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Developer Tools - Request Runner

Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting Guide

This guide provides solutions for common issues users may encounter when using the Request Runner extension.

Extension Context Invalidated

Error Message:

  • "Extension context invalidated. Please close and reopen the DevTools panel to continue."
  • "Failed to initialize panel. Please reload the DevTools panel."

Cause:

This error occurs when the Chrome extension context becomes invalid, typically after:

  • Extension reload/update
  • Browser restart
  • DevTools panel being open for extended periods

Solution:

  1. Close the DevTools panel
  2. Reopen Chrome DevTools
  3. Navigate back to the Request Runner panel
  4. If the issue persists, restart Chrome

Prevention:

  • The extension handles this gracefully and shows clear error messages
  • No data loss occurs - all data is persisted in chrome.storage.local

URL Validation Errors

Error Messages:

  • "URL is required"
  • "Invalid URL format. Please provide a complete URL starting with http:// or https://"
  • "Protocol [protocol] is not allowed. Only http:// and https:// are supported."
  • "Invalid URL: missing hostname"
  • "Relative URLs are not supported. Please provide a complete URL starting with http:// or https://"

Cause:

URL validation fails when:

  • URL is empty or only whitespace
  • URL doesn't start with http:// or https://
  • URL uses dangerous protocols (javascript:, data:, file:, etc.)
  • URL is a relative path instead of absolute URL
  • URL is malformed

Solution:

  1. Ensure URL starts with http:// or https://
  2. Use complete absolute URLs (e.g., https://api.example.com/v1/users)
  3. Avoid relative URLs (e.g., /api/users) - convert to full URLs
  4. Check for extra whitespace before/after the URL
  5. Verify the URL is properly formatted

Examples:

  • ❌ Bad: api.example.com/users
  • ❌ Bad: /api/users
  • ❌ Bad: javascript:alert('xss')
  • ✅ Good: https://api.example.com/v1/users

Header Validation Errors

Error Messages:

  • "Header name cannot be empty"
  • "Invalid header name. Header names must only contain valid HTTP token characters"
  • "Header name too long (max 1000 characters)"
  • "Invalid headers JSON"

Cause:

Header validation fails when:

  • Header name contains invalid characters (per RFC 7230)
  • Header name is empty
  • Headers JSON is malformed
  • Header name exceeds 1000 character limit

Solution:

  1. Ensure header names contain only valid characters:
    • Letters (A-Z, a-z)
    • Numbers (0-9)
    • Special characters: !#$%&'*+-.^_|~`
  2. Verify JSON syntax is valid when using Bulk Edit (JSON) mode
  3. Check for empty header names
  4. Ensure header names don't exceed 1000 characters

Valid Header Name Examples:

  • ✅ Content-Type
  • ✅ Authorization
  • ✅ X-Custom-Header
  • ✅ API-Key

Invalid Header Name Examples:

  • ❌ Header Name (contains space)
  • ❌ Header@Name (contains @)
  • ❌ Header(Name) (contains parentheses)

Request Body Validation Errors

Error Messages:

  • "[METHOD] requests cannot have a body" (for GET, HEAD, OPTIONS)
  • "Body size ([size] bytes) exceeds maximum allowed size (10MB)"
  • "Body must be valid JSON when Content-Type is application/json"

Cause:

Body validation fails when:

  • GET, HEAD, or OPTIONS methods include a body (HTTP spec violation)
  • Request body exceeds 10MB limit
  • Content-Type is application/json but body is not valid JSON

Solution:

  1. For GET/HEAD/OPTIONS methods:

    • Remove the request body entirely
    • Use query parameters for GET requests instead

  2. For body size limit:

    • Reduce body size to under 10MB
    • Consider using file upload APIs for large payloads

  3. For JSON validation:

    • Ensure body is valid JSON when Content-Type includes application/json
    • Validate JSON syntax using a JSON validator
    • Check for trailing commas, unquoted keys, etc.

Examples:

// ✅ Valid JSON
{
  "name": "John",
  "age": 30
}

// ❌ Invalid JSON (trailing comma)
{
  "name": "John",
  "age": 30,
}

Missing Environment Variables

Error Message:

  • "Missing environment variables: [variable1], [variable2], ..."

Cause:

Request contains {{VARIABLE}} placeholders but the selected environment doesn't define those variables.

Solution:

  1. Check which variables are missing (listed in error message)
  2. Ensure an environment is selected in the dropdown
  3. Add missing variables to the selected environment:
    • Click "Manage Environments"
    • Edit the environment
    • Add the missing variable names and values
    • Save the environment
  4. Verify variable names match exactly (case-sensitive)

Variable Name Rules:

  • Must start with a letter or underscore
  • Can only contain letters, numbers, and underscores
  • Maximum 100 characters
  • Cannot be reserved keywords (GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS)

Network Errors

Error Messages:

  • "Network Error"
  • "Failed to execute request"
  • Status: 0 with statusText: "Network Error"

Cause:

Network request fails due to:

  • CORS (Cross-Origin Resource Sharing) restrictions
  • Server is down or unreachable
  • Network connectivity issues
  • Invalid SSL certificate
  • Firewall or proxy blocking the request

Solution:

  1. Check CORS:

    • Verify the API server allows requests from Chrome extensions
    • Check server CORS headers (Access-Control-Allow-Origin)
    • Note: Chrome extensions can bypass CORS, but some servers may still block

  2. Verify connectivity:

    • Test the URL in a browser to ensure it's accessible
    • Check network connectivity
    • Verify firewall/proxy settings

  3. Check SSL:

    • Ensure the URL uses a valid SSL certificate
    • Try the request in browser DevTools Network tab first

  4. Review request details:

    • Verify URL is correct
    • Check headers are properly formatted
    • Ensure body is correctly formatted

JSON Parsing Errors

Error Messages:

  • "Invalid JSON format"
  • "Invalid headers JSON"
  • "Invalid JSON. Please fix errors before switching modes."

