If you see an error notification in Session Buddy when trying to open links in a collection, it’s probably because some of the links you’re trying to open require special permission.

This notification is most commonly encountered when trying to open either local or incognito links.

Local links

A local link is a link to a file on your device. It has a URL that starts with file:///. Opening local links requires the Allow access to file URLs permission to be turned on in Session Buddy’s extension settings.

If this permission is not turned on, trying to open these kinds of links will display a failure notification.

To grant the permission, right-click the Session Buddy extension icon in the toolbar and then click “Manage extension”. On the Session Buddy details page, turn on the Allow access to file URLs toggle.

Incognito links

Opening links that are in an incognito folder requires the Allow in Incognito permission to be turned on in Session Buddy’s extension settings.

If this permission is not turned on, trying to open these kinds of links will display a failure notification.

To grant the permission, right-click the Session Buddy extension icon in the toolbar and then click “Manage extension”. On the Session Buddy details page, turn on the Allow in Incognito toggle.

Alternatively, if you want to open links in an Incognito folder as non-incognito tabs, you can change the folder to be a non-incognito folder. To do so, right-click the folder, click Edit, clear the Incognito checkbox, and click OK.

Browser feature links

Links to browser features like bookmarks, history, settings, or extensions are never allowed to open in an incognito window, even when the Allow in Incognito permission is enabled.

Due to upcoming changes in Chrome, Session Buddy now requires Chrome (or Edge) version 110 or newer.

If you see a notification in the app warning about this, it means you’re on an old browser version that needs to be updated in order for Session Buddy to continue to receive updates that keep it functioning.

You MUST upgrade Chrome (or Edge) to at least version 110 before March 1, 2024 to avoid being stuck with an old and unsupported version of Session Buddy.

If you wait until after March 1, 2024 to upgrade your browser, you will lose all of your Session Buddy saved sessions when you upgrade.

Also note that while existing installs of Session Buddy will continue to run on versions of Chrome older than 110, it will soon become impossible to install or re-install Session Buddy without first upgrading to Chrome 110 or newer.

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO NOW

1. Back up your saved sessions

Click on the Session Buddy gear icon, then click Back up.

It’s generally a good idea to do this often, and especially before making big changes.

A backup can later be imported into Session Buddy to recover saved sessions if necessary.

2. Include the Session Buddy data file in your system backups

Locate the Session Buddy data file by following the steps outlined here: How to Locate Session Buddy Data on Your Computer

Ensure that this file is included in your scheduled system backups. If you aren’t regularly backing up your computer, drop everything you’re doing and make this a priority. You’ll thank me later.

3. Ensure you’re on the latest version of Chrome (or Edge)

If this is not currently possible, make sure you’re backing up often. You’ll eventually need a recent backup to transfer your data when you re-install Session Buddy or Chrome updates it.

Once you’re on a compatible browser version, the compatibility notification in the app will disappear.

Due to a change in Chrome 118, opening URLs for local files (i.e., URLs that start with file:///) now requires extensions to have the “Allow access to file URLs” permission turned on in the extension’s settings.

If this permission is not turned on, local file URLs will be ignored when restoring tabs. In addition, you’ll see this message at the top of saved sessions that contain local file URLs:

To grant the permission, go to Session Buddy’s extension settings and turn on the following toggle:

To get to the settings page, you can either right-click the Session Buddy extension icon in the toolbar and then click “Manage extension” or copy-paste the following URL into the address bar:

chrome://extensions/?id=edacconmaakjimmfgnblocblbcdcpbko

This article outlines the first steps to take if you encounter a problem while using Session Buddy.

1.  Save your data

Begin by backing up your Session Buddy data:

• Using Session Buddy’s Backup Feature: Click the gear icon in Session Buddy and select “Backup” to save your collections and history. See Backup and Restore.
• If Session Buddy Won’t Open: Use the saveData() console command to download a file containing all collections and history.
• Manual Backup: If the above methods fail, manually copy the Session Buddy data folders to a safe location.

2.  Restart the browser

Ensure a complete shutdown of your browser before restarting:

On Windows: Close all browser windows. Then check the tool tray for the browser icon. If it is present, right-click it and click “Exit“.

On macOS: Press Cmd+Q to quit the browser. Then check the Dock for the browser icon. If it’s still there, right-click and choose “Quit” if available.

After restarting, check if the issue persists. If it does, proceed to the next step.

3.  Consult the support page

Visit the Session Buddy Support Page for solutions to common issues. It’s likely you’ll find the assistance you need there.

