cefsharp/CefSharp · error · Exception

A call to WithSharedSettings has already been made, it is no

Error message

A call to WithSharedSettings has already been made, it is no possible to provide custom settings.

What it means

Thrown by RequestContextBuilder.ThrowExceptionIfContextAlreadySet (a plain System.Exception, not a domain type) when you call a method that sets custom settings (e.g. WithCachePath) after WithSharedSettings has already stored an _otherContext. The builder cannot both share another context's storage and apply its own settings, so it rejects the contradictory configuration. Note the message typo 'no possible'.

Source

Thrown at CefSharp.Core/RequestContextBuilder.cs:25

using CefSharp.Handler;
using System;

namespace CefSharp
{
    /// <summary>
    /// Fluent style builder for creating IRequestContext instances.
    /// </summary>
    public class RequestContextBuilder
    {
        private RequestContextSettings _settings;
        private IRequestContext _otherContext;
        private RequestContextHandler _handler;

        void ThrowExceptionIfContextAlreadySet()
        {
            if (_otherContext != null)
            {
                throw new Exception("A call to WithSharedSettings has already been made, it is no possible to provide custom settings.");
            }
        }

        void ThrowExceptionIfCustomSettingSpecified()
        {
            if (_settings != null)
            {
                throw new Exception("A call to WithCachePath has already been made, it's not possible to share settings with another RequestContext.");
            }
        }
        /// <summary>
        /// Create the actual RequestContext instance
        /// </summary>
        /// <returns>Returns a new RequestContext instance.</returns>
        public IRequestContext Create()
        {
            if (_otherContext != null)
            {

View on GitHub (pinned to 16bc6e0711)

Solutions

1. Decide on one strategy: either share via WithSharedSettings OR customise via WithCachePath/WithPreference, never both.
2. Split into two separate RequestContextBuilder instances if you need both kinds of contexts.
3. Call WithCachePath before any WithSharedSettings is impossible (sharing wins once set), so reorder: build your custom context first if needed.
4. Track builder state in your own code so the two paths are mutually exclusive at the source.

Example fix

// before - contradictory
var ctx = RequestContext.Configure()
    .WithSharedSettings(parent)
    .WithCachePath(@"C:\cache") // throws
    .Create();

// after - pick one
var shared = RequestContext.Configure().WithSharedSettings(parent).Create();
// or
var custom = RequestContext.Configure().WithCachePath(@"C:\cache").Create();

// Enforce one strategy before building.
RequestContextBuilder Build(bool share, IRequestContext parent, string cache)
{
    var b = RequestContext.Configure();
    if (share) return b.WithSharedSettings(parent);
    return b.WithCachePath(cache);
}

public static bool CanAddCustomSettings(RequestContextBuilder b) => b.GetOtherContext() == null; // (requires exposing state)

try { return builder.WithCachePath(path).Create(); }
catch (Exception ex) when (ex.Message.Contains("WithSharedSettings has already been made"))
{ /* use a fresh builder for custom settings */ return RequestContext.Configure().WithCachePath(path).Create(); }

When it happens

Trigger: Chaining .WithSharedSettings(parent).WithCachePath(...) on the same builder; calling WithCachePath twice after a share; any settings mutation after WithSharedSettings.

Common situations: Copy-pasted builder configuration where one branch shares and another customises; refactoring that merged two builders; misunderstanding that sharing and customising are mutually exclusive.

Related errors

• A call to WithCachePath has already been made, it's not poss
• other
• otherRequestContext
• requestContextHandler
• settings

AI-assisted analysis of cefsharp/CefSharp@16bc6e0711 (2026-08-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/d498c0527f64c33c. Report an issue: GitHub.