How to debug errors in Bubble

The fastest way to debug errors in Bubble is to use the built‑in Debugger in “Run as… debug\_mode=true”, check the Issue Checker, review step‑by‑step workflow execution, and look at Browser Console logs and Server Logs for backend workflow issues. Most Bubble errors come from missing data, failing conditions, privacy rules blocking data, or API responses not matching your setup.

Use the Bubble Debugger

Open your app in preview and add ?debug\_mode=true to the URL. Click elements to see their data and use “Step‑by‑step” to watch each workflow action run. This helps you see exactly where something stops.

• Blue boxes show what data an element currently has.
• Workflow steps turn green or red depending on whether they run or get skipped.

Check Privacy Rules

A very common issue: you think your data doesn’t exist, but actually your privacy rules hide it. In the debugger, if a field is blank even though it exists in the database, your privacy rules are blocking it.

• Temporarily relax rules to confirm the cause.
• Never test in “Run as admin” only — test as a normal user.

Check the Issue Checker

Bubble’s left‑side Issue Checker tells you missing fields, broken expressions, or datatype mismatches. Fixing these usually removes hidden runtime errors.

Use the Browser Console

For front‑end errors (especially API calls or plugins), open your browser’s Console (F12). If Bubble says “An unhandled error occurred,” the console often shows the real error message.

• Useful for plugin errors.
• Useful for API calls returning invalid JSON.

Check Server Logs (Backend Workflows)

If a backend workflow fails, open Logs → Server logs to see each action, its returned data, and any errors. For API workflows, this shows the exact request and error message.

// Example of a malformed JSON error you may see in logs
{
  "status": "error",
  "message": "Invalid JSON in response" 
}

Verify API Connector Responses

Most API errors happen because the API response fields don’t match what Bubble expects. Use “Initialize call” again after any change to fix field definitions.

• Check that required headers (like Authorization) are correct.
• Check that dynamic values are not empty.

Test with the “Reveal Empty Fields” Option

In the debugger, click “Reveal empty fields.” If something you depend on is empty, that’s usually the cause — missing data or condition failing.

Inspect Conditions

Most workflows fail because conditions are not met. Hover the little i icon in the debugger to see why a step didn’t run (“This action did not run because…”).

• Incorrect “Only when” expressions are very common.
• Check for datatype mismatches like text vs number.