What browser-only mode is #
Browser-only mode is the state the Loupely Chrome extension operates in when it cannot reach the Loupely WordPress Plugin on the current site. In this mode, the extension captures browser-side diagnostic data only: JavaScript errors, network requests, console output, and DOM state. It does not have access to PHP Errors, Hook Execution records, WooCommerce pipeline events, or any server-side data.
The extension popup shows “Browser only” when browser-only mode is active. This can be by design (you’re on a non-WordPress site, or you haven’t installed the plugin yet) or unintentional (the plugin isn’t active, the connection key is wrong, or the REST API is blocked).
When browser-only mode is by design #
If you’re browsing a site that doesn’t have the Loupely plugin installed, browser-only mode is correct behavior. The extension works on any website at the browser level. You can still capture browser-side signals and run a diagnosis on what the browser knows. For many JavaScript errors and front-end failures, browser-only data is sufficient.
When browser-only mode indicates a setup problem #
If you expect server-side data and the extension shows “browser only,” one of the following is true: the Loupely plugin isn’t installed or isn’t activated on that site, the connection key in the extension doesn’t match the key the plugin generated, or the REST API on the site is blocked and the extension can’t reach the plugin’s endpoint.
The quickest diagnostic: navigate to https://yoursite.com/wp-json/loupely/v1/ in a browser tab. If it loads (even showing an authentication error), the endpoint exists and the plugin is active. If it returns a 404 or your site’s error page, the plugin isn’t installed or isn’t registering its endpoints correctly. See Loupely Extension Not Connecting to Your WordPress Site for the full diagnostic path.
What browser-only captures are useful for #
A browser-only capture still catches JavaScript Fatal Errors, network requests returning 4xx or 5xx status codes, console warnings, and DOM-level signals. If a page is visually broken but the WordPress server is fine, a browser-only capture often identifies the cause. For failures that involve both browser and server (WooCommerce checkout failures, form submission failures, login failures), the server-side layer is essential and browser-only mode won’t produce a complete diagnosis.