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Troubleshooting

Common issues and their solutions.

Panel Not Appearing​

"F2 doesn't do anything"​

Check Accessibility permission:

  1. System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility
  2. Ensure OnText is enabled
  3. Check if OnText is added to the list — if not, add it manually

Verify OnText is running:

  1. Look for OnText icon in menu bar
  2. If not visible, launch OnText from Applications

Check for excluded apps:

  1. Preferences → General → Excluded Apps
  2. Remove the current app from exclusion list

"Panel appears but actions don't work"​

Test with a simple action:

  1. Try the default "Copy" action
  2. If Copy works, the issue is with your custom action

Custom Actions Not Working​

"URL action doesn't open"​

Check URL format:

  1. Must include scheme (https://, raycast://, etc.)
  2. Special characters are automatically URL-encoded

"Shell script doesn't execute"​

Test in Terminal first:

# Copy your script and run it in Terminal
echo 'test text' | your-command-here

Check for syntax errors:

  • Unescaped quotes
  • Missing commands

Debugging tips:

  1. Add echo statements to see what's happening
  2. Redirect output to a file: your-command > /tmp/debug.log 2>&1
  3. Check if required tools are installed (e.g., python3, jq)

"AppleScript shows permission error"​

Grant automation permission:

  1. System Settings → Privacy & Security → Automation
  2. Enable access for OnText to control other apps

Getting Help​

If your issue isn't listed here:

  1. Check FAQ for more answers
  2. Email us at ontext.help@gmail.com
  3. Report a bug at Bug & Request

When reporting issues, please include:

  • macOS version
  • OnText version
  • Steps to reproduce
  • Any error messages