eclipse-vertx/vert.x · error

423 Locked (WebDAV, RFC4918)

Error message

423 Locked (WebDAV, RFC4918)

What it means

SC_LOCKED is an HttpResponseExpectation constant for HTTP 423 (WebDAV, RFC4918). It means the destination resource of the request is locked, so the method (typically PUT/DELETE/PROPPATCH) cannot be performed. Vert.x provides it for asserting or handling this status in client expectations.

Source

Thrown at vertx-core/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/http/HttpResponseExpectation.java:250

  /**
   * 417 Expectation Failed
   */
  HttpResponseExpectation SC_EXPECTATION_FAILED = status(417);

  /**
   * 421 Misdirected Request
   */
  HttpResponseExpectation SC_MISDIRECTED_REQUEST = status(421);

  /**
   * 422 Unprocessable Entity (WebDAV, RFC4918)
   */
  HttpResponseExpectation SC_UNPROCESSABLE_ENTITY = status(422);

  /**
   * 423 Locked (WebDAV, RFC4918)
   */
  HttpResponseExpectation SC_LOCKED = status(423);

  /**
   * 424 Failed Dependency (WebDAV, RFC4918)
   */
  HttpResponseExpectation SC_FAILED_DEPENDENCY = status(424);

  /**
   * 425 Unordered Collection (WebDAV, RFC3648)
   */
  HttpResponseExpectation SC_UNORDERED_COLLECTION = status(425);

  /**
   * 426 Upgrade Required (RFC2817)
   */
  HttpResponseExpectation SC_UPGRADE_REQUIRED = status(426);

  /**
   * 428 Precondition Required (RFC6585)

View on GitHub (pinned to fb308bd8c3)

Solutions

1. Acquire or refresh the lock (LOCK method) and send the correct lock token in the If header of the modifying request.
2. Wait for or request removal of the conflicting lock (UNLOCK by the owner or an administrator).
3. Check for stale locks left by crashed clients and clear them server-side.
4. Handle 423 in the client by surfacing 'resource is locked' to the user instead of a generic failure.

Example fix

// before
webdavClient.delete("/docs/file.txt").expecting(HttpResponseExpectation.SC_NO_CONTENT);
// after
// include lock token
request.putHeader("If", "(<opaquelocktoken:uuid-123>)");
webdavClient.delete("/docs/file.txt").expecting(HttpResponseExpectation.SC_NO_CONTENT);

boolean isLocked = vertx.fileSystem().existsBlocking(lockFilePath); // or check lock discovery via PROPFIND before write

boolean is423(HttpClientResponse resp) { return resp.statusCode() == 423; }

delete().onFailure(err -> {
  if (isCauseStatus(err, 423)) retryAfterLockReleased(delay);
});

When it happens

Trigger: A WebDAV request (PUT, DELETE, PROPPATCH, MOVE) targets a resource holding an active lock owned by another token/user, or a lock token was not supplied with the If header. Also surfaces when a WebDAV-backed API rejects modifications to locked collections.

Common situations: Collaborative editing systems where another user/session holds a lock; stale locks left after a crashed client; lock timeout shorter than the editing session; missing lock token in the If header.

Related errors

• 424 Failed Dependency (WebDAV, RFC4918)
• 425 Unordered Collection (WebDAV, RFC3648)
• 421 Misdirected Request
• 422 Unprocessable Entity (WebDAV, RFC4918)
• 426 Upgrade Required (RFC2817)

AI-assisted analysis of eclipse-vertx/vert.x@fb308bd8c3 (2026-09-06). Data as JSON: /api/errors/58d79b056c8a7afe. Report an issue: GitHub.