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Clockwork and Chrome DevTools

Updated on July 30, 2026

Tier 2 (Pro) can send PHP debug captures to [Clockwork](https://underground.works/clockwork/) — a Chrome DevTools extension that shows a dedicated Clockwork panel with timeline, logs, and structured dumps.

Clockwork complements Pro debugging screen output. JavaScript sp() still goes to the browser console only.

Requirements

  • Active Tier 2 license
  • Manage debugging permission — Permissions and Access
  • [Chrome Clockwork extension](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/clockwork/dmggabnehkmmfmdffgajcfnbdkjfnkce) (or compatible Chromium browser)
  • Pro PHP debugging enabled with destination Clockwork or Both

Enable Clockwork output

  1. Open SignalPress → Settings → Debugging.
  2. Under Debugging (Pro), set PHP destination to Clockwork or Both.
  3. Enable PHP debugging and save.

Each sp() call on eligible HTML requests creates a Clockwork log entry with label, channel, tags, and VarDumper payload.

How storage works

SignalPress uses SignalPress_Clockwork_Runtime:

  • Clockwork metadata is written under wp-content/uploads/signalpress-clockwork/
  • A REST route exposes request metadata for the extension
  • Storage is scoped per WordPress request — not shared across users

The Clockwork section on the Debugging tab shows:

  • Whether storage is writable
  • Path to the storage directory
  • Link to install the Chrome extension

If uploads are not writable, fix filesystem permissions before relying on Clockwork.

Using the extension

  1. Enable Clockwork destination and trigger a page that calls sp().
  2. Open the same URL in Chrome (logged in as a user with Manage debugging).
  3. Open DevTools → Clockwork tab.
  4. Inspect timeline entries for your captures.

For cached sites, use cache compatibility so your debug session bypasses the cache.

Screen vs Clockwork vs Both

DestinationPHP sp() appears
ScreenFooter panel only
ClockworkDevTools Clockwork panel only
BothFooter panel and Clockwork

Use Both when pairing with teammates who prefer DevTools while you still want on-page confirmation.

Limitations

  • REST, AJAX, JSON, cron, and WP-CLI requests are skipped (same as Pro screen output)
  • JavaScript captures never appear in Clockwork
  • Requires an interactive browser session with the extension installed
  • Not a replacement for System Logs or automatic error monitoring