This error indicates a Cloudinary configuration issue. Follow these steps to resolve it:

In Val Town, go to your project → Environment Variables and verify these are set:

Required:

• CLOUDINARY_CLOUD_NAME - Your Cloudinary cloud name

Choose ONE of these options:

Option A: Unsigned Upload (Easier)

• CLOUDINARY_UPLOAD_PRESET - Your unsigned upload preset name

Option B: Signed Upload

• CLOUDINARY_API_KEY - Your Cloudinary API key
• CLOUDINARY_API_SECRET - Your Cloudinary API secret

1. Go to Cloudinary Dashboard
2. Sign up for a free account if you don't have one
3. Copy your credentials from the dashboard:
   • Cloud Name: Found at the top of the dashboard
   • API Key: Found in the "Account Details" section
   • API Secret: Found in the "Account Details" section (click "Reveal")

For easier setup, create an unsigned upload preset:

1. In Cloudinary dashboard, go to Settings → Upload
2. Scroll down to Upload presets
3. Click Add upload preset
4. Set Signing Mode to Unsigned
5. Give it a name (e.g., "opencloset")
6. Click Save
7. Add CLOUDINARY_UPLOAD_PRESET=your_preset_name to Val Town environment variables

Use the debug tool in ChatGPT:

Test my Cloudinary configuration

This will run the opencloset.test_cloudinary tool and show you:

• Which environment variables are set
• Whether a test upload works
• Specific error messages if something is wrong

Solution: Your Cloudinary account might be suspended or the cloud name is incorrect.

• Verify your account is active in the Cloudinary dashboard
• Double-check the cloud name spelling

Solution: Your API credentials are incorrect.

• Re-copy the API key and secret from Cloudinary dashboard
• Make sure there are no extra spaces in the environment variables

Solution: The upload preset doesn't exist or is named incorrectly.

• Check the preset name in Cloudinary dashboard
• Ensure it's set to "Unsigned" mode

Solution: There's an issue with the signed upload.

• Try using an unsigned upload preset instead
• Verify your API secret is correct

If you want to test Cloudinary directly, you can use curl:

# Test unsigned upload
curl -X POST \
  https://api.cloudinary.com/v1_1/YOUR_CLOUD_NAME/image/upload \
  -F "file=https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1521572163474-6864f9cf17ab" \
  -F "upload_preset=YOUR_PRESET_NAME"

Replace YOUR_CLOUD_NAME and YOUR_PRESET_NAME with your actual values.

Make sure your environment variables are set exactly like this in Val Town:

CLOUDINARY_CLOUD_NAME=mycloud
CLOUDINARY_UPLOAD_PRESET=opencloset

NOT like this:

CLOUDINARY_CLOUD_NAME="mycloud"  ❌ (no quotes)
CLOUDINARY_CLOUD_NAME= mycloud   ❌ (no spaces)

If you're still having issues:

1. Run the test tool: "Test my Cloudinary configuration"
2. Check the server logs in Val Town for detailed error messages
3. Verify your Cloudinary account is active and not suspended
4. Try creating a new upload preset with a different name

• Cloudinary account created
• Cloud name copied to CLOUDINARY_CLOUD_NAME
• Upload preset created and set to "Unsigned"
• Preset name copied to CLOUDINARY_UPLOAD_PRESET
• Test tool shows "✅ Test upload successful"
• Try uploading a clothing photo: "Add this to my closet as a top"