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How to Run a Console Script
A step-by-step guide for running Opportunity Insights deployment scripts in your browser's Developer Tools console. No coding experience required.
Open app.people.ai in Google Chrome and make sure you're logged in. You should see your normal Backstory dashboard.
Why Chrome? These scripts work in any modern browser, but Chrome's DevTools are the most widely documented. The steps below show Chrome — Safari and Edge are similar.
Use one of these keyboard shortcuts to open DevTools:
| ⌘ Option J |
Mac — opens Console directly |
| Ctrl Shift J |
Windows / Linux — opens Console directly |
| F12 |
Any OS — opens DevTools (then click the Console tab) |
Alternatively: right-click anywhere on the page → select "Inspect" → click the Console tab at the top of the panel that opens.
Go back to the Deployment Guide, find the table or board you want to deploy, and click "Show console script" to expand it. Then click the Copy button.
Tip: The Copy button turns green and says "Copied!" when it works. The entire script is now on your clipboard.
Click into the Console area and press ⌘ V (Mac) or Ctrl V (Windows) to paste.
First time? Chrome may show a warning: "Don't paste code into the DevTools Console." This is a security feature to prevent scam attacks. Since you're running a trusted Backstory deployment script, type allow pasting and press Enter. Then paste the script again.
> allow pasting
✓ Pasting is now allowed.
>
Once the script is pasted in the console, press Enter to run it. You'll see progress messages appear:
> (async () => { ... })()
✅ Created! ID: 12345 → https://app.people.ai/table/12345
The script will automatically open the new table or board in a new browser tab.
After the script runs, it logs the created table ID in the console (e.g., ID: 12345). Copy this number and paste it into the ID field on the Deployment Guide page — this feeds the board generator in Step 3.
Done! You can close DevTools now. The table is saved in Backstory and will persist. You can find it anytime under Explore Data Builder in Backstory.
Troubleshooting
I see a red error after pressing Enter
Make sure you're on app.people.ai and logged in. The scripts authenticate using your active session. If you're on a different site, you'll get a "Not logged in" error. Navigate to app.people.ai and try again.
Nothing happens when I paste
Chrome blocks pasting by default the first time. Type allow pasting in the console and press Enter, then paste again. See Step 4 above.
The script ran but no new tab opened
Your browser may be blocking pop-ups. Check for a blocked pop-up icon in the address bar and allow it. Alternatively, copy the URL from the console output (e.g., https://app.people.ai/table/12345) and paste it into a new tab manually.
Can I use Safari instead of Chrome?
Yes. In Safari: go to Safari → Settings → Advanced and check "Show features for web developers". Then use ⌘ Option C to open the Console. The rest of the steps are the same.
Can I use Edge instead of Chrome?
Yes. Edge uses the same DevTools as Chrome. Press F12 or Ctrl Shift J to open the Console. Everything works identically.
Is it safe to paste scripts into the console?
Only paste scripts from trusted sources. The Opportunity Insights scripts are internal Backstory deployment tools that create EDB tables and boards using the Glass API. They don't access, modify, or export any customer data — they only create view configurations.
What's the difference between a bookmarklet and a console script?
Both do the same thing. Bookmarklets are saved as browser bookmarks — you click once to run them. Console scripts are pasted directly into DevTools. Console scripts are recommended for larger payloads (like the dashboard) because bookmarklets have URL length limits in some browsers.