Note: If you are experiencing a problem and are not working with OpenSesame Support, please contact us first.

If you use the Chrome or Edge browser on your computer, run into a problem with an OpenSesame course or webpage, and work with OpenSesame Support to resolve it, you might be asked for information from the browser's developer console.

In this guide:

• What is it?
• How can it help?
• Why am I being asked for it?
• What does it look like?
• How do I use it?
• Tips

What is it?

The developer console is a tool built into your browser. While software developers may be very familiar with it, the average Chrome or Edge user has no reason to know about it.

How can it help?

When you visit a website, a lot of activity happens in the background. Whether the website loads text, images, videos, or other features, every piece can come from a different source.

Your browser monitors that background activity and collects any errors or alerts in the developer console. This information helps OpenSesame Support identify (or rule out) potential sources of a problem.

Why am I being asked for it?

Errors sometimes relate to network, firewall, browser, or device settings. Even when they’re unrelated, the developer console can help narrow down what might be happening.

Support agents don’t have access to your connection or device, so their developer console wouldn’t have the same information.

What does it look like?

The following example is from Microsoft Edge:

Google Chrome:

How do I use it?

1. Use Chrome or Edge to visit the problem page.
2. Quickly open the developer console. (It won’t see errors until it opens.)
   You can do this multiple ways:
   
   • Use your mouse to right-click the page and select Inspect, or
   • Use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + i (Windows) or Cmd + Option + i (Mac), or
   • At top right of your browser window, open the three-dot menu and select More Tools > Developer Tools.
3. Select the Console tab, which appears next to the Elements tab. (If you don’t find it, see Tips.)
4. Use any of the following ways to capture your results:
   
   • Use your mouse to right-click in the console, select Save as…, and save the log file to your device, or
   • Take a screenshot of any errors that appear in the console, or
   • Use the “select all” shortcut (Ctrl + a or Cmd + a) in the console and then the “copy” shortcut (Ctrl + c or Cmd + c).
5. Share the results with OpenSesame Support.
   
   • Attach the log file or the screenshot(s) to your reply, or
   • If you copied the console’s text, use the “paste” shortcut (Ctrl + v or Cmd + v) to add it to your reply.

Thank you for your willingness to try this tool and for your patience.

Tips

• If the page loads before the developer console opens, you can refresh the page to capture any errors that might have been missed.
  
  • To refresh, keep the console open and use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + r or Cmd + r.
• The developer console only sees information about the window it’s opened on.
  
  • If the issue happens in a pop-up window, please let your support agent know.
• If you don’t see the Console tab, click the  +  in Edge or the  >>  in Chrome to access any hidden tabs.
  Edge:
  
  In Edge, if “Console” doesn’t appear in the  +  menu, look for its symbol in the toolbar:
  
  
  Chrome:
  
• (Optional) In the Console tab, errors and warnings appear with background colors. By default, neutral information—which has no color—also appears. There can be a lot of neutral information, and it's not helpful for troubleshooting, so you can filter it out by selecting the current Levels and turning off Info.
  Edge:
  
  Chrome:
  
  
  

If you have further questions, our Support team is here to help via email at support@opensesame.com or via live chat and phone. Feel free to reach us at (503) 808-1268, ext. 2, or at +44 203 744 5541 in Europe.