Once you start a job, Smelt processes your rows in parallel for speed.
Job Statuses
| Status | Description |
|---|
| pending | Queued, not yet started |
| running | Currently processing rows |
| paused | Temporarily stopped by user |
| completed | All rows processed successfully |
| failed | Error occurred, job stopped |
| cancelled | Manually cancelled by user |
What Happens When a Job Starts
- Status changes to running
- Rows are processed in parallel (5 at a time)
- Progress updates in real-time
- Results are saved as they complete
- Status changes to completed when done
Progress Tracking
While a job runs, you’ll see:
| Metric | Description |
|---|
| Rows processed | X / total rows completed |
| Success count | Rows that generated successfully |
| Failed count | Rows that encountered errors |
| Progress % | Percentage complete |
| ETA | Estimated time remaining |
ETA is dynamically calculated based on current processing speed.
Controlling Jobs
Pause
Click Pause to temporarily stop processing:
- Current batch completes before pausing
- No new rows start
- Results so far are saved
- Job can be resumed later
Use cases:
- Need to check partial results
- API issues you want to investigate
- Taking a break
Resume
Click Resume to continue a paused job:
- Picks up where it left off
- Previously completed rows are not re-processed
- Continues until all rows done
Cancel
Click Cancel to stop a job permanently:
- Stops all processing
- Completed results are kept
- Cannot be undone
- Remaining rows are not processed
Cancelled jobs cannot be resumed. Completed results are preserved, but you’d need to create a new job to process remaining rows.
Parallel Processing
Smelt processes multiple rows simultaneously for speed:
- Concurrency: 5 parallel API calls
- Rate limiting: Built-in delays to prevent API throttling
- Retry logic: 3 attempts per row with exponential backoff
This means:
- Jobs complete faster than sequential processing
- Large jobs (10K+ rows) are still manageable
- Temporary API errors are handled automatically
What Happens If a Job Fails
If an error stops the job:
- Completed rows are saved — You don’t lose progress
- Error details available — Check the job details page
- Re-run option — You can re-run failed rows only
Common Failure Causes
| Cause | Solution |
|---|
| API key invalid | Check Settings > API Keys |
| Rate limit hit | Wait and resume, or job auto-retries |
| Usage limit exceeded | Upgrade plan |
| Network error | Check connection, retry |
Crash Recovery
If something goes wrong mid-job:
- Results are saved after each row (crash-safe)
- You can see partial results
- Resume or re-run failed rows
Smelt is designed for large jobs. Processing 10,000+ rows is routine and results are protected throughout.
Viewing Active Jobs
Go to Jobs in the sidebar to see:
- Currently running jobs with live progress
- Recent completed jobs
- Failed jobs that need attention
