debug

zaileys — debug (diagnose & fix)

Diagnose a zaileys failure to root cause, then give the concrete fix with runnable TS. Import is always import { Client } from 'zaileys'. NEVER invent error codes — only the codes below have real throw sites. Some union codes are reserved (no throw site today) — respect that and do not present them as live.

Workflow

1. Classify the failure. Is it a thrown exception (has an error class and/or a .code) or a runtime symptom (no exception — a loop, a log line, a missing module, a silent misbehavior)?

   • Thrown exception → step 2.
   • Runtime symptom → step 4.
   • A dropped connection is NOT an exception — it's the disconnect event; map its reason (step 5).
   • A background/auto-connect failure surfaces via the error event, not a throw (step 5).

2. Identify the class by the operation that failed, then instanceof + switch on .code:

   • building/sending/editing/forwarding a message, or client.send() failing → ZaileysBuilderError
   • command registry / middleware / handler / ctx.edit → ZaileysCommandError
   • client.group / .privacy / .newsletter / .community → ZaileysDomainError
   • client.scheduleAt / presence / rate limiter → ZaileysAutomationError
   • any auth-store or message-store backend (file/sqlite/postgres/redis/convex) → ZaileysStoreError

3. Match .code → cause → fix (tables below). Read err.message for the exact constraint (counts, ranges, JID, fileName). If err.cause is set (SEND_FAILED, HANDLER_ERROR, MIDDLEWARE_ERROR, PRESENCE_FAILED, most STORE_*, some SCHEDULE_INVALID), narrow it (err.cause instanceof Error) and read the real root error.

4. Match the runtime symptom → cause → fix (Runtime symptoms below).

5. Connection-level failures: map disconnect reason (fatal vs transient) and ensure an error listener exists.

Then apply the fix and, if useful, capture a debug log (last section).

Narrowing snippet (instanceof + .code)

import {
  ZaileysBuilderError, ZaileysCommandError, ZaileysDomainError,
  ZaileysAutomationError, ZaileysStoreError,
} from 'zaileys'

try {
  await op()
} catch (err) {
  if (err instanceof ZaileysBuilderError) {
    switch (err.code) {
      case 'EMPTY_CONTENT':     /* set content before await */ break
      case 'INVALID_OPTIONS':   console.error(err.message); break // exact constraint is in .message
      case 'SEND_FAILED':       console.error('baileys rejected:', err.cause); break // transient → retry
      case 'MEDIA_LOAD_FAILED': console.error(err.cause); break
      default:                  console.error(err.code, err.message)
    }
  } else if (err instanceof ZaileysStoreError) {
    if (err.code === 'STORE_NOT_AVAILABLE') {/* install the peer dep named in err.message */}
    if (err.code === 'STORE_CORRUPTED')     {/* wipe session, re-auth */}
  } else throw err
}

All five classes share the shape { readonly code: string; readonly name: string; readonly cause?: unknown } and extend Error. code is a per-class string-literal union (TS autocompletes it).

Most-common thrown errors (condensed)

ZaileysBuilderError — codes MEDIA_LOAD_FAILED · INVALID_RECIPIENT(reserved) · USERNAME_NOT_FOUND · EMPTY_CONTENT · INVALID_OPTIONS · SEND_FAILED · MESSAGE_NOT_FOUND

code	cause	fix
INVALID_OPTIONS + msg client not connected	client.send() called before state === 'connected'. This is the connect guard — there is NO NOT_CONNECTED code on the builder.	Guard: if (client.state !== 'connected') return before sending; or send from inside connect/message handlers.
INVALID_OPTIONS (other)	Catch-all validation failure (poll counts, button ids, location range, list rows, vcard, video mime, etc.).	Read err.message — it states the exact constraint; fix that option.
EMPTY_CONTENT	A content method got empty input, or builder awaited with no content set (text() requires a non-empty string, no content set).	Call a content method with non-empty input before await: await client.send(jid).text('hi').
MEDIA_LOAD_FAILED	Media source couldn't be fetched/read/converted: non-2xx fetch, network error, missing local file, audio transcode or sticker conversion failure.	Verify URL returns 2xx / file exists & readable; ensure ffmpeg/sharp present for audio/sticker; inspect .cause.
USERNAME_NOT_FOUND	username "<x>" not found — a @username couldn't resolve to a JID.	Pass a raw JID instead (628xxx@s.whatsapp.net), or confirm the username is reachable.
SEND_FAILED	Socket accepted but rejected / returned no key (incl. interactive content needing relayMessage). .cause = Baileys rejection.	Transient — retry with backoff. Inspect .cause. For buttons/list/carousel/template ensure the socket supports relayMessage.
MESSAGE_NOT_FOUND	message not found in store for forward — forwarded message absent from store.	Configure a store and ensure the source message was captured before forwarding.

