Troubleshooting

Use this guide when XpressPurge does not behave as expected.

If the browser says it cannot find manifest.json, you selected the wrong folder.

For Chromium development builds, load the dist folder directly.

The correct folder contains:

• manifest.json
• popup.html
• options.html
• background.js
• content.js
• icons
• assets

Check:

1. XpressPurge is installed and enabled.
2. Filtering is On in the popup or Options header.
3. You are on https://x.com/home or another supported X page.
4. The rule is enabled.
5. The rule applies on the active feed mode, or is marked Always apply (sticky).
6. The rule is not Pro-locked on the Free plan.
7. The value actually appears in the visible post.
8. Refresh the X page after updating the extension build.

Rules normally update without reloading X because XpressPurge listens for storage changes. If you reloaded the extension itself, refresh X because Chrome invalidates the old content-script context.

Chrome can show Extension context invalidated after an extension reload.

This usually means the X page still has an old content script from before the extension was reloaded.

Fix:

1. Go to the X tab.
2. Refresh the page.
3. If needed, close and reopen the tab.

This error is usually not caused by XpressPurge rules themselves.

Try:

1. Confirm Filtering is on.
2. Refresh X.
3. Scroll the feed so new posts are mounted.
4. Check whether X changed its layout.
5. Download diagnostics from Options → Settings and send them to support.

XpressPurge relies on X page structure. If X changes selectors, a compatibility update may be needed.

Hidden counts increase when active Hide rules match visible posts.

They may stay at zero if:

• no Hide rules matched yet;
• only Boost rules matched;
• rules are disabled;
• matching rules are not in the active feed mode and are not sticky;
• Filtering is off;
• the rule is Pro-only and you are on Free;
• the X page has not been refreshed after an extension reload.

The Smart Feed has several prerequisites, and if any one of them is missing it falls back silently to topic-pack filtering — which looks exactly like the feature being broken. So it does not have to be guessed at: open Options → Modes and read the requirements panel in the Filtering card. It lists every prerequisite with whether it is currently met, and a button or switch for the ones you can fix:

• Pro plan — the Smart Feed runs a model on your device and is part of Pro. Note that fresh installs on Smart Feed builds get a one-shot 14-day Pro trial after setup; when it ends, the Smart Feed stops but your topic kits and exact rules keep filtering.
• Model available in this build — some builds ship without the on-device model. If this one does, the Smart Feed cannot run at all.
• Smart Feed selected — filtering mode has to be set to Smart Feed, not Rules or Topic packs.
• At least one interest or dislike — the model needs something to compare posts against. (The welcome setup on fresh installs seeds these from your own words.)
• Store recent posts on this device — required, and behind an explicit consent dialog. Turn it on in Settings → Local data. Learning from a post needs that post's text. Nothing is uploaded and nothing is synced.
• Learn from what I hide — optional, but it is what enables See less like this in the flame menu.

The badge at the top of the card reads Smart Feed active only when every non-optional requirement is met.

If all requirements are met and posts still are not being removed:

1. Refresh X. The model loads once per session and the first few posts may be evaluated before it is ready.
2. Scroll. Posts are classified as they approach the viewport.
3. Widen your dislikes. A dislike only removes a post when the post is close enough in meaning and clearly closer to that dislike than to anything you listed as an interest — a post that matches both is deliberately kept.
4. Use See less like this on a post that should have been removed. An example taken from a real post catches things a typed phrase cannot.
5. Check the anchor list in the Smart topics card (Options → Filters). An example you overturned repeatedly may have been retired automatically.

A few one-time or occasional teaching prompts are normal, not errors:

• Receipts on hidden posts show a one-time explainer the first time they appear.
• Recovering a post with Show can offer a follow-up — Hide less of <topic> or Always show posts like this — to tune the filter from one recovery.
• The first post hidden after setup shows a "your first catch" note.
• Coach may surface occasional one-tap filter suggestions in the feed. Turn these off with Filter suggestions in Options → Settings if you do not want them.

Show-only requires:

• Pro access;
• Show-only mode turned on;
• at least one active Show-only rule;
• matching visible posts.

If Show-only mode is off, Show-only rules do not constrain the feed.

Boost should visually highlight matching posts. If it appears and disappears:

1. Confirm the Boost rule is enabled.
2. Confirm the rule is available on your current plan.
3. Confirm the rule applies on the active feed mode (or is sticky).
4. Refresh X.
5. Download diagnostics if the issue continues.

Boost does not move posts higher in the feed. It only changes the visual styling of matching posts.

The popup is designed to stay compact.

If you have many rules:

• click Rules in the popup to search and toggle;
• use Options → Filters for full editing and Options → Modes for feed modes;
• press ⌘K (or /) in the Options header to search settings, or deep-link straight to a tab (options.html#filters, #modes, #activity, #account, #settings).

Analytics require Pro and local hidden-post events.

Try:

1. Open X.
2. Confirm Filtering is on.
3. Enable a Hide rule for the active mode.
4. Scroll the feed.
5. Open Options → Activity (Insights).
6. Click Refresh.

Analytics do not backfill posts you saw before XpressPurge hid anything.

Check:

1. The code was copied from your claim / account flow (or support).
2. The code has not expired (often ~10 minutes for production codes).
3. The code has not already been used (unless it was issued as reusable).
4. You are connected to the internet.
5. Your device limit has not been reached.
6. If you already paid and only need this browser, use Restore this browser instead of buying again.

If you reached the device limit, revoke an old device, then activate or restore.

Check:

1. You have Pro.
2. Browser sync is enabled in Options → Settings (sync controls).
3. You are signed into your browser account.
4. Browser extension sync is enabled in your browser settings.
5. Click Sync now.

Browser sync covers rules and feed mode metadata, filtering state, hide behavior, and Show-only mode. It does not sync feed history, hidden-log previews, analytics, embeddings, or learned anchors.

Browser sync depends on your browser provider.

Import only supports valid XpressPurge export JSON files.

Try:

1. Confirm the file is a .json file.
2. Confirm it was exported from XpressPurge.
3. Do not edit the JSON by hand unless you know the schema.

Imported files cannot activate Pro.

Go to Options > Help > Download Diagnostics.

If diagnostics are disabled:

1. Open Options > Privacy.
2. Turn on Allow diagnostics export.
3. Return to Help.
4. Download diagnostics.

Send diagnostics only to official support channels.