SkyArchive
Troubleshooting

Fix the most common Bluesky export and media-download failures.

Most failures come from a malformed link, content that is no longer publicly readable, temporary Bluesky infrastructure issues, or browser memory limits during large ZIP creation.

“Use a Bluesky post URL”

Open the individual post and copy its link. A profile, feed, search, starter-pack, or list URL is not a post URL. Supported links contain /profile/.../post/... or use an at:// post URI.

“Post not found or not publicly readable”

Confirm the post opens in a private browser window without signing in. It may have been deleted, moderated, blocked for your region, or made inaccessible.

The thread is incomplete

Increase Reply depth, enable Include parent posts, and choose Full conversation. Some public views are still limited by what Bluesky’s AppView returns at that moment.

A video fails but the post loads

The video may use an unavailable original blob, an unusual HLS playlist, encryption, too many segments, or a file larger than the current safety limit. Retry later or archive the post documents without the media.

The ZIP stops on a very large thread

Large client-side archives require browser memory for media and ZIP assembly. Reduce reply depth, use Author thread, export media separately, or split the archive into smaller sections.

PDF opens the print dialog instead of downloading

That is intentional. Select Save as PDF or the equivalent destination in your browser or operating system.

Use it now

From public link to portable files

  1. 01

    Verify the exact public post URL in a private browser window.

  2. 02

    Retry with a narrower scope and smaller reply depth.

  3. 03

    Check the live status page, then report reproducible failures with the source URL and browser name.

Questions

Common questions

Does clearing the page lose a completed export?

No. Files already downloaded remain on your device. The live preview itself is not stored by SkyArchive.

Why does a .ts file not play in my default app?

Some players do not recognize MPEG-TS well. VLC usually does, or you can remux it to MP4 without re-encoding.

Can an ad blocker break exports?

It should not affect the core exporter, but strict privacy extensions can block API requests or browser downloads. Test in a clean private window.

Where can I see service health?

Use the SkyArchive status page, which tests the exporter API and Bluesky’s public AppView.

Build the archive while the post is still public.

Paste the source URL, inspect the preview, and download the formats you actually need.

Open the exporter