Cause:

JSON syntax is invalid when:

  • Using Bulk Edit (JSON) mode in Headers or Body editor
  • Switching between Visual and JSON modes
  • Copy-pasting malformed JSON

Solution:

  1. For Headers JSON:

    • Ensure proper JSON object syntax: {"Key": "Value"}
    • Check for trailing commas
    • Verify all keys and values are properly quoted
    • Use a JSON validator to check syntax

  2. For Body JSON:

    • Validate JSON syntax before sending request
    • Check for common issues:
      • Trailing commas
      • Unquoted keys
      • Invalid escape sequences
      • Mismatched brackets/braces

  3. When switching modes:

    • Fix JSON errors before switching from JSON to Visual mode
    • Error messages will indicate the issue location

License Verification Issues

Error Messages:

  • License verification failures (shown in Options page)
  • Pro features not working despite valid license

Cause:

License verification can fail due to:

  • Network connectivity issues
  • Invalid license key or email
  • License expiration
  • Server-side verification errors

Solution:

  1. Check network connectivity:

    • Ensure internet connection is active
    • Verify firewall/proxy settings allow API calls

  2. Verify license information:

    • Go to Options page
    • Check license key and email are correct
    • Re-enter license information if needed

  3. Clear and re-verify:

    • Clear license info in Options page
    • Re-enter license key and email
    • Click "Verify License"

  4. Check license status:

    • Verify license hasn't expired
    • Contact support if license appears valid but verification fails

Note: License verification uses silent mode for background checks, so temporary network errors won't revoke valid licenses.

Storage Errors

Error Messages:

  • "Extension context invalidated. Cannot [get/set] storage key."
  • History or environment data not saving

Cause:

Storage errors typically occur due to:

  • Extension context invalidation
  • Chrome storage quota exceeded
  • Storage API unavailable

Solution:

  1. For context invalidation:

    • Close and reopen DevTools panel (see Extension Context Invalidated section)

  2. For storage quota:

    • Chrome storage limit is typically 10MB
    • Clear old request history if limit is reached
    • Remove unused environments

  3. Check storage:

    • Go to Chrome Extensions page (chrome://extensions/)
    • Check extension storage usage
    • Clear storage if needed (will remove all saved data)

Free Tier Limitations

Error Messages:

  • "Free tier allows only 1 environment. Upgrade to Pro for unlimited environments."
  • "Free tier allows up to 3 variables per environment. Upgrade to Pro for unlimited variables."
  • "Free tier daily limit reached. Upgrade to Pro for unlimited copies."

Cause:

Free tier has limitations on:

  • Number of environments (1 max)
  • Variables per environment (3 max)
  • Code copy operations per day (5 max)
  • Request history (50 requests max)

Solution:

  1. For environment limits:

    • Delete unused environments to stay within 1 environment limit
    • Upgrade to Pro for unlimited environments

  2. For variable limits:

    • Reduce variables in environment to 3 or fewer
    • Combine related variables if possible
    • Upgrade to Pro for unlimited variables

  3. For copy limits:

    • Wait 24 hours for daily limit to reset
    • Manually copy code from code generator view
    • Upgrade to Pro for unlimited copies

  4. For history limits:

    • Old requests are automatically removed when limit is reached
    • Export history before it's cleared if needed
    • Upgrade to Pro for unlimited history

Code Generation Issues

Error Messages:

  • "Failed to copy to clipboard"
  • Generated code doesn't work when executed

Cause:

Code generation can fail due to:

  • Clipboard API permissions
  • Invalid request data
  • Browser clipboard restrictions

Solution:

  1. For clipboard failures:

    • Click the code in the code generator view
    • Manually select and copy the code
    • Check browser clipboard permissions

  2. For code that doesn't work:

    • Verify the generated code matches your request
    • Check for proper escaping in cURL commands
    • Ensure environment variables are substituted correctly
    • Test the code in a separate terminal/editor first

  3. Verify request details:

    • Check URL, headers, and body in the request form
    • Ensure all required fields are filled
    • Verify environment variables are defined if used

General Debugging Tips

  1. Check the error message:

    • Error messages are displayed at the top of the panel
    • Read the full error message for specific guidance

  2. Review request details:

    • Verify URL, method, headers, and body are correct
    • Check for typos or formatting issues

  3. Test in browser first:

    • Use browser DevTools Network tab to test the same request
    • Compare request/response details

  4. Clear and retry:

    • Clear the request form
    • Re-enter request details from scratch
    • Try with a simple request first

  5. Check extension console:

    • Open browser DevTools
    • Check Console tab for additional error details
    • Look for extension-related errors

  6. Restart extension:

    • Go to chrome://extensions/
    • Disable and re-enable the extension
    • Reload DevTools panel