Troubleshooting & FAQ

The most common "why did it do that?" moments, each with the one-line reason and the fix.

My weekly schedule didn't fire

Schedules can only fire while the browser is running at the scheduled time. Chrome's alarm system doesn't wake a closed browser, so a 09:00 schedule on a computer that boots at 09:15 simply misses that day. Leave the browser open (the tab can be closed if "Reopen tab if closed" is on). Details: Weekly schedules.

The monitor found my keyword but only alerts occasionally

That's the built-in throttle: matches are reported at most once every 20 seconds per job, so a keyword sitting on the page doesn't ring you nonstop. You're not missing anything — the first hit always alerts. See Watch a page for changes.

The alarm sound won't stop ringing

Looping alarms keep playing on purpose until you stop them — even after the page moves on. Three ways to kill the sound:

• press the kill-alarm shortcut:

• click either button on the alert notification ("Show tab" or "Dismiss"), or
• right-click the Refresh Pilot toolbar icon → "Kill alarm sound."

More in Notifications & sounds and Shortcuts, side panel & menu.

The dashboard says "Read-only"

This is a transient state: the server declined the last save from this session (a permission or connection hiccup), so the save pill reads Read-only and edits won't stick. Open Synchronizing and click Reload from cloud to pull the latest version back in, then make your change again. It isn't a device role — every signed-in browser can edit your settings. See Using PRO on more than one device.

I changed something on the dashboard but the extension doesn't show it

The extension checks the cloud every 5 minutes, at browser start, and whenever the popup opens — so a dashboard edit can take up to 5 minutes to arrive on its own. Want it now? Open the popup; that triggers an immediate check. See Cloud sync & backups.

My custom scripts don't run

Two requirements, both easy to miss: you need Chrome 135 or newer, and the "Allow user scripts" toggle must be on for Refresh Pilot (chrome://extensions → Refresh Pilot → Details). Without them, scripts are skipped silently — no error appears. Setup steps: Scripts, marketplace & AI.

I can't add a second keyword (or a re: expression)

The free plan includes one plain-text keyword in "found" mode. A second keyword, any prefixed expression (re:, xp:, css:, ##), or the "lost"/"any change" modes are PRO. Your entries aren't lost — they're saved and start working when you upgrade. See Keywords & expressions and Free vs PRO.

My webhook test fails

Two usual suspects:

• Private or local addresses are rejected — webhooks must point at a public http(s) address. Anything like localhost, 127.0.0.1, 192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x won't be delivered, by design.
• Telegram needs the full URL, token and chat included: https://api.telegram.org/bot<token>/sendMessage?chat_id=<id> — just the bot token isn't enough.

Format-by-format help: Webhook alerts.

I reinstalled and lost my PRO

A fresh install starts on Free — your subscription isn't gone. Restore it with the email you used at checkout and a 6-digit code: Restoring your purchase.

Do I need an account? How do I sign in?

Free auto-refresh needs no account. The dashboard opens in guest mode (Guest User · Not signed in) and syncs live with the extension in that browser — nothing is stored in the cloud. Only PRO needs an account: an email and a password. You sign in from the dashboard's Connect your device screen — open Synchronizing and click Login — which is a simple email → password step. There's no Google sign-in and no two-factor. See Free vs PRO.

I bought PRO but the extension still shows "Upgrade to PRO"

Buying PRO creates an account from the email you paid with and emails you a temporary password. The extension unlocks PRO once you sign in on the dashboard in that same browser: open the dashboard, choose Primary Device, and sign in with that email and password. The extension in that browser auto-links and unlocks PRO within a moment — reopen the popup if it still looks locked. See Free vs PRO.

I didn't get my password or reset email

Check your spam folder first, and make sure you're using the exact email you paid or signed up with — that address is your account. For security the reset always says "If that email has an account, we've sent a reset code," so it won't confirm whether an address is registered. Start a reset from the sign-in screen via Forgot password?.

Countdown start began with the wrong settings

Countdown start always uses your last-used settings — whatever was active the last time you pressed Start. If you tweaked the interval or keywords but never pressed Start, the countdown still has the old setup. Fix: press Start once (then Stop), so your new settings are saved, and arm the countdown again. See Countdown start.

My exported settings file is missing my custom scripts

The extension Options-page export intentionally covers a smaller set and does not include custom scripts. Use the dashboard instead: Synchronizing → Download backup (JSON) includes everything, scripts and all. See Cloud sync & backups.

The countdown overlay is in a weird spot on one site

If you (or a stray click) dragged the overlay, its position is remembered per website — that site keeps the dragged spot even if your setting says "bottom right." Just drag it back where you want it; other sites are unaffected. See Countdown overlay & badge.