Policy not enforcing?

A policy that "doesn't work" is almost always a page that Shield isn't attached to yet. Work this list top to bottom.

1. Reload the AI-tool tab

Shield's protection attaches when a page loads. Tabs that were already open before you signed in, or before an extension update, don't have it yet — a hard reload fixes that instantly. The side panel tells you when this is the case: the current-site banner shows an amber dot with Reload the page to activate protection instead of the green Monitoring.

2. Check you are signed in

No session, no policies. Click the Shield toolbar icon — if the popup shows anything other than your account with the green Active status, follow the logged-out guide, then reload the tab.

3. Check the site is actually enforced

Shield detects usage across roughly 25 AI tools, and actively enforces DLP policies on ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. On a site Shield doesn't recognize as an AI tool, no banner appears in the side panel — and there is nothing to enforce.

4. Incognito window?

By default Chrome doesn't run extensions in Incognito — AI usage there is unmonitored until Shield is allowed. The popup shows Incognito: Not protected in that case; enable it and reload.

5. Confirm the policy itself

In Shield Control, check the policy is Active (not Paused) and that its data types, actions, and tool scope actually match what you are testing — an observe-mode policy, for example, never blocks anything by design. The side panel's Policies tab shows what applies to you right now.

Tip for admins: after changing a policy, members pick it up on the next page load of the affected tool — tell your testers to reload once before filing a bug.