Academica

help

Extension Troubleshooting

Having issues with the Academica Chrome extension? This guide covers common problems and solutions.

Extension Not Showing#

Can't find the extension icon#

Solution 1: Check the extensions menu

  1. Click the puzzle piece icon in Chrome's toolbar
  2. Look for Academica in the list
  3. Click the pin icon to keep it visible

Solution 2: Verify installation

  1. Go to chrome://extensions/
  2. Look for Academica
  3. Make sure it's enabled (toggle is blue)

Solution 3: Reinstall

  1. Remove the extension
  2. Reinstall from Chrome Web Store
  3. Sign back in

Not Detecting Canvas#

Extension doesn't recognize Canvas pages#

Check the URL

  • Canvas URLs should contain .instructure.com
  • If your school uses a custom domain, contact support

Try refreshing

  1. Refresh the Canvas page (F5)
  2. Wait a few seconds
  3. Check the extension popup

Verify permissions

  1. Go to chrome://extensions/
  2. Click "Details" on Academica
  3. Check that site access includes Canvas URLs

Won't Sign In#

Can't log into the extension#

Check credentials

  • Use the same email/password as the web app
  • Try signing into the web app first

Check internet connection

  • Make sure you're online
  • Try loading other websites

Clear extension data

  1. Click the extension icon
  2. Go to Settings (if available)
  3. Click "Sign Out" or "Clear Data"
  4. Try signing in again

Check for conflicts

  • Disable other extensions temporarily
  • Try in an incognito window

Sync Not Working#

Extension connected but not syncing#

Manual sync

  1. Go to a Canvas page
  2. Click the extension icon
  3. Click "Sync Now"
  4. Watch for status changes

Check Canvas access

  • Make sure you're logged into Canvas
  • Verify you can see your assignments in Canvas

Refresh everything

  1. Refresh the Canvas page
  2. Sign out of the extension
  3. Sign back in
  4. Try syncing again

Missing Assignments#

Some assignments not appearing in Academica#

Visit the source page

  1. Go to the specific course in Canvas
  2. Open the Assignments page
  3. Wait for extension to scan
  4. Check Academica web app

Check filters

  • In the web app, check if filters are hiding assignments
  • Clear all filters and look again

Verify in Canvas

  • Make sure the assignment exists in Canvas
  • Check it's not hidden or unpublished

Wrong or Outdated Grades#

Grades not matching Canvas#

Sync the grades page

  1. Go to the course's Grades page in Canvas
  2. Click "Sync Now" in the extension
  3. Wait 10-20 seconds
  4. Refresh the Academica web app

Check the timing

  • Teachers may update grades that haven't synced yet
  • Try again after a few minutes

Verify in Canvas

  • Make sure the grade is actually posted in Canvas
  • Some grades may be hidden until a date

Extension Crashing#

Extension stops working or crashes#

Restart Chrome

  1. Close all Chrome windows
  2. Reopen Chrome
  3. Check if extension works

Update Chrome

  1. Go to chrome://settings/help
  2. Update if available
  3. Restart Chrome

Reinstall extension

  1. Go to chrome://extensions/
  2. Remove Academica
  3. Reinstall from Chrome Web Store
  4. Sign back in

Performance Issues#

Extension making Chrome slow#

Check for conflicts

  • Disable other extensions
  • See if performance improves
  • Re-enable one at a time

Clear browser data

  1. Go to chrome://settings/clearBrowserData
  2. Clear cached images and files
  3. Restart Chrome

Update everything

  • Update Chrome to latest version
  • Reinstall extension for latest version

Error Messages#

"Connection Failed"#

  • Check internet connection
  • Academica servers may be temporarily down
  • Try again in a few minutes

"Authentication Error"#

  • Sign out and back in
  • Check that your account is active
  • Try signing into the web app

"Sync Error"#

  • Refresh the Canvas page
  • Try manual sync
  • Check if Canvas is working properly

"Permission Denied"#

  • Extension may need re-authorization
  • Remove and reinstall the extension
  • Grant permissions when prompted

Still Having Issues?#

If none of these solutions work:

  1. Report the bug

    • Use "Report a Bug" in the web app
    • Include: what you were doing, what happened, error messages

  2. Check for updates

    • Make sure you have the latest extension version
    • Update Chrome if needed

  3. Try a fresh start

    • Uninstall extension completely
    • Clear browser cache
    • Reinstall and set up again

Helpful Information for Support#

When reporting issues, include:

  • Chrome version (chrome://version)
  • Extension version (from chrome://extensions/)
  • Your school's Canvas URL
  • Steps to reproduce the problem
  • Any error messages you see

Next Steps#

PreviousManual Sync