jackwener/OpenCLI · warning · AuthRequiredError

Waiting for Zhihu z_c0 cookie

Error message

Waiting for Zhihu z_c0 cookie

What it means

The zhihu login flow polls the browser until authentication completes; its poll function re-checks for the z_c0 cookie and, if still absent, throws AuthRequiredError 'Waiting for Zhihu z_c0 cookie'. It signals that the user has not finished signing in yet and polling should continue/await login.

Source

Thrown at clis/zhihu/auth.js:55

    throw new AuthRequiredError('www.zhihu.com', 'Zhihu /api/v4/me returned no url_token — anonymous session');
  }
  return {
    url_token: String(data.url_token),
    name: String(data.name ?? ''),
    uid: String(data.uid ?? data.id ?? ''),
  };
}

registerSiteAuthCommands({
  site: 'zhihu',
  domain: 'www.zhihu.com',
  loginUrl: 'https://www.zhihu.com/signin',
  columns: ['url_token', 'name', 'uid'],
  quickCheck: hasZhihuAuthCookie,
  verify: verifyZhihuIdentity,
  poll: async (page) => {
    if (!await hasZhihuAuthCookie(page)) {
      throw new AuthRequiredError('www.zhihu.com', 'Waiting for Zhihu z_c0 cookie');
    }
    return verifyZhihuIdentity(page);
  },
});

View on GitHub (pinned to 49907e53dc)

Solutions

1. Complete the login in the automated browser window (scan QR / enter code) — the error clears on the next successful poll.
2. If the login form shows a captcha or verification challenge, solve it in the browser.
3. If polling repeatedly fails after successful sign-in, check that the profile persists cookies (user-data-dir) and the URL scope is www.zhihu.com.
4. Treat this error as 'not yet logged in' — retry/poll rather than treating it as fatal, unless it persists.

Example fix

// before
await zhihuLogin(); // AuthRequiredError: Waiting for Zhihu z_c0 cookie
// after
try {
  await zhihuLogin({ timeoutMs: 120_000 }); // give user time to scan QR
} catch (e) {
  if (String(e.message).includes('z_c0')) {
    console.error('Sign-in not completed in time. Re-run and finish login in the browser.');
  }
  throw e;
}

const cookies = await page.getCookies({ url: 'https://www.zhihu.com' });
const done = cookies.some(c => c.name === 'z_c0' && c.value);
if (!done) console.log('Waiting for you to complete sign-in in the browser...');

function loginComplete(cookies) { return Array.isArray(cookies) && cookies.some(c => c.name === 'z_c0' && !!c.value); }

let me;
while (!me) {
  try { me = await poll(); }
  catch (e) { if (!String(e.message).includes('z_c0')) throw e; await sleep(1500); } // keep waiting for login
}

When it happens

Trigger: During interactive login, each poll fires before the user completes the sign-in (QR scan, SMS code, password) — the cookie is simply not set yet. Also fires if login silently failed (user closed the form, wrong credentials, captcha not solved).

Common situations: User takes too long to scan the QR code; Zhihu shows a captcha or verification step that blocks completion; automation profile blocked from persisting cookies so login never 'sticks'.

Related errors

• Zhihu z_c0 cookie missing — anonymous
• Band band_session cookie missing
• Waiting for Bilibili session cookies
• Bilibili creator-center login is required: ${message}
• Waiting for Boss wt2 / t cookies

AI-assisted analysis of jackwener/OpenCLI@49907e53dc (2026-08-29). Data as JSON: /api/errors/96f8d204c0477abb. Report an issue: GitHub.