Common Set Up Issues

Don't worry – most setup issues are easy to fix! This guide will walk you through everything step-by-step. Even if you're not technical, you'll be able to follow along.

First Things First: Quick Health Check

Before we dive in, let's run through a simple checklist to see what might be wrong:

Turn on Debug Mode: Just add ?debug=true to the end of any page URL (like yoursite.com/about?debug=true )
Check Your Browser Console: Press F12 on your keyboard and click the "Console" tab to see if there are any error messages
Look for Our Script: Right-click on your page, select "View Page Source," and search (Ctrl+F) for "rightmessage"
Try Incognito Mode: Sometimes browser extensions cause issues – testing in a private/incognito window helps rule this out
Check Your Dashboard: Go to Dashboard → Settings → JavaScript Snippet to see if we're receiving data

Problem 1: "We Haven't Received Any Data From Your Website"

This is the most common issue, and it's usually an easy fix!

What You'll See

A message saying "We haven't yet received any data from your website"
The Snippet Health indicator shows no recent activity
Your personalizations and widgets aren't showing up

Snippet Not Detected

Let's Fix It Together

Issue #1: The Script Isn't Installed Correctly

How to check: Right-click on your webpage and select "View Page Source." Search for "rightmessage".

Common mistakes we see:

The script is in the wrong place (it needs to be in the <head> section, not the <body> )
Someone modified the script URL or didn't copy it completely
There are multiple RightMessage scripts installed (this confuses things!)
The script got wrapped in something that prevents it from loading
You're using a plugin that compresses or minifies loaded JavaScript files, like WP Rocket

The fix:

Make sure the script is placed right before the closing </head> tag
Copy the script exactly as it appears in your dashboard – don't modify it
If you see duplicate scripts, remove the extras
If you're using a tool that caches and minifies 3rd party JavaScript, add "rightmessage" to your list of exclusions

Issue #2: Your Website Doesn't Have SSL (HTTPS)

Modern browsers won't let non-secure (HTTP) sites send data to secure services like RightMessage.

Quick check: Look at your browser's address bar. Does your URL start with https:// or just http:// ?

How to fix:

Ask your web host about enabling an SSL certificate (many offer this for free)
Services like Cloudflare offer free SSL certificates

Issue #3: Security Settings Are Blocking Us

Some websites have strict security settings that can block external scripts.

You might see this error in the console: "Refused to load script... Content Security Policy"

The fix (you'll need to share this with your developer):

Content-Security-Policy: 
  script-src 'self' 'unsafe-inline' 'unsafe-eval' https://snippet.rightmessage.com https://*.rightmessage.com;
  connect-src 'self' https://panda.rightmessage.com https://ingestion.rightmessage.com;
  style-src 'self' 'unsafe-inline';

Issue #4: Ad Blockers Are Interfering

Ad blockers and privacy extensions can sometimes block RightMessage.

Common culprits:

uBlock Origin
AdBlock Plus
Privacy Badger
Brave Browser's shields
Firefox's Enhanced Tracking Protection

What you can do:

Whitelist your domain in the ad blocker
Test in a different browser or incognito mode
Let your visitors know they might need to whitelist your site for the best experience

Issue #5: Caching Is Showing an Old Version

Think of caching like your browser's memory – sometimes it needs to be refreshed.

Types of caching that might affect you:

Your browser's cache
CDN cache (like Cloudflare)
WordPress caching plugins (WP Rocket, W3 Total Cache, etc.)
Server-level caching

How to clear everything:

Browser: Press Ctrl+Shift+R (Cmd+Shift+R on Mac) for a hard refresh
CDN: Look for a "Purge Cache" button in your CDN dashboard
WordPress: Find the "Clear Cache" option in your caching plugin
Ask your host about clearing server cache

Issue #6: Other JavaScript Errors Are Causing Problems

If there are errors in other scripts on your page, they might prevent RightMessage from loading.

How to check: Open the browser console (F12) and look for red error messages

The fix: You'll need to fix these errors or ask your developer to help. Sometimes just changing the order scripts load can help.

Problem 2: The Personalization Campaign Editor Won't Load Your Site

What's Happening?

To personalize your website, we first need to proxy it through our servers. Some servers don't like this, and will outright block us.

We're using a few platforms on the background to do IP rotation and other fancy things to try to "trick" servers into letting us proxy, but this isn't always possible.

Fixing this is always done on a case-by-case basis, so reach out to support and we'll be able to help.

Problem 3: Personalizations Aren't Working

The Elements Can't Be Found

This usually happens when:

Your page content loads dynamically (common with modern websites)
The element selectors aren't quite right
You're using React, Vue, or Angular

Content Flickers Before Personalizing

If you see the original content briefly before it changes, add the CSS class rm-cloak to any elements that you're attempting to personalize.

Problem 4: Widgets Aren't Showing Up

Quick Troubleshooting Steps

Check the basics:
- Is your widget published and active?
- Do the display rules match the current page?
- Have you or your visitors dismissed it before?
Force a widget to show (for testing):

// Paste this in your browser console
window.RM.push(['trigger', 'WIDGET_ID']);

Clear any dismissal history:

// This resets dismissed widgets
localStorage.removeItem('rm_dismissed_widgets');
localStorage.removeItem('rm_dismissed_widgets_persistent');

Widget Appears Behind Other Elements

If your widget is hiding behind other page elements:

/* Add this CSS to your site */
.rm-widget {
  z-index: 2147483647 !important;
}

Problem 5: Integration Issues

Email Service Provider (ESP) Connection Problems

Common issues and what they mean:

"API rate limit exceeded" – Too many requests too quickly (usually temporary)
"Invalid credentials" – Double-check your API key or password
"Subscriber not found" – The visitor isn't in your email list yet
"Field mapping error" – The fields don't match between systems

Cookie and Storage Issues

If visitor identification isn't working properly:

// Clear old RightMessage data (paste in console)
Object.keys(localStorage)
  .filter(k => k.startsWith('rm') || k.startsWith('rmpanda'))
  .forEach(k => localStorage.removeItem(k));

Advanced Debugging (For the Brave!)

Network Detective Work

Open Developer Tools (F12) → Network tab
Type "rightmessage" in the filter box
Look for:
- Green status codes (200 = good!)
- Correct URLs
- Fast response times (under 200ms is great)

Browser-Specific Quirks

Safari/iOS:

Has strict privacy settings that might interfere
Try turning off "Prevent Cross-Site Tracking" for testing

Firefox:

Look for the shield icon in the address bar
You might need to turn off Enhanced Tracking Protection for your site

Chrome:

Working on phasing out third-party cookies
Test in different privacy settings

Preventing Future Issues

Your Testing Checklist

✅ Test in Chrome, Firefox, and Safari
✅ Check on mobile devices
✅ Try incognito/private mode
✅ Test with common ad blockers

Regular Maintenance

Check your Snippet Health weekly
Monitor for browser console errors
Keep an eye on your conversion rates
Document any custom setup you've done

Still Stuck? We're Here to Help!

Before reaching out, gather this information:

Your browser and version (e.g., Chrome 96)
Any error messages from the console
What you see in the Network tab
Your debug mode output

Then contact us at support@rightmessage.com with:

A description of what's happening
The information you gathered above
A link to your website
Steps to reproduce the issue

Remember: Most issues are simple fixes! Start with the quick health check at the top and work your way down. You've got this! 🎉