If Simple Mass Downloader is not working, first identify where the task stops: scanning, selecting, downloading, or starting another batch. Open Details for a failed file and test its source URL in a normal tab. Keep successful files; retry only the items that still need attention.
| What you see | First check |
|---|---|
| No resources after scanning | Page access, resource type, and whether the content has loaded |
| Results exist but no files are selected | URL/Text search, Category, Domain and Ext. filters |
| HTML saved instead of a PDF | Login redirect, expired link, or a page URL rather than a file URL |
| Repeated Save As dialogs | Chrome's setting to ask where to save each file |
| Too many requests or HTTP 429 | Wait as directed by the source site and reduce simultaneous downloads |
| No credits for another batch | Sign in after the anonymous allowance, or upgrade an exhausted account |
If the scan finds no resources
Check that the source is an ordinary web page. Chrome restricts extension access to browser settings, the Chrome Web Store and some other contexts.
Next, verify the selected resource type. Choosing PDF will not collect a page containing only images. Selecting a type also does not start a scan: click Scan after the selection.
Preview images and filter by dimensions. Load more content on the source page, then scan again when you need a fresh list.
A link to an article page is not necessarily a link to its PDF. Use selected detail pages with Find files in pages or open those pages and scan them explicitly. Find files in pages is one level deep and does not execute every interactive script.
If results exist but the selection is empty
Search matches URL and Text only. Check those columns for your query, reset Category or Domain if needed, and use Ext. for file extensions. In Gallery, relax minimum dimensions if useful images are missing.
Check the selected count. The page distinguishes collected resources, matching resources and selected resources. Seeing rows in the table does not necessarily mean they are selected for downloading.
Each scan opens separate results. Scan all tabs or Scan tabs to the Right intentionally combines only the tabs in that operation.
If a direct download fails
Open one failing URL normally. Does it return the expected file with your current browser session?
- A sign-in page points to an access or session problem.
- An expired-link message suggests the address needs refreshing.
- A not-found response may mean the URL or generated pattern is wrong.
- A rate-limit response calls for fewer requests and an appropriate wait.
- A browser security block needs investigation, not an automatic bypass.
The extension cannot override paywalls, DRM, site authorization or all cross-origin restrictions. A URL copied from one session may not be usable from another request context.
If the saved file is HTML or the wrong image
The apparent file suffix is not proof of the response contents. A document address may redirect to a login screen, while an image link may deliver a thumbnail or placeholder.
Resolve the source URL first. Renaming HTML to PDF will not repair it, and changing WebP to JPG will not convert the image.
For missing originals, check what the source page actually exposes. Simple Mass Downloader can work with available candidates and supported site rules, but it does not manufacture a high-resolution original.
If ZIP or folder saving stops
ZIP creation needs accessible inputs and sufficient browser resources. Known input at 750 MiB or more, or more than 2,000 selected resources, triggers a recommendation to use another mode. Smaller archives can still fail from memory pressure or source access.
Try a smaller selection or standard downloads. Keep Chrome running; quitting it can interrupt unfinished compression.
The Choose a folder option saves directly to a directory you authorize. It works with free credits; keep the Dashboard open until saving finishes. Closing it interrupts the environment needed for writing. An arbitrary interruption does not guarantee resumable folder writes.
If credits prevent a new batch
The initial anonymous allocation is 300 credits, not a daily or monthly refill. Successful resource items use credits; a ZIP counts each successfully saved resource inside it. Successfully saved files still count. Failed attempts, skipped files, and files that never finish do not count as successful downloads.
A positive starting balance allows the current batch to proceed without quota truncation midway. With zero remaining, sign in or upgrade before starting another batch. Your signed-in allowance comes from the account service; read the amount shown in your account.
Do not reinstall as a recovery step for working records. Anonymous usage and local records are stored in the extension, and uninstalling may remove them.
Retry deliberately or send a useful report
Supported failures get up to three automatic retries. Completion checks help catch incomplete transfers. If a file still fails, Details explains the reason and what to try next. Choose how many files download together, add a wait between files, or slow down each website. Restore defaults whenever you need a fresh start.
For a source that rejects simultaneous requests, try one file at a time and a short wait between files, such as two seconds. This is a starting example, not a way around a site's rules. Follow any longer wait requested by the server. If Chrome opens a Save As dialog for every file, see the save-mode guide before changing Chrome's download setting.
If the issue persists, contact support with the extension version, Chrome version, operating system, save mode, exact error and a public example URL if possible. Explain what you expected and what happened. Never send passwords, private tokens or card details.
For a fresh baseline, follow the first-batch guide with two or three accessible files, then add complexity one setting at a time.
