Overview
An Amperity campaign may fail or remain in a “spinning” state when attempting to send files to a Quad SFTP destination. This issue commonly occurs when the SFTP account password has expired on the Quad server.
This article explains:
* What the error means
* Why the failure occurs
* How to resolve the issue step by step
Common Error Message
You may see the following error in campaign or workflow notifications:Auth fail for methods 'publickey,gssapi-with-mic,keyboard-interactive,password'
Why This Happens
This error indicates that Amperity is unable to authenticate with the Quad SFTP server. The most common causes are:
* The SFTP password has expired on the Quad server
* Credentials configured in Amperity are out of date
* Password resets were done on one side only (Amperity or Quad), causing a mismatch
⚠️ Even if the connection works temporarily after a password reset, it may still fail if Quad has not completed the reset on their side.
How to Identify the Issue
Step 1: Confirm the Campaign Error
1. Open the failed campaign or workflow in Amperity
2. Review the error message
3. Confirm it shows an authentication failure related to SFTP
Step 2: Check the SFTP Credential in Amperity
1. Navigate to:
Settings → Credentials
2. Locate the Quad SFTP credential
3. Check the Last Updated timestamp
* If it has not been updated recently, the password may be expired
Resolution Steps
Step 3: Reset the SFTP Password
This issue cannot be fully resolved by Amperity alone.
✅ Required action:
* Contact your Quad representative
* Request them to reset the SFTP account password on their side
A password reset done only within Amperity may allow temporary testing but can block Quad from dropping files.
Step 4: Update the Credential in Amperity
Once Quad confirms the password reset:
1. Go to Settings → Credentials
2. Edit the Quad SFTP credential
3. Update the password with the new value provided by Quad
4. Save the credential
Step 5: Re-run or Monitor the Campaign
1. Re-run the failed campaign or
2. Wait for the next scheduled run
3. Confirm:
* Campaign completes successfully
* Files are delivered to the SFTP location
* Quad confirms file receipt
Sending Files to an Alternate Folder
If Quad requests files to be delivered to a different SFTP folder:
1. Confirm the folder path with Quad
2. Update the destination configuration in Amperity
3. Save and re-run the campaign
Ensure Quad has write access to the specified folder before sending.
Final Outcome
Once:
* Quad resets the password on their side
* Amperity credentials are updated
The campaign will:
* Authenticate successfully
* Send files without errors
* Be received and processed by Quad as expected
When to Contact Support
Contact Amperity Support if:
* The error persists after Quad confirms the password reset
* You receive a different authentication error
* Multiple destinations are failing simultaneously