Troubleshooting

If Cognardo Workbench isn't behaving as expected, this guide covers the most common issues and their solutions. Most problems can be resolved in a few minutes without reinstalling the extension.

Quick Troubleshooting Checklist#

Before diving into specific issues, try these quick fixes:

• Refresh the current page.
• Restart your browser.
• Confirm Cognardo Workbench is enabled in your browser's extensions.
• Confirm you're signed in, and to the right account, if the issue involves saved content. See sign in to the extension.
• Check your internet connection if cloud sync or an AI action is affected.
• Update Cognardo Workbench to the latest version.
• Disable other extensions temporarily to rule out a conflict.

Common Issues#

Cognardo Workbench Doesn't Appear on Supported Websites#

Possible Causes

• The extension is disabled in the browser.
• The current site isn't one of the supported platforms, or hasn't been added to the permitted-sites list. See general settings.
• The page loaded before the extension finished initializing.
• Another extension is interfering.

Solutions

• Refresh the page.
• Confirm Cognardo Workbench is enabled in the browser.
• Open a new supported AI chat, or add the site to the permitted-sites list.
• Temporarily disable other browser extensions to identify a conflict.

Sidebar Doesn't Open#

Try the Following

• Click the Cognardo Workbench icon to open the pop-up, and confirm the extension shows as active there.
• Refresh the page.
• Check whether overlay or push mode is set the way you expect. See the interface.
• Restart the browser.

If the issue continues, disable and re-enable the extension.

Floater Button Is Missing#

Possible Causes

• The Enable Floater toggle is off.
• The current site hasn't been enabled, if it's outside the built-in AI chat platforms.
• The sidebar is already open — the floater hides itself while it is, by design.
• The page is one Chrome doesn't allow extensions on (chrome:// pages, the Chrome Web Store).

Solutions

• Check Enable Floater and the permitted-sites list in general settings.
• Close the sidebar to see if the floater reappears.
• Try a different, supported page.

Conversations Are Not Being Saved#

Verify

Conversations record automatically once these are in place — there's no separate record button to miss.

Cloud Sync Isn't Working#

Possible Causes

• Not signed in, or signed into the wrong account.
• Enable Cloud Sync & Intelligence is off. See general settings.
• An unstable or offline internet connection.
• A temporary service issue.

Solutions

• Sign out and sign back in.
• Confirm cloud sync is enabled.
• Check your internet connection, then wait a few minutes and try again.
• Refresh the browser.

Prompt Library Is Empty#

If saved prompts are missing:

• Confirm you're signed into the account they were saved on.
• Confirm cloud sync is enabled, if the prompts were meant to follow you across devices.
• Search the library, and check whether a tag or model filter is narrowing the view. See search and filter.

Scratchpad Changes Are Not Saving#

• Wait a few seconds before closing the page — a save can trail slightly behind typing.
• Confirm cloud sync has finished, if you're checking on another device.
• Refresh the page, or restart the browser.

If you're working offline, changes save locally and sync once you're back online.

AI Features Aren't Working#

Covers Optimize, Compare Across LLMs, Rewrite Tone, Explain, Summarize, and the scratchpad-based actions (flashcards, quiz).

Check

• Your internet connection.
• Your remaining AI credits, on the Account tab.
• That you're signed in.

If everything checks out, retry after a few minutes — a busy period can add a short delay.

Citation or Hallucination Analysis Doesn't Complete#

• Confirm the response actually contains citations or claims to check.
• Confirm the cited sites are publicly reachable.
• Confirm your internet connection is stable.

Large responses, or responses with many links, take longer to finish than a short one.

Compare Across LLMs Doesn't Work#

• Confirm the feature is available on your plan.
• Confirm the models you expected to compare are selected.
• Confirm you're signed in and online.

Refresh the page and retry if the comparison doesn't start.

Keyboard Shortcuts Don't Respond#

• Confirm another extension isn't bound to the same key combination.
• Confirm the current site is one the shortcut is expected to work on.
• Restart the browser.

Import or Export Fails#

Before exporting:

• Confirm there's enough local storage space.
• For a very large library, try exporting a smaller selection.

Before importing:

• Confirm the file is a CSV matching the expected column format. See manage the prompt and sequence library.
• Confirm the file hasn't been edited in a way that breaks that format.

Slow Performance#

Performance can be affected by:

• A very large prompt or conversation library.
• Several other active browser extensions.
• Limited system resources.

To improve it:

• Restart the browser and close unused tabs.
• Disable extensions you don't need running.
• Keep the browser and Cognardo Workbench updated.

Browser Compatibility#

Cognardo Workbench is built for modern Chromium-based browsers. On an unsupported browser, some features may not function correctly. Keeping both the browser and the extension updated gives the most reliable experience.

Extension Conflicts#

Some other browser extensions can interfere with Cognardo Workbench — sidebar extensions, clipboard managers, page-modification tools, and privacy or script-blocking extensions are the most common causes.

If a conflict is suspected:

• Disable other extensions temporarily.
• Reload the page.
• Re-enable extensions one at a time until the conflicting one is identified.

Resetting Cognardo Workbench#

If several issues appear at once, a clean reset often resolves it.

• Close the browser.
• Disable Cognardo Workbench, then re-enable it.
• Restart the browser.
• Sign in again if prompted.

Still Need Help?#

If the issue continues after the steps above, contact support with:

• A clear description of the problem.
• Your browser, its version, and the Cognardo Workbench version.
• The steps needed to reproduce it.
• A screenshot, if one would help.

Reporting a problem doesn't require signing in, and there's no character limit on the description — write as much detail as is useful. Reports go to the team for diagnosis; not every report gets an individual reply, but the details provided are what help fix the underlying issue.

Related pages#

• Install the extension
• Sign in to the extension
• The interface
• General settings
• Account settings
• Contact support