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Paymo Widget: Quick Overview & Setup Guide

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Troubleshooting the Paymo Widget: Common Issues & FixesThe Paymo Widget can streamline time tracking, task updates, and client interactions—but like any web tool, it can sometimes behave unexpectedly. This article walks through common problems users encounter with the Paymo Widget and clear, step-by-step fixes you can try. Each section includes why the issue happens and practical troubleshooting steps so you can get back to work quickly.

1. Widget won’t load or appears blank

Why it happens:

  • Network issues, browser extensions, or blocked third-party scripts can prevent the widget from loading.
  • Incorrect embed code or missing script tags on your site.
  • Mixed content (HTTP vs HTTPS) when your website uses HTTPS but the widget is loaded over HTTP.

How to fix:

  1. Check network and server status:
    • Ensure your internet connection is stable and Paymo’s services aren’t experiencing outages (try opening app.paymo.app).
  2. Inspect the embed code:
    • Confirm you copied the full embed snippet from Paymo and pasted it into your site’s HTML where intended.
  3. Use the browser console:
    • Open DevTools (F12) → Console and look for errors (blocked scripts, 404s, or CSP violations). Error messages often point to the root cause.
  4. Disable extensions:
    • Temporarily disable ad blockers or privacy extensions (uBlock Origin, Privacy Badger) and reload the page. These frequently block widget scripts.
  5. Mixed content:
    • Ensure the widget script and any external resources are requested over HTTPS if your site is HTTPS. Update any HTTP links to HTTPS.
  6. Content Security Policy (CSP):
    • If your site enforces CSP headers, add Paymo’s domains to the allowed script-src/frame-src lists.

2. Widget buttons or controls aren’t responsive

Why it happens:

  • JavaScript conflicts with other scripts on your page.
  • CSS from your site overrides the widget’s styles, affecting clickable areas.
  • An overlay or z-index issue places another element above the widget, intercepting clicks.

How to fix:

  1. Test in isolation:
    • Place the widget on a minimal HTML page (only Paymo’s embed). If it works, the issue is a page conflict.
  2. Check JavaScript errors:
    • DevTools → Console for errors. Uncaught exceptions from other scripts can prevent event handlers from running.
  3. Verify z-index/overlay:
    • Inspect the element and check computed z-index values. If another element covers the widget, adjust z-index or pointer-events CSS.
  4. Namespace conflicts:
    • If global JS variables conflict, try loading the widget inside an iframe (Paymo’s embed usually uses an iframe) or contact your developer to isolate scripts.

3. Time entries or data not syncing

Why it happens:

  • Authentication issues, expired sessions, or incorrect API keys.
  • Network interruptions or server-side errors at Paymo.
  • Client-side caching preventing fresh data from appearing.

How to fix:

  1. Re-authenticate:
    • Log out and log back into Paymo to refresh the session tokens.
  2. Check API keys and permissions:
    • If you use a custom integration, verify that API tokens are correct and have required scopes.
  3. Retry network calls:
    • Open Network tab in DevTools to see failed requests and their status codes (401, 403, 500). ⁄403 indicate auth issues; 5xx indicate server problems.
  4. Clear cache:
    • Clear browser cache or try in an incognito/private window.
  5. Check Paymo status:
    • Confirm Paymo’s backend is operational. If there’s a platform outage, wait or contact Paymo support.

4. Incorrect user or project mapping in widget

Why it happens:

  • Duplicate user accounts, inconsistent IDs, or mismatched project names between Paymo and your site.
  • Time zone differences causing entries to appear under different dates.

How to fix:

  1. Verify user accounts:
    • Confirm the user in the widget corresponds to the correct Paymo account (check email and ID).
  2. Check project IDs:
    • For API-based embeds, ensure you reference the correct project ID, not the project name.
  3. Time zone settings:
    • Check Paymo account time zone and your site/application time zone. Align settings to avoid day-shifted entries.
  4. Remove duplicates:
    • If duplicates exist, consolidate or deactivate old accounts and reassign entries.

5. Widget styling looks wrong or broken

Why it happens:

  • Global CSS rules (e.g., box-sizing, font-family, button styles) unintentionally override widget styles.
  • Responsive behavior conflicts with your site’s CSS.