If you’re unable to find an answer, contact support.

Session Buddy v3 (the old version) and Session Buddy v4 (the current version) store data in different places on your computer.

If you are looking for the data location for the current version of Session Buddy (v4), click here

If you are looking for the data location for the old version of Session Buddy (v3), click here

Chrome allows for the use of multiple user profiles. If you don’t have multiple user profiles set up in Chrome, then your settings and installed extensions are associated with the Default profile.

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The Session Buddy console provides tools for diagnosing and troubleshooting problems.

If an issue occurs, the console may display error messages that can help Session Buddy support identify the problem.

How to access the console:

1. Open a Session Buddy tab by clicking the Session Buddy icon in the browser toolbar.
   
2. With Session Buddy as the active tab, open Chrome’s menu, go to “More tools“, and select “Developer tools“.
   
   
   
   This will open the Developer Tools in a new window or pane.
   
3. In Developer Tools, select the Console tab to view recent Session Buddy activity or error messages.
   
4. Some entries have an arrow on the left—click it to reveal additional details.

Alternative instructions

To access the console when Session Buddy won’t open, go to the following URL:

chrome://extensions/?id=edacconmaakjimmfgnblocblbcdcpbko

Ensure that “Developer mode” is toggled on in the upper-right corner of this page, then click the service worker link under “Inspect views“.

This will open the Developer Tools in a new window. Select the Console tab in this window to view recent Session Buddy activity or error messages.

Note that console commands and local storage editing are not available when opening the console this way.

Sharing console information

When sharing console information with Session Buddy support, provide either:

• A screenshot of the console with entries fully expanded, or
• A copy/pasted version of the console’s text. Right-click inside the console, then select either “Copy console” or “Save as…”

Console commands

The Session Buddy console includes some helpful commands. Type the command and hit ENTER to execute it.

saveData()

Downloads a file containing all collections and history. This can be useful if Session Buddy won’t open.

saveDiagnostics()

Downloads a file with diagnostic information that can help Session Buddy support get a better idea about the issue you’re experiencing.

repair()

Scans collections and history and repairs any data inconsistencies it finds. Reports on any issues detected and repaired.

debug()

Puts Session Buddy into debug mode.

debug(false)

Takes Session Buddy out of debug mode.

Import and export are a pair of complimentary features that make it easy to share collections between Session Buddy and people, applications, or Session Buddy on other devices.

Importing collections

The Import feature enables you to create collections using files from other applications or text copied from emails, chats, documents, or web pages.

Session Buddy supports a wide array of input formats, ranging from simple lists of URLs to structured JSON representations.

To import collections:

1. Open the Import Dialog: Click the gear icon in Session Buddy and select “Import…” from the dropdown menu.
2. Provide the Data: Paste the text or drag and drop a file containing collections into the designated area.

Session Buddy will automatically detect the format of the provided data and update the format selector accordingly. If the format isn’t recognized, it defaults to “Free-form“.

You can edit the text before finalizing the import and the detected format will adjust as you make changes. To disable automatic format detection, select a specific format or click the lightning icon next to the format selector.

Before proceeding with the import, ensure that the detected format and reported collection count match your expectations. If Session Buddy guessed the format incorrectly, select the desired format from the Format dropdown.

For a comprehensive list of supported import formats, refer to the Formats page.

Adding links and opening tabs

Beyond importing entire collections, Session Buddy allows you to add individual links to existing collections or open multiple tabs simultaneously.

Adding Tabs or Links from text:

• Click the “Add tabs…” or “Add links…” button in the content header.
• This opens a dialog similar to the Import feature, enabling you to add tabs or links using various supported formats.

Using Copy/Paste:

• Copy selected tabs or links and paste them across collections or into the current session as needed.

Exporting collections

The Export feature allows you to share your Session Buddy collections with other people or applications like note-taking apps, AI agents, spreadsheets, or other Session Buddy instances. Multiple export formats are available to suit various use cases.

To export collections:

1. Open the Export Dialog: Click the gear icon in Session Buddy, then select “Export…” from the dropdown menu.
2. Choose Collections: Decide whether to export all collections or only the selected ones.
3. Choose Format: Select the desired export format from the available options.
4. Save the Exported File: Click “Select destination” to choose the location and filename for the export. If your browser doesn’t support location selection, the button will read “Download” and the file will be saved to your default downloads folder.

For detailed information on the available export formats, visit the Formats page.