ZaileysStoreError — codes STORE_NOT_AVAILABLE · STORE_CONNECTION_FAILED · STORE_WRITE_FAILED · STORE_READ_FAILED · STORE_CORRUPTED · STORE_CLOSED (auth + message stores, all backends)

code	cause	fix
STORE_NOT_AVAILABLE	Missing optional peer dep. Exact msgs: pg is not installed. Run: pnpm add pg, redis peer dependency missing. Run: pnpm add redis, better-sqlite3 belum terpasang. Run: pnpm add better-sqlite3, convex peer dependency missing. Run: pnpm add convex.	Install the peer dep named in err.message (pg / redis / better-sqlite3 / convex). File/Memory adapters need none.
STORE_CONNECTION_FAILED	Bad config or connect failure: provide either pool or connectionString, not both, pass either client OR url, not both, redis client not open, failed to connect to redis at <url>, failed to migrate ... schema.	Pass exactly one of pool/connectionString (or client/url). await redisClient.connect() first. Inspect .cause.
STORE_CORRUPTED	failed to parse sqlite blob — stored data unparseable.	Wipe the session/store and re-authenticate.
STORE_CLOSED	Op after close() (<X>Store is closed).	Recreate the store; don't use after close().
STORE_WRITE_FAILED / STORE_READ_FAILED	A write/read op failed.	Inspect .cause (driver, disk, permissions, connectivity, schema).

ZaileysCommandError — DUPLICATE_COMMAND · INVALID_COMMAND_NAME · HANDLER_ERROR · MIDDLEWARE_ERROR · NO_SENT_MESSAGE · NOT_CONNECTED(reserved)

• HANDLER_ERROR → your handler threw; root error on .cause. MIDDLEWARE_ERROR → middleware threw or next() called multiple times. NO_SENT_MESSAGE → ctx.edit requires a prior ctx.reply. DUPLICATE_COMMAND → rename/remove the duplicate. INVALID_COMMAND_NAME → non-empty command spec, no empty segments.

ZaileysDomainError — NOT_CONNECTED · GROUP_NOT_FOUND(reserved) · NEWSLETTER_NOT_FOUND · INVALID_PARTICIPANT(reserved) · OPERATION_FAILED

• NOT_CONNECTED → wait for the connect event before calling group/privacy/newsletter/community. NEWSLETTER_NOT_FOUND → verify the channel JID. OPERATION_FAILED → invite code/permission issue; read .message.

ZaileysAutomationError — NOT_CONNECTED · RATE_LIMIT_INVALID · SCHEDULE_INVALID · PRESENCE_FAILED · TASK_FAILED(reserved) · STORE_UNAVAILABLE(reserved)

• SCHEDULE_INVALID → pass a real Date; builder must return content and not throw. RATE_LIMIT_INVALID → every rate value > 0. PRESENCE_FAILED → inspect .cause, retry. NOT_CONNECTED → wait for connect.

Reserved codes (in the union, NO throw site today — you will not see them at runtime): builder INVALID_RECIPIENT; command NOT_CONNECTED; domain GROUP_NOT_FOUND, INVALID_PARTICIPANT; automation TASK_FAILED, STORE_UNAVAILABLE. Note: client.broadcast() does NOT throw per bad recipient — it resolves { sent, failed: { jid, error }[] }; inspect failed.

Full per-code throw-site tables: references/errors.md (in the sibling assist skill).

Most-common runtime symptoms (condensed)

Default auth path: ./.zaileys/auth/<sessionId> (sessionId default 'default'). Status lines are prefixed [zaileys] on stderr (statusLog, default true).

