking for more money for basic fixes, it's usually better to find someone new who can properly assess the code.

Do I need to start over from scratch?

Usually not. A good developer can review the existing code and fix what's broken. Starting over is only necessary if the original code is so messy that fixing it would cost more than rebuilding.

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