Exporting links and tabs

Export is focused on collections. If you want to extract individual tabs or links, you can select and copy/paste them into other applications like text editors, chats, or emails.

To enable various copy formats, go to Settings, select the “Other” tab, and edit the list of “Extra copy formats“.

Differences between Import/Export and Backup/Restore

While both Import/Export and Backup/Restore facilitate data management in Session Buddy, they serve distinct purposes:

Import/Export

• Designed for sharing collections between Session Buddy and other applications or people.
• Handles only collections, not history.
• Importing always creates new collections, which may lead to duplication if the same file is imported multiple times.
• Importing removes pins from collections.

Backup/Restore

• Aimed at safeguarding your data from potential browser issues that could result in data loss.
• Facilitates re-installing Session Buddy.
• Includes both collections and history.
• Restoring only creates collections that haven’t been previously restored, preventing duplication.
• Restoring preserves pinned collections.

Session Buddy stores collections and history in folders on your device. To find them, see Locate Session Buddy Data on Your Device.

In most cases there will be two folders, but if you don’t have many collections there may be only a single folder.

It’s recommended that you include these folders in your system backups for an extra layer of protection (in addition to regularly backing up through Session Buddy’s Backup/Restore feature).

It may also be necessary to manually back up these folders during troubleshooting in case Session Buddy won’t open.

Back up local data

To set up automated local data backups, ensure that the data folder paths are included in your scheduled system backups (Windows Backup, Time Machine, or a third-party backup solution).

To manually back up local data, use Windows’s File Explorer or Mac’s Finder to copy the data folders to a safe location, such as a Documents folder, Dropbox, or an external drive.

Restore local data

To restore Session Buddy data using data folders recovered from a backup, follow the steps below.

Please note that for successful restoration, the entire contents of the data folders must be restored.

Also note that these steps will replace all Session Buddy data. If you currently have collections and history that you want to keep, use Session Buddy’s Backup to first back them up and then Restore them after completing these steps.

1. Backup Current Data: Create a backup to ensure you have a copy of any collections or history created since the incident. Go to Session Buddy’s gear menu, then select “Backup“.

2. Close the Browser Completely: Ensure all browser processes are terminated

On Windows: Close all browser windows. Then check the tool tray for the browser icon. If it is present, right-click it and click “Exit“.

On macOS: Press Cmd+Q to quit the browser. Then check the Dock for the browser icon. If it’s still there, right-click and choose “Quit” if available.

3. Access Session Buddy Data Folders: Navigate to the location where Session Buddy’s data is stored using Windows’s File Explorer or Mac’s Finder

4. Replace Data Folders: Delete the existing data folders, then copy in the recovered folders in their entirety

As a safer alternative to deletion, you can move the existing folders to another location like Documents or rename them by appending something like “-backup”.

5. Restart the Browser: Launch your browser and confirm that your Session Buddy collections and history have been successfully restored

6. Restore Recent Data: Use the Restore feature to re-import any data backed up in step 1

Session Buddy offers a Backup and Restore feature that:

• Safeguards your collections and history, allowing recovery from data loss due to unforeseen browser issues or system malfunctions
• Facilitates seamless data transfer should re-installing Session Buddy be necessary, such as when setting up a new computer

It’s highly recommended that you use this feature to create regular backups.

Creating a Backup

To back up your Session Buddy data to a file that includes all your saved collections and history:

1. Click the gear icon within Session Buddy.
2. Select “Backup” from the dropdown menu.
3. In the Backup dialog, click “Select destination” to choose the location and filename for the backup.
   
   If your browser doesn’t support location selection, this button will read “Download” and the file will be saved to your default downloads folder.
   
4. Wait for backup to complete. The final count of collections and history events backed up will be displayed once the backup file is created.

You can perform backups as often as you like. Each operation creates a new backup file.

Restoring Data from a Backup

To recover collections and history from a backup file:

1. Click the gear icon in Session Buddy.
2. Select “Restore” from the dropdown menu.
3. In the Restore dialog, drag and drop your backup file into the designated area.
4. Once dropped, Session Buddy will review the file and let you know how many collections and history events were found.
5. Click the “Restore” button to proceed.
6. Once restore completes, you can close the dialog. After you do so, newly-added collections will appear in the navigation sidebar.

Since restore adds only the collections and history events that haven’t already been restored, the same backup file can be restored multiple times without the risk of creating duplicates.

For more about restore, see Restore.

For more advanced backup and restoration procedures, refer to Back Up and Restore Local Data.