Common Issues
It Does Not Open
If Fluent does not open with the global or action shortcuts:
- Check the assigned shortcut
- Check macOS Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility
- Restart Fluent if you just granted Accessibility
- Make sure the shortcut is not already used by another app
If Fluent still does not open, test with a different shortcut.
No Selected Text
If Fluent opens but the current selection is missing, check Accessibility permissions first.
Make sure Fluent is enabled under Privacy & Security → Accessibility. Then test the same selection in a simple app such as Notes. This tells you whether the issue is global or specific to one app.
If selection capture fails in every app, restart Fluent and test again.
No Insertion
If an action runs but nothing is inserted back into the current app:
- Confirm that the target field is a normal editable text field
- Confirm that the action is configured for Auto Insert if that is the expected behavior
- Test the same action in Notes or another simple editor
If the action inserts correctly in a simple app but not in the original one, the issue is usually the target app, not Fluent itself.
Missing Context
If browser or app context is missing, open Settings → Context first.
Check these items:
- Enable app context
- Enable browser context
- Automatically attach active app or Automatically attach active tab if you expect automatic attachment
- Use selected text only if Fluent should ignore the surrounding app and page when text is selected
For browser context, also confirm that browser scripting is allowed. Safari and Chromium-style browsers need Allow JavaScript from Apple Events for richer browser context and browser automation workflows.
Make sure you are not in Incognito mode in your browser, as it always uses default settings, and AppleScript is usually disabled in this mode by default.
AppleScript Issues
Fluent might not ask you for Automation permissions that require AppleScript. The most common reason for this is using a cracked version of Fluent that was quarantined by macOS Gatekeeper.
Another possible reason: check if you have AU components in your user folder. macOS osascript, which is responsible for AppleScript interaction, has a bug that might prevent Fluent from asking for Automation permissions due to the AU plugins folder being present in the user folder.
Model Empty Response
If the model is returning an empty response or loading for too long, first check if it's capable enough for the context you attach to it. For example, Apple Intelligence or tiny models like Qwen3 0.6B struggle with anything beyond basic questions or a few paragraphs – they will definitely not handle attached files, browser or app context, not to mention MCP.
Another popular reason for an empty response is the "Use structured JSON" option. Some models do not support it; some struggle when routed via third-party providers. Disable this feature either on a provider model or (preferred) via the model card in Models settings.
One less common reason for an empty response can be censoring. Models that tend to censor a lot can silently fail and not return a response. Check if your request contains a question or data that your model might not accept.
It Looks Like A Provider Error
If the request fails with messages about API keys, billing, missing models, or rate limits, refer to Provider Errors.
Those problems usually come from the selected provider, not from Fluent itself.