Symptom	Cause	Fix
QR keeps regenerating / "session looks invalid or corrupted" (authenticates then drops; hint appended from attempt 2: bad-session)	Saved creds corrupt; socket never reaches open.	Delete the auth folder and re-auth: rm -rf ./.zaileys (all) or rm -rf ./.zaileys/auth/default (one session — replace default with your sessionId).
Reconnect loop ([zaileys] Connection lost (<reason>). Reconnecting in <s>s (attempt <n>)...)	Normal auto-reconnect (exp backoff + jitter). Helps only for transient reasons (see disconnect table).	Observe/tune via reconnect option (defaults: enabled:true, maxAttempts:Infinity, initialDelayMs:1000, maxDelayMs:60000, jitterFactor:0.2). Stuck on bad-session → wipe auth folder. reconnect:{enabled:false} to disable.
Pairing fails before any code (phoneNumber is required when authType is "pairing", phoneNumber must be E.164 with country code, or failed to request pairing code: <reason>)	E.164 validation: digits only, 8–15 long. Last form = passed validation but WhatsApp refused (not on WA / rate-limited).	Pass E.164 with country code, drop leading local 0, no +: phoneNumber: '628123456789'. Wait a few minutes if rate-limited.
"Cannot find module" for a DB adapter (ZaileysStoreError STORE_NOT_AVAILABLE)	Heavy drivers are optional peer deps, loaded lazily.	Install the one your adapter uses: pg / redis / better-sqlite3 / convex.
ESM vs require (ERR_REQUIRE_ESM, Cannot use import statement outside a module, require is not defined)	File ext / package.json "type" disagrees with import style. Needs Node >= 20.	Stay consistent: ESM import { Client } from 'zaileys'; CJS const { Client } = require('zaileys'). For TS run npx tsx index.ts; set "module": "NodeNext"/"Bundler".
Bun ws / WebSocket warnings	Noise from Bun's ws shim, not zaileys (libsignal Closing session: is suppressed).	Benign — ignore. Keep ZAILEYS_DEBUG unset for quiet startup.
Bot never sees my own messages	ignoreMe defaults to true (drops fromMe to avoid self-loops).	new Client({ ignoreMe: false }); then gate replies on sender/prefix to avoid an echo loop.
sharp not installed but images/stickers still work (slower)	sharp is optional, probed opportunistically; falls back to bundled jimp. Missing sharp never throws.	Nothing needed. npm i sharp only for the faster native pipeline. ffmpeg/ffprobe are bundled.

For Deno (--node-modules-dir), Termux native builds, and file-type/Node-version mismatches, see references/troubleshooting.md.

Connection-level diagnosis

Disconnect reasons — client.on('disconnect', ({ reason, willReconnect }) => ...).

reason	fatal?	clears auth?	reconnects?	action
logged-out	Yes	Yes	No	Re-authenticate (new QR / pairing).
connection-replaced	Yes	Yes	No	Same account opened elsewhere; one socket only.
forbidden	Yes	Yes	No	Account blocked; manual intervention.
bad-session	No	Yes	Yes	Auth cleared, reconnects — but corrupt-on-disk loops; wipe auth folder.
restart-required / connection-closed / connection-lost / multi-device-mismatch / unavailable-service / unknown	No	No	Yes	Transient — zaileys reconnects automatically.

Fatal = logged-out ∨ connection-replaced ∨ forbidden → willReconnect: false.

Background failures (chiefly auto-connect) surface via the error event, NOT a throw — and only if a listener is already attached before connection starts. With autoConnect (default true), register it synchronously right after construction or failures are swallowed.

const client = new Client({ authType: 'qr' })
client.on('error', ({ sessionId, error }) => console.error(`[${sessionId}]`, error.message))
client.on('disconnect', ({ reason, willReconnect }) => {
  if (!willReconnect) console.error('fatal disconnect — re-auth required:', reason)
})
client.on('reconnecting', ({ attempt, delayMs, reason }) => console.log(`retry #${attempt} in ${delayMs}ms (${reason})`))

Logout vs reset

• await client.disconnect() — closes socket, keeps creds (reconnect later, no re-scan).
• await client.logout() — unlinks the device on WhatsApp + wipes creds; next run needs a fresh QR/pairing. Emits final disconnect reason: 'logged-out'.
• Offline reset (can't start the app): delete the folder — rm -rf ./.zaileys/auth/default. With a DB auth adapter, logout() clears rows there instead of a folder.

Capture a debug log

[zaileys] status lines (statusLog) are separate from ZAILEYS_DEBUG (pino, default silent).

ZAILEYS_DEBUG=1 node index.js            # info
ZAILEYS_DEBUG=debug npx tsx index.ts     # verbose
ZAILEYS_DEBUG=trace npx tsx index.ts 2>&1 | tee zaileys-debug.log   # full bug report

Levels: fatal|error|warn|info|debug|trace; anything else → silent. statusLog: false silences the [zaileys] lines. Report at github.com/zeative/zaileys with the log + runtime version.

Full references

• references/errors.md (sibling assist skill) — every class + .code with exact throw sites.
• references/troubleshooting.md (sibling assist skill) — all runtime symptoms.
• Live full docs (single file): https://zeative.github.io/zaileys/llms-full.txt.

Live docs (fetch for the latest)

These are authoritative and kept in sync with the code — fetch them when you need more detail, the newest API, or to verify before answering (do not guess when unsure):

• Docs site: https://zeative.github.io/zaileys/
• Full docs as one file (best for LLMs): https://zeative.github.io/zaileys/llms-full.txt
• Per-topic pages: /getting-started · /installation · /configuration · /client · /events · /sending-messages · /media · /interactive · /rich-responses · /commands · /automation · /storage · /error-handling · /runtimes · /troubleshooting · /api-reference (e.g. https://zeative.github.io/zaileys/sending-messages)