Book Report's browser extension syncs your KDP account with Book Report, which is how Book Report updates your data. Here are the three things that need to be true at once in order for Book Report to sync:
- You are using a browser with Book Report's extension installed. You can click this link to install the extension. This syncing process must happen on a browser with the extension, but once your account is synced you can use Book Report on any browser or device.
- You are signed into Book Report. The extension adds a little pie-chart icon to your browser, at the top near the URL. Click it to launch Book Report. If you see a button that says "Login with Amazon", you will need to log in before Book Report can sync.
- You are signed into KDP. You can click here to visit KDP. If you see a sign-in page after clicking that link, you will need to sign in before Book Report can sync.
Whenever those three things are true, the browser extension tries to sync your KDP Account with Book Report. For most people, those three things are true often enough that you never have to think about them -- Book Report is just always in sync. But if two weeks go by without a successful sync, you'll see an error message because Book Report can no longer update your data.
Troubleshooting: I've done all that but it's still not working.
Here are some steps you can take to try and trigger a re-sync, if it's not working on its own. All of them should be performed with the browser where the extension is installed.
- Sign all the way out of KDP, then sign back in. Often, clicking "Sign Out" on KDP does not sign you all the way out. You can tell because the link still says "Sign Out", even after you've clicked it. If you click "Sign out" several times, it will eventually say "Sign In", indicating that you've signed all the way out, and you can then sign back in and Book Report should sync.
- Restart the browser extension. Visit
chrome://extensions/on Chrome orabout:addonson Firefox to open your list of extensions. On Chrome you can restart the extension by clicking the little blue switch next to Book Report, and then clicking it again a few seconds later. On Firefox, you can restart the extension by clicking the "Disable" button next to Book Report, and then clicking "Enable" a few seconds later. No data will be lost. - Ensure that you're signed into the right accounts. Book Report can only sync when you're signed into your KDP account, and signed into the Book Report account that tracks the books from that KDP account.
If none of that works, please send us an email at hello@getbookreport.com. If you can include your Account ID, which can be found at the very bottom of Book Report, we should be able to help you faster.
Alternative to syncing: I need access to my data right now.
If your account just refuses to sync, and it's a big launch day so you can't wait for an email, and you really want to see your stats in Book Report, there is another way. Before we launched our browser extension, Book Report ran as a bookmarklet. The bookmarklet gains access to your data in a different way, so it often works even when the extension does not. You can click here to install the Book Report bookmarklet.
Although the bookmarklet can sometimes work when the extension does not, we still recommend using the extension over the bookmark if at all possible. We've included mention of it here because sometimes accessing your data is the most important thing, but you should move back to the browser extension as soon it starts working for you again.
Some reasons to avoid the bookmarklet if possible:
- Data will not sync on your phones or tablets.
- Crashes more often, and very hard to debug.
- No Author Central integration.
- Needs to be manually launched from a specific KDP page.
- More likely to be broken by a change to KDP.
To be clear: The bookmarklet is a supported way to use Book Report. You aren't risking data loss by using it, and once launched the core KDP features should work the same as the browser extension. But the extension is the recommended way to use Book Report if at all possible.