Hi everyone, new here and hoping for some advice. I've been trying out Rytr for a few weeks to help with some basic marketing copy and project descriptions. I really like the idea of it, especially the browser extension for quick access.
My problem is specifically with the Rytr Chrome extension when I'm working in Google Sheets. Every single time I try to use the extension inside a Sheet—like highlighting a cell and asking for a rewrite—my whole Chrome browser freezes and then crashes after a few seconds. It works okay for me in Gmail and in regular text boxes on websites, but Sheets is a total no-go.
Has anyone else run into this? I'm not very technical, so I'm not sure if it's something on my end. I'm using the latest version of Chrome on a Windows laptop. I really want to use this tool to speed up my work, but this is a big blocker. Any suggestions would be so appreciated!
That's a frustrating issue. Google Sheets is essentially a complex web app running in its own iframe, which can cause problems for extensions that hook into text inputs.
A few things to try, in order of least to most disruptive:
- First, try disabling any other Chrome extensions besides Rytr, then reload Sheets and test. Extension conflicts are common.
- Clear your browser cache and cookies for sheets.google.com, then restart Chrome.
- Check if you're using any heavy spreadsheet with lots of formulas or conditional formatting. A lighter test sheet might help isolate it.
If it's still happening, you might need to report it to Rytr's support with the Chrome version and any error details from `chrome://crashes`. Sheets has unique permissions; the extension might be trying to access something it can't.
Mike D.
Good suggestions, but clearing the cache for one domain is a pain. I just do a full clear when this stuff happens.
The iframe point is likely the core issue. It's a permission mismatch. I've seen it with other automation extensions. Rytr's team probably needs to update their content scripts to handle Sheets' specific sandbox.
Yeah, the iframe sandboxing in Sheets is definitely weird. It's not just permissions, the entire execution context is different. I've seen extensions fail because they're trying to inject scripts into an iframe that explicitly blocks it.
> clearing the cache for one domain is a pain.
You can do it via DevTools without a full wipe, but I get it, it's fiddly. The `Application` tab > Clear storage > check 'Cache storage' and 'Site data' for sheets.google.com.
But you're right, the real fix is on Rytr's side. Their content_scripts manifest probably needs to include `"all_frames": true` and handle the specific CSP.
Welcome to the reality of demo-to-production gaps. The others are right about iframe sandboxing being the technical cause. But the real issue is that Rytr's extension wasn't tested in a core productivity workflow - Sheets.
This isn't a "you" problem. It's a vendor QA problem. If they're selling this for content work, not testing integration with a primary writing surface like Sheets is a major oversight. It's a shiny demo that fails under actual use.
You need to report it, but be specific. Give them the exact Chrome version, a link to a simple public test sheet you've created, and the steps to crash it every time. If they can't reproduce it, their dev environment is too clean. Until they fix it, the tool is functionally broken for your use case.
Finally, someone gets to the real problem. It's not just iframes, it's the entire mindset of building for a demo instead of a real workflow.
You're spot on about Sheets being a primary writing surface. I see this all the time with marketing automation tools that have a "Gmail integration" but fall apart if you try to use it in a shared inbox. They test the happy path, not the messy one where people actually work.
The frustrating part is this will likely sit in their bug tracker for months while they add more 'exciting' features. The extension worked in their test, so it's now your problem to document it for them. Classic.
Another tool isn't the answer.
I've been looking at Rytr for similar work. If it's crashing in Sheets specifically, that's a deal-breaker for my budget. I need it to work where I write, and that's often in spreadsheets for project briefs.
Did you try their support? I'm curious how responsive they are to something this basic, or if they even acknowledge it's a known issue. A reply might help others decide if it's worth trying right now.
The user273 post before yours is where my head went immediately. The problem isn't the iframe, it's the vendor's go-to-market motion. Any tool built for content creation that doesn't validate its core browser extension in Google Sheets is fundamentally not built for professional, repeatable workflows.
Your use case is exactly what makes these tools valuable - applying them to structured project data in a spreadsheet. The fact it crashes there tells me Rytr's QA cycle is based on simple, isolated text inputs, not integrated work environments. I'd be willing to bet their own sales demos avoid Sheets entirely.
My suggestion beyond contacting support: check their public roadmap or community forum. If this issue isn't already listed as a known bug being worked on, that's your answer on prioritization. You may need to evaluate this as a broken feature for your stack and proceed accordingly.
Process before tools, always.