Troubleshooting
Common issues and solutions for Bulk Export AI Chats from Gemini to Obsidian
Common Issues
Extension Not Working
Symptoms:
- Extension icon not responding
- Export button does nothing
- No popup appears when clicking icon
Solutions:
-
Refresh the Gemini page
- Press
Cmd+R(Mac) orCtrl+R(Windows/Linux) - Wait for page to fully load
- Try clicking the extension icon again
- Press
-
Verify you’re on a Gemini page
- Extension only works on
https://gemini.google.com/* - Navigate to a conversation page
- Ensure you’re logged into your Google account
- Extension only works on
-
Check extension is enabled
- Go to
chrome://extensions/ - Find “Bulk Export AI Chats from Gemini to Obsidian”
- Ensure the toggle is ON
- Click “Details” and verify permissions are granted
- Go to
-
Reinstall the extension
- Remove the extension from Chrome
- Restart your browser
- Reinstall from Chrome Web Store
Export Fails
Symptoms:
- “Export failed” error message
- File not downloading
- Incomplete export
Solutions:
-
Check internet connection
- Ensure stable connection to Gemini
- Try loading the conversation manually
- Retry export after connection stabilizes
-
Verify download permissions
- Check browser download settings
- Ensure downloads are not blocked
- Try changing download directory
-
Check conversation accessibility
- Ensure the conversation is fully loaded
- Scroll through the conversation to load all messages
- Try exporting a different conversation to isolate the issue
-
Clear browser cache
- Go to
chrome://settings/clearBrowserData - Select “Cached images and files”
- Clear data and retry
- Go to
Batch Export Issues
“Gemini page required” error:
Solution:
- Open https://gemini.google.com/ in a new tab
- Ensure you’re logged in
- Return to the options page
- Retry batch export
Export stops midway:
Solutions:
-
Keep options page active
- Don’t switch tabs during export
- Don’t minimize the browser
- Don’t put computer to sleep
-
Check for rate limiting
- Wait 5-10 minutes
- Retry with smaller batch size
- Use “Current Page” instead of “All History”
-
Verify Gemini API access
- Open Gemini in another tab
- Ensure conversations load normally
- Check for any Gemini service issues
Some conversations skipped unexpectedly:
Solution:
- Check “Skip Already Exported Records” setting
- Disable deduplication if you want to re-export
- Clear export history to reset tracking
File Download Issues
Files not appearing in download folder:
Solutions:
-
Check browser download settings
- Go to
chrome://settings/downloads - Verify download location
- Ensure “Ask where to save each file” is configured as desired
- Go to
-
Verify download directory
- Check the directory path in extension settings
- Ensure the directory exists or can be created
- Try using default Downloads folder (leave directory blank)
-
Check file permissions
- Ensure you have write permissions to the download directory
- Try downloading to a different location
- Check disk space availability
Filename issues:
Solution:
- Filenames use ISO 8601 format with conversation title
- Special characters are sanitized automatically
- If title is too long, it may be truncated
- Rename files in your file manager if needed
Formatting Issues
Code blocks not formatted correctly:
Solution:
- Code blocks should preserve formatting automatically
- Ensure you’re viewing in a Markdown-compatible editor
- Try opening in Obsidian, VS Code, or another Markdown editor
- Check that the file extension is
.md
Missing content:
Solutions:
-
Scroll through conversation before exporting
- Gemini lazy-loads messages
- Scroll to bottom to ensure all messages are loaded
- Wait for loading indicators to complete
-
Check for sub-documents
- Some Gemini responses include sub-documents
- Extension attempts to fetch these automatically
- May require additional time to process
-
Verify conversation is complete
- Ensure conversation finished generating
- Don’t export while Gemini is still typing
- Wait for response to complete
Performance Issues
Slow export speed:
Solutions:
-
Reduce batch size
- Export “Current Page” instead of “All History”
- Break large exports into smaller chunks
- Export during off-peak hours
-
Check system resources
- Close unnecessary browser tabs
- Ensure sufficient RAM available
- Check CPU usage
-
Optimize settings
- Enable deduplication to skip already-exported conversations
- Use simpler download directory paths
- Clear export history periodically
Browser becomes unresponsive:
Solution:
- Reduce batch export size
- Close other tabs and applications
- Restart browser and try again
- Consider upgrading to Pro for optimized performance
Error Messages
”Failed to fetch conversation data”
Cause: Unable to retrieve conversation from Gemini API
Solution:
- Refresh the Gemini page
- Ensure you’re logged in
- Check internet connection
- Verify conversation is accessible in Gemini
- Try again in a few minutes
”Download failed”
Cause: Browser blocked the download or insufficient permissions
Solution:
- Check browser download settings
- Verify download directory permissions
- Try downloading to default Downloads folder
- Check disk space
”Rate limit exceeded”
Cause: Too many requests to Gemini API in short time
Solution:
- Wait 5-10 minutes before retrying
- Reduce batch export size
- Enable deduplication to reduce requests
- Upgrade to Pro for higher limits
”Invalid conversation format”
Cause: Conversation structure not recognized by extension
Solution:
- Ensure you’re on a standard Gemini conversation page
- Try exporting a different conversation
- Report the issue with conversation URL (if possible)
Still Having Issues?
If none of these solutions work:
-
Check browser console
- Press
F12to open DevTools - Go to “Console” tab
- Look for error messages
- Take a screenshot
- Press
-
Gather information
- Extension version
- Browser version
- Operating system
- Steps to reproduce the issue
- Error messages or screenshots
-
Report the issue
- Visit GitHub Issues
- Create a new issue with details above
- Include screenshots if possible
- Describe expected vs actual behavior
-
Contact support
- Email: [email protected]
- Include all information from step 2
- Attach screenshots or screen recordings
- Expect response within 24-48 hours
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Does the extension work offline? A: No, you need an internet connection to access Gemini and export conversations.
Q: Can I export conversations from the mobile app? A: No, this is a Chrome extension for desktop browsers only.
Q: Will this work with Gemini Advanced? A: Yes, the extension works with both free and Gemini Advanced accounts.
Q: Can I export images from conversations? A: Not yet. Currently only text and code blocks are exported. Image support is planned for a future update.
Q: Is my data secure? A: Yes. All processing happens locally in your browser. No data is sent to external servers.
Q: Can I customize the Markdown format? A: Not currently. The format is standardized for compatibility with Obsidian and other Markdown editors. Custom templates may be added in a future update.
For more questions, visit our FAQ section.
Need more help? Contact Support
Independent tool notice
Built for exporting from Google Gemini. This project is independent and is not affiliated with Google LLC.