Common Problems

Solutions to frequently encountered issues

This page covers common problems that users encounter with Page Assist and their solutions.

Installation and Setup Issues

Extension not appearing in toolbar

If Page Assist doesn’t appear in your browser toolbar after installation:

1. Check if extension is installed

   1. Open your browser’s extensions page:
      • Chrome: chrome://extensions
      • Firefox: about:addons
      • Edge: edge://extensions
   2. Verify that Page Assist is listed and enabled
2. Pin the extension

   1. Click the extensions icon (puzzle piece) in your toolbar
   2. Find Page Assist in the list
   3. Click the pin icon to pin it to your toolbar
3. Restart browser

   If the extension still doesn’t appear, restart your browser completely.

Models not loading or appearing

If you don’t see any models in Page Assist:

1. Verify Ollama is running: Check that Ollama is active by visiting http://localhost:11434
2. Pull a model: Make sure you have at least one model downloaded:
   ollama pull llama2
   
3. Refresh model list: In Page Assist settings, try refreshing the model list
4. Check connection: Ensure there are no connection issues (see Connection Issues)

Settings not saving

If your settings aren’t being saved:

1. Make sure you click the Save button after making changes
2. Check browser storage permissions for the extension
3. Try clearing the extension’s storage and reconfiguring:
   • Go to browser extensions page
   • Find Page Assist
   • Look for storage or data options
   • Clear and reconfigure
4. Reinstall the extension if the issue persists

Usage Issues

Responses are slow or timing out

If you’re experiencing slow responses or timeouts:

For local models:

• Check your system resources (CPU, RAM, GPU usage)
• Try a smaller model if you have limited resources
• Close other resource-intensive applications
• Ensure your model is fully loaded (first response may be slower)

For remote servers:

• Check your network connection
• Verify the server is responding at the configured URL
• Check server logs for errors or resource constraints
• Consider increasing timeout settings if available

Responses are incomplete or cut off

If model responses are being truncated:

1. Check the context length settings for your model
2. Some models have token limits that may cut off longer responses
3. Try asking for shorter responses or breaking your question into parts
4. Consider using a model with a larger context window

Error: 'Model not found'

This error means the selected model isn’t available:

1. Verify model is pulled

   Check if the model is downloaded:

   ollama list
   
2. Pull the model

   If the model isn’t in the list, download it:

   ollama pull <model-name>
   
3. Refresh Page Assist

   1. Close and reopen Page Assist
   2. Or refresh the model list in settings

Chat history not saving

If your conversation history isn’t being saved:

1. Check browser storage permissions for the extension
2. Verify you’re not in incognito/private browsing mode
3. Check if you have sufficient storage space
4. Try exporting and importing your chat history if available

Browser-Specific Issues

Chrome/Edge: Extension keeps disabling

If the extension disables itself:

1. Check if you’re using a work/school managed browser
2. Verify the extension is from the official store
3. Disable “Enhanced Safe Browsing” temporarily to test
4. Check Chrome/Edge policies that might restrict extensions

Firefox: Content Security Policy errors

If you see CSP errors in Firefox:

1. Check the browser console for specific CSP violations
2. Ensure you’re using the latest version of Page Assist
3. Try disabling other extensions that might interfere
4. Report the issue with console logs to the developers

Safari: Extension not working

Safari extensions may have additional restrictions:

1. Ensure you’ve granted all requested permissions
2. Check Safari’s extension settings
3. Verify Safari is up to date
4. Some features may not be available on Safari

Performance Issues

High CPU/memory usage

If Page Assist is using too many resources:

For local Ollama:

• This is normal when running AI models locally
• Use smaller models if your system is struggling
• Monitor with: ollama ps
• Adjust the number of concurrent models loaded

For the extension:

• Clear chat history if it’s very long
• Close and reopen the extension
• Check for browser memory leaks
• Update to the latest version

Browser slowing down

If your browser becomes sluggish:

1. Clear browser cache and cookies
2. Disable other unused extensions
3. Close unnecessary tabs
4. Restart the browser
5. Check if the issue occurs without Page Assist enabled

Update and Compatibility Issues

New version not installing

If updates aren’t installing:

1. Automatic updates: Check if automatic updates are enabled in your browser
2. Manual update: Try removing and reinstalling the extension
3. Cache issue: Clear browser cache and try again
4. Store issue: Check if there are known issues with the extension store

Breaking changes after update

If something breaks after an update:

1. Check the release notes for breaking changes
2. Review your settings - some may need reconfiguration
3. Clear extension storage and reconfigure if necessary
4. Report bugs on the GitHub repository
5. Consider rolling back to a previous version if available

Data and Privacy

How to export chat history

To back up your conversations:

1. Open Page Assist settings
2. Look for data export or backup options
3. Export your chat history to a file
4. Store the file securely for backup

The exact export process may vary by version. Check the settings menu for available options.

How to clear all data

To completely reset Page Assist:

1. Clear extension data

   1. Go to your browser’s extensions page
   2. Find Page Assist
   3. Look for “Clear storage” or similar option
2. Reset settings

   Open Page Assist settings and look for a reset or clear data option.

3. Reinstall (if needed)

   If issues persist, uninstall and reinstall the extension.

This will delete all your chat history and settings. Export important data first.

Still Need Help?

If your issue isn’t covered here:

1. Check the Connection Issues page for Ollama-specific problems
2. Review Extension Conflicts if Page Assist interferes with other websites
3. Search existing GitHub issues for similar problems
4. Open a new issue with detailed information about your problem

When reporting issues, please include:

• Operating system and version
• Browser and version
• Page Assist version
• Ollama version (if applicable)
• Steps to reproduce the issue
• Screenshots or error messages