Common Issues & Solutions

Having trouble with BookNest? Here are solutions to the most common issues users encounter.

Login & Authentication Issues

Can’t Log In

Problem: Unable to access your account

Solutions:

  1. Check your credentials

    • Verify email address is correct
    • Check for typos in password
    • Ensure caps lock is off

  2. Reset your password

    • Click “Forgot Password”
    • Check email for reset link
    • Check spam folder if not received
    • Request new link if expired

  3. Clear browser cache

    • Clear cookies and cache
    • Try incognito/private mode
    • Try a different browser

  4. Account may be locked

    • Too many failed login attempts
    • Wait 30 minutes and try again
    • Contact support if still locked

Email Verification Issues

Problem: Verification email not received

Solutions:

  1. Check spam/junk folder
  2. Add noreply@booknest.app to contacts
  3. Request new verification email
  4. Try alternative email address
  5. Contact support with your username

Google Sign-In Not Working

Problem: Can’t sign in with Google

Solutions:

  1. Ensure pop-ups are enabled
  2. Clear browser cache
  3. Sign out of all Google accounts
  4. Try again with one account signed in
  5. Check browser extensions aren’t blocking

Book Management Issues

Can’t Find a Book

Problem: Book doesn’t appear in search

Solutions:

  1. Try different search terms

    • Full title vs. subtitle
    • Author name variations
    • ISBN number

  2. Use manual entry

    • Add book manually if not in Google Books
    • Include all details you know
    • Upload cover image if available

  3. Check spelling

    • Verify title spelling
    • Check author name
    • Try searching by series name

Book Won’t Add to Library

Problem: Error when adding book

Solutions:

  1. Refresh the page
  2. Clear browser cache
  3. Try adding from book’s detail page
  4. Check internet connection
  5. Try again in a few minutes

Wrong Book Information

Problem: Incorrect metadata or cover image

Solutions:

  1. Edit book details

    • Click “Edit” on book page
    • Correct any wrong information
    • Upload correct cover image

  2. Report incorrect data

    • Help improve database
    • Provide correct information source

Can’t Delete a Book

Problem: Book remains in library after deletion

Solutions:

  1. Refresh the page
  2. Check all shelves (Want to Read, Currently Reading, Read)
  3. Clear browser cache
  4. Try from different device
  5. Contact support if persistent

Progress Tracking Issues

Progress Not Saving

Problem: Reading progress doesn’t update

Solutions:

  1. Check internet connection

    • Ensure stable connection
    • Try again when online
    • Changes may be queued

  2. Verify you’re logged in

    • Session may have expired
    • Log out and back in

  3. Use correct format

    • Enter valid page numbers
    • Don’t exceed total pages
    • Use numbers only

Reading Session Won’t Log

Problem: Can’t save reading session

Solutions:

  1. Check all required fields are filled
  2. Ensure end page > start page
  3. Verify date is valid
  4. Try shorter session notes
  5. Refresh and try again

Statistics Not Updating

Problem: Stats don’t reflect recent activity

Solutions:

  1. Wait for sync

    • Stats update every few minutes
    • Large libraries may take longer

  2. Force refresh

    • Clear cache
    • Hard refresh page (Ctrl+Shift+R)

  3. Verify book status

    • Must be marked “Read”
    • Check completion date
    • Confirm not marked DNF

Review & Rating Issues

Review Won’t Publish

Problem: Error publishing review

Solutions:

  1. Check requirements

    • Star rating required
    • Minimum 10 characters
    • No prohibited content

  2. Technical solutions

    • Shorten review if very long
    • Remove special characters
    • Try publishing without formatting
    • Copy text, refresh, paste, try again

Can’t Edit Review

Problem: Edit button not appearing

Solutions:

  1. Ensure you’re logged in as correct user
  2. You can only edit your own reviews
  3. Try from book’s page instead of feed
  4. Refresh the page
  5. Clear browser cache

Rating Not Displaying

Problem: Star rating doesn’t show

Solutions:

  1. Refresh the page
  2. Clear browser cache
  3. Rate again if needed
  4. Check if browser extensions interfering

Book Club Issues

Can’t Join Club

Problem: Join button doesn’t work

Solutions:

  1. Check club requirements

    • May be private (needs approval)
    • May be full (at capacity)
    • May be invite-only

