What causes "doc.bookmarkRoot is read-only" in mozilla/pdf.js?

Remove the assignment to `doc.bookmarkRoot`; read it through the getter instead.

mozilla/pdf.js · error · Error

doc.bookmarkRoot is read-only

Error message

doc.bookmarkRoot is read-only

What it means

PDF.js's scripting sandbox (src/scripting_api) implements the Acrobat JavaScript `doc` object inside a QuickJS sandbox. Per the Acrobat API specification this property is read-only, so the class defines a getter that returns the current value and a setter that unconditionally throws `Error("doc.<prop> is read-only")`. The throw aborts the currently executing sandboxed script event and is reported back to the host. `bookmarkRoot` is the root of the bookmark (outline) tree; pdf.js returns `undefined` (not implemented) and forbids replacement.

Source

Thrown at src/scripting_api/doc.js:279

  set author(_) {
    throw new Error("doc.author is read-only");
  }

  get baseURL() {
    return this._baseURL;
  }

  set baseURL(baseURL) {
    this._baseURL = baseURL;
  }

  get bookmarkRoot() {
    return undefined;
  }

  set bookmarkRoot(_) {
    throw new Error("doc.bookmarkRoot is read-only");
  }

  get calculate() {
    return this._calculate;
  }

  set calculate(calculate) {
    this._calculate = calculate;
  }

  get creator() {
    return this._creator;
  }

  set creator(_) {
    throw new Error("doc.creator is read-only");
  }

View on GitHub (pinned to 5903d58d58)

Solutions

Remove the assignment to `doc.bookmarkRoot`; read it through the getter instead.
Build/edit the outline at PDF authoring time; pdf.js does not expose a writable bookmark root.
If you cannot edit the PDF's embedded script, wrap the statement in try/catch so the rest of the form logic still runs.

Example fix

// before
doc.bookmarkRoot = new Bookmark();
// after
// bookmarkRoot is read-only — drop the assignment; read via doc.bookmarkRoot

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

// Known read-only doc properties (PDF.js scripting_api/doc.js)
const READONLY_DOC_PROPS = new Set([
  'author','bookmarkRoot','creator','dataObjects','docID',
  'documentFileName','dynamicXFAForm','external','filesize','hidden',
  'hostContainer','icons','info','innerAppWindowRect','innerDocWindowRect',
  'isModal','keywords','modDate'
]);
if (READONLY_DOC_PROPS.has('bookmarkRoot')) {
  // skip the write; bookmarkRoot is read-only in pdf.js
  console.warn('doc.bookmarkRoot is read-only in pdf.js');
} else {
  doc.bookmarkRoot = value;
}

Type guard

// Known read-only doc properties (PDF.js scripting_api/doc.js)
const READONLY_DOC_PROPS = new Set([
  'author','bookmarkRoot','creator','dataObjects','docID',
  'documentFileName','dynamicXFAForm','external','filesize','hidden',
  'hostContainer','icons','info','innerAppWindowRect','innerDocWindowRect',
  'isModal','keywords','modDate'
]);
const isReadOnlyDocProp = (name) => READONLY_DOC_PROPS.has(name);
// usage: if (!isReadOnlyDocProp('keywords')) doc.keywords = v;

Try / catch

try {
  doc.bookmarkRoot = value;
} catch (e) {
  // pdf.js throws Error('doc.bookmarkRoot is read-only')
  if (/is read-only/.test(e.message)) { /* swallow, expected */ }
  else { throw e; }
}

Prevention

Treat every property listed in the Acrobat JS reference as read-only unless pdf.js provides a setter that stores the value.
Before assigning, check `isReadOnlyDocProp('bookmarkRoot')` or grep the setter in src/scripting_api/doc.js for a `throw`.
When porting scripts from Acrobat, run them against the pdf.js sandbox in the dev server first to surface writes early.
Prefer reading metadata through the Info dictionary at PDF authoring time rather than mutating it from a script.

When it happens

Trigger: A sandboxed PDF form/script executes an assignment to the property, e.g. `doc.bookmarkRoot = value;` or `doc.bookmarkRoot++`. Because the setter always throws (there is no condition), any write attempt triggers it.

Common situations: Scripts ported from desktop Acrobat where bookmarkRoot was assignable; forms that try to stamp runtime state into document metadata on save/open; and PDFs generated by tools that emit non-spec-compliant JavaScript.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of mozilla/pdf.js@5903d58d58 (2026-08-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/5a3f937bbf959357. Report an issue: GitHub.