When a workflow doesn’t behave as expected, start with the quick checks, then follow the path for what you see. Each path ends with a link to a page that goes deeper.
Quick checks
Section titled “Quick checks”These fix most problems:
- The browser extension is installed and enabled, and you are signed in to the same workspace.
- The page has finished loading before the workflow runs.
- AWFlow is allowed on this site (see Permissions & security).
- Ready to run? in the canvas toolbar shows nothing left to fix: no missing connection or required field.
- You reloaded the page after installing or updating the extension.
What do you see?
Section titled “What do you see?”flowchart TD
A["Something is wrong"] --> B{"Does the run start?"}
B -->|No| C{"Manual or automatic?"}
C -->|Manual| C1["Check Ready to run?<br/>and the Last run tab"]
C -->|Automatic| C2["Is the workflow Active?<br/>Does the trigger match the page?"]
B -->|Yes| D{"Does it finish?"}
D -->|"No, it fails"| E["Read the Last run tab:<br/>what happened, why, what to try"]
D -->|"No, it's slow or stuck"| F["Performance"]
D -->|Yes| G{"Is the output right?"}
G -->|"Empty or missing data"| H["Data extraction"]
G -->|"Data doesn't reach the next step"| I["Workflow connections"]
G -->|"Works in Chrome, not elsewhere"| J["Browser compatibility"]
class A awf-err
class C1,C2,E awf-warn
class F,H,I,J awf-ok
| Symptom | Likely cause | Where to look |
|---|---|---|
| Clicking run does nothing, or the button is disabled | Another run is in progress, or something still needs setup | Hover the button for the reason; open Ready to run? |
| An automatic workflow never runs | The workflow isn’t Active, or the trigger’s settings don’t match | Automatic runs with triggers |
| A step fails | Missing connection, refused API key, rate limit, network problem | The Last run tab, then Error handling |
| A click or fill step does nothing | The element isn’t there yet, or the site blocks the extension | Permissions & security, Wait For Element |
| Extraction returns empty or partial data | The page wasn’t loaded, the content is in a frame, or the selector is wrong | Data extraction |
| Data doesn’t reach the next step | A missing connection or a wrong field name in a mapping | Workflow connections |
| The workflow is slow or times out | Too much data, or a slow page | Performance |
| A node only works in the extension | It needs the extension to make its requests | Extension-only integrations in the web app |
| It works in Chrome but not in Firefox | Browser differences | Browser compatibility |
Read the Last run tab first
Section titled “Read the Last run tab first”When a run fails, the Last run tab of the panel on the right explains it in plain words:
- What happened: which step failed.
- Why it probably happened: for example a network problem, a refused key, or a rate limit.
- Try this: what to do next, with a button to open the step’s settings, reconnect it, or run again.
- Show technical details: the error the step reported, with Copy details for a bug report.
Then click any node on the canvas to see what it received and what it returned. The first node whose output looks wrong is where the problem starts.
Narrow it down
Section titled “Narrow it down”- Test one step at a time. Click a node and choose Test step. AWFlow runs only what that step needs. See Run from the canvas.
- Check each step’s output. Follow the data from the first step to the one that fails.
- Reduce the data. Add a Limit node to test with a few items, then remove it.
- Simplify. Disable the steps you don’t need while testing.
- Change one thing at a time, and test again after each change.
Common error messages
Section titled “Common error messages”| Message | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Extension context invalidated | The extension was updated or reloaded while the page was open. | Reload the page and run again. |
| Cannot access contents of the page | The page is a browser page (such as chrome://), the extension gallery, or a site where AWFlow isn’t allowed. |
Use a regular website, and allow AWFlow on it. See Special pages that do not work. |
| Selection not found | The workflow expects selected text, but nothing is selected. | Select text on the page before you run it. |
| A timeout | A step waited too long for the page or a service. | Make sure the page has loaded, then see Performance. |
| A refused key (401 or 403) | The service refused your credential. | Reconnect or update the credential. See Editing credentials. |
| Too many requests (429) | You sent too many requests to a service. | Wait and try again, or slow the workflow down with Split in Batches and a Wait node. |
Prevent problems
Section titled “Prevent problems”- Wait for the page or element before acting on it.
- Extract only the part of the page you need.
- Turn on Retry for steps that call online services, and Continue On Fail for steps that may fail without harm. See Error handling.
- Test with a few different pages and inputs before you activate a workflow.
Still stuck?
Section titled “Still stuck?”Ask on the community forum. Describe what you expected and what happened, and include the steps you took, a screenshot, the Copy details text from the Last run tab, and, if you can, an export of the workflow with personal data removed.
See Help & community for other ways to get help, including bug reports.