Troubleshooting

Common issues and how to resolve them.

The scraper won't startCopy Anchor Link

• Make sure you ran START_SENTINEL.sh (macOS) or START_SENTINEL.bat (Windows)

• Check that the Terminal shows the config server starting

• Verify all files are present in the Sentinel folder. Do not move individual files.

• On macOS, you may need to give execute permissions:

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  chmod +x START_SENTINEL.sh

Chrome Extension not loadingCopy Anchor Link

• Verify Developer mode is enabled at chrome://extensions/
• Make sure you loaded the Extension/ folder (not the parent directory)
• Try removing and re-adding the extension
• Check Chrome's console for errors (right-click Extension popup, then Inspect)

Native host connection failedCopy Anchor Link

• Re-run the native host install script:

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  cd native-host
  ./install.sh

• Make sure Chrome was restarted after installing the native host

• Verify the Extension ID matches what the install script expects

License key not workingCopy Anchor Link

• Double-check you've copied the entire key including SENT- prefix
• Make sure there are no leading/trailing spaces
• Verify your HWID matches, as each license is tied to one machine
• Check that your license hasn't expired

Telegram authentication failsCopy Anchor Link

• Verify your API ID and API Hash are correct (from my.telegram.org/apps)
• Make sure you're entering the correct phone number (with country code)
• Check that your Telegram account isn't restricted
• If 2FA is enabled, make sure you're entering the correct password
• Try re-entering credentials in the Extension under Credentials

Not detecting CAs / Missing messagesCopy Anchor Link

• Verify the target chat is added in the Extension under Chats
• Check your keyword configuration, as CAs are detected based on your keywords
• Make sure the scraper is running (check the Terminal window)
• Confirm you're a member of the Telegram groups you're trying to monitor
• Try resetting keywords to broader terms to rule out filter issues

Config server errorsCopy Anchor Link

• The config server starts automatically with START_SENTINEL.sh
• If you see WebSocket errors, try restarting the entire Sentinel process
• Make sure no other application is using the same port

High CPU usageCopy Anchor Link

• Reduce the number of monitored chats
• Disable audio processing if not needed
• Close other Chrome tabs to free resources

"Keep this folder intact" warningCopy Anchor Link

All Sentinel files must remain in the same directory. If you moved files around:

1. Re-download the Sentinel package
2. Extract to a new location
3. Re-run the native host install script
4. Your license key will still work (tied to HWID, not file location)