benweet/stackedit · critical · Error

Can't connect to IndexedDB.

Error message

Can't connect to IndexedDB.

What it means

The IndexedDB open request failed inside the localDbSvc constructor for a workspace database (src/services/localDbSvc.js:27). The error handler on `indexedDB.open(this.dbName, dbVersion)` rethrows as this error, meaning the database connection could not be established. Common causes are storage access being blocked by the browser, a corrupt database, or a version-change conflict where another tab holds an older version open and blocks the upgrade.

Source

Thrown at src/services/localDbSvc.js:27

const dbStoreName = 'objects';
const { silent } = utils.queryParams;
const resetApp = localStorage.getItem('resetStackEdit');
if (resetApp) {
  localStorage.removeItem('resetStackEdit');
}

class Connection {
  constructor(workspaceId = store.getters['workspace/currentWorkspace'].id) {
    this.getTxCbs = [];

    // Make the DB name
    this.dbName = utils.getDbName(workspaceId);

    // Init connection
    const request = indexedDB.open(this.dbName, dbVersion);

    request.onerror = () => {
      throw new Error("Can't connect to IndexedDB.");
    };

    request.onsuccess = (event) => {
      this.db = event.target.result;
      this.db.onversionchange = () => window.location.reload();

      this.getTxCbs.forEach(({ onTx, onError }) => this.createTx(onTx, onError));
      this.getTxCbs = null;
    };

    request.onupgradeneeded = (event) => {
      const eventDb = event.target.result;
      const oldVersion = event.oldVersion || 0;

      // We don't use 'break' in this switch statement,
      // the fall-through behavior is what we want.
      /* eslint-disable no-fallthrough */
      switch (oldVersion) {

View on GitHub (pinned to 6dce2a5e36)

Solutions

  1. Allow site data/cookies for the app's origin in browser settings.
  2. Close other tabs of the app and reload so a pending version upgrade can complete.
  3. Clear the site's storage for this origin to remove a corrupt database, then reload.
  4. Retry the connection after a transient failure; log request.error for the concrete DOMException.

Example fix

// before
request.onerror = () => {
  throw new Error("Can't connect to IndexedDB.");
};
// after
request.onerror = () => {
  console.error('IndexedDB open failed:', request.error);
  throw new Error(`Can't connect to IndexedDB. (${request.error && request.error.name})`);
};
Defensive patterns

Strategy: retry

Validate before calling

function canUseIndexedDB() {
  try {
    return !!window.indexedDB && typeof indexedDB.open === 'function';
  } catch (e) {
    return false; // storage access denied (e.g. blocked cookies)
  }
}

Type guard

function isOpenError(err) {
  return err && ['UnknownError', 'SecurityError', 'InvalidStateError', 'VersionError'].includes(err.name);
}

Try / catch

try {
  await connectDb();
} catch (err) {
  if (isOpenError(err) && retries < 3) {
    await delay(500 * (retries + 1));
    return connectDbWithRetry(retries + 1);
  }
  showStorageErrorDialog(err);
}

Prevention

When it happens

Trigger: `indexedDB.open(dbName, dbVersion)` fires its onerror handler: storage quota/blocked cookies settings, a corrupted or deleted database file, blocked version upgrade (an open connection in another context at a lower version without onversionchange handling), or storage disabled entirely.

Common situations: Browser set to 'block all cookies'/site data; corrupted profile storage after a browser crash; having the app open in an old tab while a new deploy bumped dbVersion; iOS Safari low-storage eviction.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of benweet/stackedit@6dce2a5e36 (2026-09-01). Data as JSON: /api/errors/135b9de6ad27d270. Report an issue: GitHub.