Tab Panel Troubleshooting

Common Issues and Solutions

Panel Display Issues

Panels Not Showing

Problem: Tab panels are not visible in the sidebar

Solutions:

1. Check if feature is enabled

   • Go to extension settings → Tab Panel
   • Ensure "Enable Tab Panel" is turned ON

2. Verify panel position

   • Check if panels are positioned on the correct side (left/right)
   • Try switching panel position in settings

3. Panel pinning status

   • If panels are unpinned, hover over the sidebar edge to reveal them
   • Click the pin icon to keep panels always visible

Panels Appear Empty

Problem: Panels show "No tabs in this panel" even when tabs exist

Solutions:

1. Check panel filtering

   • For "Active Tabs" panel, ensure tabs are not suspended by the browser
   • For "Recent Tabs" panel, verify you have recently visited tabs
   • For "All Tabs" panel, check if you have any tabs open

2. Window filtering

   • Check if "Only show current window tabs" is enabled in settings
   • Ensure you're looking at the correct window's tabs

Tab Management Issues

Cannot Create Custom Panels

Problem: Clicking the + button doesn't create new panels

Solutions:

1. Check subscription status

   • Custom panels require a premium subscription
   • Free users can only use the three built-in panels
   • Upgrade to premium to create custom panels

2. Premium feature error

   • If you see "Premium feature required" message, your subscription may have expired
   • Verify your premium status in account settings

Cannot Add Tabs to Panels

Problem: Right-click menu doesn't show "Move to Panel" option

Solutions:

1. Verify panel functionality is enabled

   • Ensure Tab Panel feature is enabled in settings
   • Check that you have at least one custom panel (premium) or are using built-in panels

2. Check tab compatibility

   • Some special tabs (like extension pages, chrome:// URLs) cannot be moved to panels
   • Try with regular webpage tabs

Tabs Not Moving Between Panels

Problem: Tabs don't appear in target panel after using "Move to Panel"

Solutions:

1. Built-in panel limitations

   • Built-in panels (All Tabs, Active Tabs, Recent Tabs) show tabs automatically based on their criteria
   • You cannot manually add/remove tabs from built-in panels
   • Only custom panels support manual tab management

2. Panel filtering conflicts

   • Check if the target panel's filtering criteria exclude the moved tab
   • Verify the tab meets the panel's display conditions

Panel Behavior Issues

Temporary Panels Disappearing

Problem: Temporary panels are deleted unexpectedly

Solutions:

1. Check auto-delete setting

   • Go to settings → Panel Behavior
   • Review "Auto-delete empty temporary panels" setting
   • Disable if you want empty panels to persist

2. Expected behavior

   • Temporary panels are designed to be deleted when all tabs are closed
   • Convert to favorite panel if you want persistence

Favorite Panel URLs Not Restoring

Problem: "Restore Panel's Saved Tabs" doesn't work

Solutions:

1. Verify URLs were saved

   • Right-click panel → "Save Tabs in Panel" first
   • Check if the panel shows saved URLs in the interface

2. Check browser permissions

   • Ensure the extension has permission to open new tabs
   • Some URLs may be blocked by browser security policies

3. Premium feature requirement

   • URL saving and restoration requires premium subscription
   • Verify your subscription status

Performance Issues

Slow Panel Loading

Problem: Panels take time to appear or update

Solutions:

1. Large tab count

   • Having hundreds of tabs can slow panel updates
   • Consider closing unnecessary tabs
   • Use browser's built-in tab hibernation features

2. Multiple panels

   • Too many custom panels can impact performance
   • Delete unused custom panels to improve speed

Panel List Too Wide/Narrow

Problem: Panel list doesn't fit properly in sidebar

Solutions:

1. Adjust panel width

   • Go to settings → Panel Style → Panel List Width
   • Adjust the slider to find optimal width for your screen

2. Check icon size conflict

   • Large icons in narrow panels can cause display issues
   • Reduce icon size in settings → Panel Style → Icon Size
   • Ensure icon size is smaller than panel width

Settings and Configuration Issues

Settings Not Saving

Problem: Panel settings revert after browser restart

Solutions:

1. Check browser permissions

   • Ensure the extension has storage permissions
   • Try disabling and re-enabling the extension

2. Clear and reconfigure

   • Use "Reset Tab Panel Settings" button in settings
   • Reconfigure your preferences from scratch

Built-in Panels Not Configurable

Problem: Cannot change built-in panel appearance

Solutions:

1. Use built-in panel configuration

   • Go to settings → Built-in Panel Configuration
   • Click "Configure" button for specific panels
   • Customize icons, colors, and behavior

2. Premium limitations

   • Some built-in panel customizations may require premium
   • Check if the setting you're trying to change needs subscription

Access and Subscription Issues

Premium Features Not Working

Problem: Have premium subscription but cannot create custom panels

Solutions:

1. Refresh subscription status

   • Log out and log back into your account
   • Check if subscription is active in account settings
   • Contact support if subscription is valid but not recognized

2. Browser session issues

   • Restart the browser to refresh extension state
   • Clear browser cache and cookies for the extension

Free User Limitations

Problem: Limited functionality with free account

Understanding Free Limitations:

• Free users can only use 3 built-in panels (All Tabs, Active Tabs, Recent Tabs)
• Custom panel creation requires premium subscription
• URL saving and restoration features require premium
• Advanced panel customization requires premium

Prevention Tips

Best Practices

• Regularly review and clean up unused custom panels
• Use descriptive names and colors for easy panel identification
• Test panel functionality after browser or extension updates
• Keep your subscription active to maintain premium features

Performance Optimization

• Limit the number of custom panels to essential ones
• Close unnecessary tabs to improve panel loading speed
• Use built-in panels for general tab management
• Reserve custom panels for specific workflows

Troubleshooting Workflow

1. Check if Tab Panel feature is enabled
2. Verify your subscription status for premium features
3. Test with simple scenarios first (built-in panels)
4. Check browser console for error messages
5. Try disabling and re-enabling the extension
6. Contact support with specific error details if issues persist