How to fix:

  1. Use an iframe:
    • If the embed supports iframe mode, use it — iframes isolate CSS and JS from the parent page.
  2. Increase specificity:
    • If you must style the embed, use highly specific selectors or scoped CSS to avoid broad overrides.
  3. Reset CSS within the widget:
    • Add a small reset scoped to the widget container (only if you control the embed markup) to prevent inherited styles.
  4. Test across breakpoints:
    • Use responsive mode in DevTools to confirm the widget adapts correctly on different screen sizes.

6. Notifications not appearing or delayed

Why it happens:

  • Browser notification permissions blocked.
  • Background sync or push services blocked by privacy extensions.
  • Server-side delays or webhooks failing.

How to fix:

  1. Check browser permissions:
    • Ensure site notifications are allowed in browser settings.
  2. Disable privacy blockers:
    • Temporarily disable extensions that block push/notifications.
  3. Inspect service workers:
    • In DevTools → Application, check service workers and push subscriptions.
  4. Verify webhook delivery:
    • If notifications rely on webhooks, verify delivery attempts and webhook response codes on Paymo’s side.

7. Login loop or “session expired” errors

Why it happens:

  • Cookies blocked or not being stored.
  • Token refresh logic failing due to time skew or server errors.
  • Multiple active sessions with conflicting states.

How to fix:

  1. Allow cookies:
    • Ensure third-party cookies are allowed for your site (or adjust auth flow to avoid relying on them).
  2. Sync device time:
    • Confirm system clock is accurate; large time skew can break token expiry checks.
  3. Clear site data:
    • Clear cookies and local storage for the domain and re-login.
  4. Check simultaneous sessions:
    • Log out other devices or invalidate sessions via account settings.

8. API rate limits or 429 responses

Why it happens:

  • Excessive requests from integrations or multiple users causing throttling.
  • Background jobs or scripts inadvertently spamming endpoints.

How to fix:

  1. Implement exponential backoff:
    • On 429 responses, retry with exponential backoff and jitter to reduce collisions.
  2. Batch requests:
    • Combine multiple small requests into a single call when possible.
  3. Cache responses:
    • Cache non-critical data to reduce redundant calls.
  4. Review usage:
    • Identify and fix loops or misconfigured cron jobs that make excessive requests.

9. Embedded widget breaks site performance

Why it happens:

  • The widget loads additional scripts, increasing render-blocking resources.
  • Large bundles or synchronous scripts slow initial paint.

How to fix:

  1. Lazy-load the widget:
    • Load the widget only when visible or on user interaction.
  2. Use async/defer:
    • If the embed script supports it, load it asynchronously or defer execution.
  3. Monitor performance:
    • Use Lighthouse or DevTools Performance to identify bottlenecks and prioritize fixes.

10. Unexpected permissions or access errors

Why it happens:

  • Role and permission settings in Paymo restrict actions.
  • API keys tied to specific user scopes lacking required privileges.

How to fix:

  1. Check user roles:
    • Verify the user’s role and permissions in Paymo (admin vs regular user).
  2. Update scopes:
    • Ensure API tokens include the scopes required for intended operations.
  3. Use admin tokens for setup:
    • For initial configuration tasks, use an admin account to avoid permission roadblocks.

When to contact Paymo support

  • Persistent errors after trying the above steps.
  • Server-side errors (5xx) or outage indicators.
  • Unexpected data loss or billing/account issues. When you contact them, include screenshots, console error logs, request IDs, and steps to reproduce the issue — that speeds up resolution.

Quick checklist (copy-paste)

  • Verify internet connection and Paymo status.
  • Confirm embed code and HTTPS usage.
  • Check browser console for JS/CSP errors.
  • Disable ad/privacy extensions temporarily.
  • Clear cache or test in incognito.
  • Verify API keys, user IDs, project IDs, and permissions.
  • Ensure correct time zone and system clock.
  • Consider iframe embed to isolate CSS/JS.
  • Implement exponential backoff on 429s.
  • Contact Paymo support with logs if unresolved.

If you want, I can adapt this into a shorter troubleshooting flowchart, a web-friendly FAQ, or create a ready-to-paste checklist for your support team.

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