apify/crawlee · error · Error

Cannot open storage with name "${name}" because an alias sto

Error message

Cannot open storage with name "${name}" because an alias storage with the same identifier already exists. If you meant to open the alias storage, use { alias: "${name}" } instead.

What it means

The mirror case of the alias conflict: opening a storage with a `name` that collides with an already-open aliased storage of the same class and backend key. The error explicitly suggests using { alias: "<name>" } if you actually meant the aliased storage.

Source

Thrown at packages/core/src/storages/storage_instance_manager.ts:140

     * Ensure that the same string is not used as both a name and an alias for the same
     * storage class + backend combination. Mirrors crawlee-python's `_check_name_alias_conflict`.
     */
    checkNameAliasConflict<T extends IStorage>(
        cls: Constructor<T>,
        { name, alias, backendCacheKey }: { name?: string; alias?: string; backendCacheKey: Hashable },
    ): void {
        if (alias) {
            const existingByName = this.byName.get(cls)?.get(alias)?.get(backendCacheKey);
            if (existingByName) {
                throw new Error(
                    `Cannot open storage with alias "${alias}" because a named storage with the same identifier already exists.`,
                );
            }
        }
        if (name) {
            const existingByAlias = this.byAlias.get(cls)?.get(name)?.get(backendCacheKey);
            if (existingByAlias) {
                throw new Error(
                    `Cannot open storage with name "${name}" because an alias storage with the same identifier already exists.` +
                        ` If you meant to open the alias storage, use { alias: "${name}" } instead.`,
                );
            }
        }
    }

    /** Iterate all cached instances across all storage types. */
    *allValues(): IterableIterator<IStorage> {
        const seen = new Set<IStorage>();
        for (const classMap of this.byId.values()) {
            for (const keyMap of classMap.values()) {
                for (const instance of keyMap.values()) {
                    if (!seen.has(instance)) {
                        seen.add(instance);
                        yield instance;
                    }
                }

View on GitHub (pinned to dbe57fb09c)

Solutions

Rename the storage name to a unique value
Open with { alias: 'foo' } as the message suggests, to reuse the aliased storage
Standardize on one convention (name or alias) across the codebase
Close/clear the conflicting storage instance before reopening with the other identifier

Example fix

// before
await KeyValueStore.open({ alias: 'results' });
await KeyValueStore.open({ name: 'results' }); // throws
// after
await KeyValueStore.open({ alias: 'results' });
// or reuse: const store = await KeyValueStore.open({ alias: 'results' });

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

function assertNoAliasNameConflict(openOpts) {
  if (openOpts.name && openedAliases.has(openOpts.name)) {
    throw new Error(`Name "${openOpts.name}" collides with an existing aliased storage`);
  }
}

Type guard

null

Try / catch

try {
  store = await Dataset.open({ name });
} catch (err) {
  if (/name .* because an alias storage/.test(String(err))) {
    store = await Dataset.open({ alias: name });
  } else throw err;
}

Prevention

Audit all open() call sites for mixed name/alias usage
Adopt a lint rule or helper that wraps storage open with a single convention
Reuse a single opened instance instead of reopening with different identifiers

When it happens

Trigger: Calling RequestQueue.open({ name: 'foo' }) after RequestQueue.open({ alias: 'foo' }) exists, for the same storage class and backend cache key, in the same process.

Common situations: Same as 122: mixed naming conventions across modules, migration from aliases back to names, shared runtimes (e.g. tests) opening the same identifier both ways.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of apify/crawlee@dbe57fb09c (2026-08-30). Data as JSON: /api/errors/12e4c8cfa3831eb4. Report an issue: GitHub.