  2. Technical fixes

    • Log out and back in
    • Clear browser cache
    • Try different browser

Not Receiving Club Notifications

Problem: Missing club updates

Solutions:

  1. Check notification settings

    • Profile > Settings > Notifications
    • Enable club notifications
    • Check email preferences

  2. Check email filters

    • May be in spam
    • Add to safe senders
    • Check promotion tab (Gmail)

  3. Verify club membership

    • Confirm you’re still member
    • Check if club is active

Can’t Post in Club

Problem: Unable to create discussions/comments

Solutions:

  1. Check if you’re an approved member
  2. Verify club allows member posts
  3. Check for temporary ban/restriction
  4. Try shorter post
  5. Remove special formatting

Challenge Issues

Progress Not Counting

Problem: Book doesn’t count toward challenge

Solutions:

  1. Verify requirements

    • Book must be marked “Read”
    • Must meet challenge criteria
    • Check date range

  2. Manual addition

    • Go to challenge page
    • Click “Add Book”
    • Select from read books

  3. Check challenge status

    • Ensure challenge is active
    • Verify you’re still participant

Can’t Create Challenge

Problem: Error creating new challenge

Solutions:

  1. Fill all required fields
  2. Set realistic date range
  3. Keep description under character limit
  4. Try simpler challenge type first
  5. Clear cache and try again

Performance Issues

Site Loading Slowly

Problem: Pages take long to load

Solutions:

  1. Check internet speed

    • Run speed test
    • Try different network

  2. Browser optimization

    • Clear cache and cookies
    • Disable unnecessary extensions
    • Update browser to latest version
    • Try different browser

  3. Device issues

    • Restart device
    • Free up memory/storage
    • Close other applications

Images Not Loading

Problem: Book covers or profile pictures don’t display

Solutions:

  1. Check internet connection
  2. Disable ad blockers temporarily
  3. Allow images in browser settings
  4. Clear browser cache
  5. Try different browser

Page Freezing

Problem: Page becomes unresponsive

Solutions:

  1. Refresh the page (F5)
  2. Clear browser cache
  3. Check browser console for errors
  4. Disable browser extensions
  5. Try incognito mode
  6. Update browser

Mobile Issues

Mobile Site Not Working

Problem: Issues on phone/tablet

Solutions:

  1. Use mobile browser (not in-app browsers)
  2. Clear mobile browser cache
  3. Update browser app
  4. Try different browser app
  5. Check if using supported browser

Can’t Install as PWA

Problem: Can’t add to home screen

Solutions:

  1. Use Chrome or Safari
  2. Follow browser-specific instructions
  3. Allow installation when prompted
  4. Check device storage
  5. Update browser app

Data & Export Issues

Export Not Working

Problem: Can’t download export file

Solutions:

  1. Check browser download settings
  2. Allow downloads from BookNest
  3. Try smaller export (by date range)
  4. Use different file format
  5. Check available disk space

Import Failing

Problem: Can’t import books from file

Solutions:

  1. Check file format

    • Use supported formats (CSV, Goodreads export)
    • Verify file isn’t corrupted
    • Check file size limit

  2. Verify file contents

    • Required columns present
    • Data properly formatted
    • No special characters causing issues

  3. Try smaller batches

    • Split large imports
    • Import incrementally

Still Having Issues?

If these solutions don’t help:

  1. Check Status Page

    • View current service status
    • Check for known issues
    • See maintenance schedules

  2. Contact Support

    • Use contact form
    • Include:
      • What you were trying to do
      • What happened instead
      • Browser and device info
      • Screenshots if helpful

  3. Community Help

    • Ask in community forums
    • Other users may have solutions
    • Share workarounds

Prevention Tips

Prevent Future Issues

  1. Keep browser updated
  2. Clear cache regularly
  3. Use supported browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge)
  4. Maintain stable internet connection
  5. Save work frequently
  6. Export data periodically

Supported Browsers

BookNest works best with:

  • Google Chrome (latest)
  • Mozilla Firefox (latest)
  • Safari (latest)
  • Microsoft Edge (latest)

System Requirements

Minimum requirements:

  • Modern browser (released within 2 years)
  • JavaScript enabled
  • Cookies enabled
  • Stable internet connection
  • 1GB free RAM

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