𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗕𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘀𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗸𝘀
A browser profile lock prevents two workers from opening the same account at once.
Most systems fail when a worker crashes or loses network. They see an old lock, delete it, and let a new worker take over. This makes the queue move, but it corrupts your account state.
A stale lock is not a file to delete. It is an unfinished operation that needs a controlled recovery path.
Do not treat a lock as a simple flag. The real value is the browser profile: cookies, local storage, and session history.
Use a state machine for recovery:
• Held • Suspected stale • Quarantined • Inspected • Available | Resume pending | Manual review
The Quarantine state is vital. It stops a second worker from jumping in while you investigate.
You must use a lease model with a fencing token. Every write must include a version number. If an old worker wakes up after a new worker takes over, the system must reject its old token. This prevents silent corruption.
Common causes of stale locks:
- Worker process crashed
- Host restarted
- Job exceeded runtime
- Heartbeat stopped
- Network partition
A stale lock does not mean the profile is safe. A worker might look dead, but it could still be running behind a network delay.
Before you reuse a profile, you must collect evidence:
- Last known URL
- Last known step
- Last screenshot
- Proxy ID
- Profile directory status
If a task stopped during a sensitive action like a checkout or a password change, do not auto-resume. Send it to manual review.
Four safe outcomes for recovery:
- Available: Use this if the task never started or failed before touching account data.
- Resume pending: Use this if your tasks have clear, safe checkpoints.
- Retry: Use this if the profile is safe but the task must start over.
- Manual review: Use this if the state is ambiguous or sensitive.
Stop taking shortcuts. Do not delete profile directories or clear cookies to fix a session. These actions damage account context.
A safe system follows these rules:
- One profile
- One owner lease
- One active task
- One evidence trail
- One recovery decision
The lock is just a symptom. Your job is to protect the account environment behind it.