Guide: The inbox is empty after connecting
This page: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/troubleshooting/the-inbox-is-empty-after-connecting
Topic: Troubleshooting
Time: about 2 minutes
Who can do it: Anyone on your team
Author: https://anantgupta.xyz (Anant Gupta, founder of CommentWatchDog)
Start in the app: https://app.commentwatchdog.com/en/inbox
Result when done: You know whether something is wrong or whether nothing has happened yet.
Context: CommentWatchDog collects comments from the moment a page is added. An empty inbox on a new page usually means nobody has commented since; it does not import your history.

Before you start:
1. Comments arrive from the moment the page is added, not before.
2. Old comments are fetched with Post cleanup, on demand.
3. A page must show Receiving comments for anything to arrive.

Steps:
Step 1 of 3: Check the page is live.
Where: Settings, Pages. The page should read Receiving comments and its switch should be on.
Link: https://app.commentwatchdog.com/en/settings/pages (Open Settings, Pages)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/pages.en.webp (The page switch, on.)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/pages-phone.en.webp (The same on a phone.)
You should see: A page that is on and connected.

Step 2 of 3: Test with a real comment.
Where: Comment on your own post from another account, and watch the inbox. It should arrive within seconds.
Link: https://app.commentwatchdog.com/en/inbox (Open the inbox)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/inbox.en.webp (A real comment arriving.)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/inbox-phone.en.webp (The same on a phone.)
You should see: The comment in the inbox, with the page mark on it.

Step 3 of 3: Bring in the history you want.
Where: Post cleanup, with the link to an old post. Every comment on it is fetched, however old.
Link: https://app.commentwatchdog.com/en/tools (Open post cleanup)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/cleanup-loaded.en.webp (Post cleanup brings older comments in.)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/cleanup-phone-loaded.en.webp (The same on a phone.)
You should see: The old comments, ready to check and clean.

If something is off:
Problem: The test comment never arrived
Fix: Check the page is connected and not paused, then reconnect Facebook.
Problem: I expected my old comments
Fix: They are fetched by Post cleanup, not imported automatically.
Problem: Filters are hiding everything
Fix: Clear filters and set Date to All time.

Common questions:
Question: Is an empty inbox right after connecting a page normal?
Answer: Usually, yes. CommentWatchDog collects comments from the moment a page is added and does not import your history, so an empty inbox on a new page usually means nobody has commented since. The page should read Receiving comments with its switch on.
Question: How quickly should a new comment show up in the inbox?
Answer: Within seconds. Comments arrive by Meta webhook, so a comment on your own post from another account should appear in the inbox within seconds, with the page mark on it.
Question: Is there a limit on how old a post can be for Post cleanup?
Answer: No. Post cleanup fetches every comment on a post, however old, once you load it by its link, and the old comments are then ready to check and clean.
Question: Does loading an old post in Post cleanup use credits?
Answer: Loading is free. Loading, browsing, searching and filtering a post cost nothing; a credit is counted once per comment shown in a check or acted on, and a comment is never billed twice.

Related guides:
- Connect Facebook and add your pages: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/getting-started/connect-facebook-and-add-your-pages
- Load a post, ad or reel by its link: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/post-cleanup/load-a-post-ad-or-reel-by-its-link
- A page shows Disconnected: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/troubleshooting/a-page-shows-disconnected

Plain text of this guide: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/troubleshooting/the-inbox-is-empty-after-connecting.md
All guides for assistants: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/llms.txt