# Recording and missing evidence

Canonical: https://fairleadhq.com/docs/recorder/troubleshooting/

Updated: 2026-10-07
Publication state: published
Product version: Source verified — 52de40a

Agent summary: Find the cause of a failed capture or an incomplete recording. Evicted events and unavailable bodies cannot be recovered from the stopped session.

## Prerequisites

- Recorder installed; the capture symptom available

## Inputs

- A start error or missing evidence

## Outputs

- A diagnostic next step

## Limitations

- Evicted events and unavailable bodies cannot be recovered from the stopped session

## Permissions

- Website access and browser debugging for capture

## Privacy

- Review diagnostic content before sharing


Find the cause of a failed capture or an incomplete recording.

Start with whether capture began, which page was in scope, and whether the evidence falls inside the retained interval.

## Recording does not start

Use an ordinary application page. Chrome internal URLs, extension pages, and other protected surfaces cannot be recorded. Account-free recording also excludes local file URLs.

If Recorder is waiting for navigation, open an allowed application page or select **Stop recording** to cancel. For a connected project, confirm its domain and destination requirements and the selected issue state.

## Browser debugging cannot attach

Read the error shown in the panel. Organisation policies or another debugging connection can prevent attachment. Another extension's embedded frame can also block recording on a page.

If the message identifies an extension conflict, try an approved clean browser profile or disable the conflicting extension for the test, then reload the page. Do not remove required organisation controls; ask your administrator when policy blocks access.

## Earlier actions are missing

Compare the missing action with the [retained-timeline limit](https://fairleadhq.com/docs/recorder/developers/capture-support/#recording-retention). The elapsed timer does not mean that the whole recording remains available.

Record a shorter checkpoint if needed. Save each segment before **New recording** and note the gaps in the execution summary.

## Requests from another domain are missing

Check page and network scope. Local recording uses the starting hostname family; connected projects use their [capture configuration](https://fairleadhq.com/docs/recorder/capture-configuration/). Clear viewer filters before concluding capture omitted the request.

## Iframe values or targets are incomplete

Check iframe trust rules, frame provenance, and component boundaries. Untrusted values may be masked, and closed Shadow DOM can limit target details. Missing values do not prove a field was empty.

## Response bodies are unavailable or truncated

Check payload limits, content filtering, browser availability, and whether the response was streaming or binary. The viewer cannot recover a body the capture did not retain.

## Capture stops unexpectedly

If the debugger disconnects or the recording tab closes, inspect whatever stopped evidence remains and preserve it before resetting. Record the interruption and avoid presenting the session as a complete check.

For other symptoms, use [downloads and generated tests](https://fairleadhq.com/docs/recorder/troubleshooting-exports/) or [sign-in and submission troubleshooting](https://fairleadhq.com/docs/recorder/troubleshooting-connections/).