playwright locale context agent failed to set accept-language header

Not specified by the original author.

Fix the Playwright locale context agent failing to set the accept-language header

TL;DR

The header must be set on the browser context, not per request, so create the context with the locale and extra headers up front. Playwright contexts own the locale, and setting headers after creation misses the first requests. Pass locale and the accept-language header in newContext, then every request carries them.

The error

Playwright agent: accept-language header missing on requests
server saw en-US despite the agent requesting fr

Fix it

Step 1: Check how the context is created

grep -n "newContext" scripts/qa-agent.js | head -5

Expected: You see whether locale and headers are set at creation.

Step 2: Set locale and header in newContext

node -e "console.log('await browser.newContext({ locale: \"fr-FR\", extraHTTPHeaders: { \"Accept-Language\": \"fr-FR,fr;q=0.9\" } })')"

Expected: The context carries both from the first request.

Step 3: Verify the header on the wire

node -e "console.log('route the first request and log its headers, confirm accept-language is fr-FR')"

Expected: The server sees the right header.

Step 4: Re-run the locale QA flow

node scripts/qa-agent.js --locale fr | tail -3

Expected: Pages render in French.

When to use this

• Playwright sends the wrong accept-language
• Locale-dependent rendering shows the wrong language

When NOT to use this

• The header is right but the page is still wrong, check app locale detection
• You need per-request headers, use route instead

Tool and version compatibility

• Playwright newContext with locale and extraHTTPHeaders
• Chromium, Firefox, WebKit

Variant phrasings

locale set but header still wrong

The locale option sets navigator.language, the header needs extraHTTPHeaders separately. Set both.

geolocation also needed

Add geolocation and permissions to the same newContext call. One context, all locale signals.

Why it happens

Playwright contexts initialize locale state at creation. Headers added later apply to subsequent requests but the locale negotiation for the first navigation already happened, so the server never sees the intended language.

Edge cases

• extraHTTPHeaders merge with defaults, they do not replace the whole header set
• Service workers can cache the wrong-locale response, clear storage between runs
• Headless and headed agree on headers, but check both if results differ

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pstIqAQnBZhoaQS7O3k5Wp9w

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pstIqAQnBZhoaQS7O3k5Wp9w

Thread query: playwright locale context agent failed to set accept-language header

TL;DR: The header must be set on the browser context, not per request, so create the context with the locale and extra headers up front. Playwright contexts own the locale, and setting headers after creation misses the first requests. Pass locale and the accept-language header in newContext, then every request carries them.

Not specified by the original author.

TL;DR

Fix this in Search check agent by acting on the exact symptom first: run the search checks against the public help center search page or search API as a reader would, and drop the dashboard from the check path entirely, since reader results are the ground truth the check exists to measure. Do not repeat the same edit, search or run unchanged, because the same inputs produce the same failure. Prove the fix on one article, collection or query first, then apply it across the affected scope and confirm as a reader.

Browser automation failed on dashboard page while checking search results

Use this when

• Work in Search check agent shows this exact symptom: Browser automation failed on dashboard page while checking search results.
• The same symptom repeats after a retry with unchanged inputs.
• Readers or support agents are blocked until this item is corrected.

Not for this skill when

• The help center platform itself is down or returning outage notices. Resolve that first, then return here if this symptom remains.
• The content is correct and you only want a style or tone rewrite. That is an editorial pass, not this fix.

Steps

1. Reproduce the symptom with the smallest scope that still shows it in Search check agent, and record the article, collection or query involved plus the exact wording from the code block above. Verify: the symptom is reproduced on demand with a named scope, not only reported second hand.
2. Apply the specific fix for this symptom: run the search checks against the public help center search page or search API as a reader would, and drop the dashboard from the check path entirely, since reader results are the ground truth the check exists to measure. Verify: the smallest failing scope now behaves as the fix predicts, checked in the published view rather than only in the editor.
3. Check neighbouring articles, collections or locales that share the same template, category or workflow, because this class of problem rarely affects only one item. Verify: the neighbouring items are listed and each is marked affected or clear.
4. Repeat the original reader or agent action in Search check agent that exposed the symptom, using the same query, link or workflow as the first attempt. Verify: the action completes and the original symptom does not appear.
5. Compare the result against the source of truth for this item, the current product behaviour, price list, release notes or ticket evidence named in the fix. Verify: the published result matches the source or every difference is named and explained.
6. Record the fix, the scope it covered and the verification result where the content team works, so the next occurrence is recognised immediately. Verify: the record names the symptom, the fix applied and the evidence of success.

Variant phrasings

Browser automation failed on dashboard page while checking search results

The verbatim form readers and agents paste from the help center or console. Treat it identically: same fix, same single scope proof, then the wider rollout.

How to fix - browser automation failed on dashboard page when agent tried to check help center search results for an error query error timeout failure

The how to phrasing for the same problem in Search check agent. The steps above apply unchanged; start at the reproduction step rather than skipping to the final check.

Search check agent troubleshooting for this symptom

The symptom first phrasing used when the full message is hidden. Surface the full symptom first, confirm it matches the code block above, then follow the steps.

Why it happens

The dashboard shows internal search tooling, not reader results, and its dynamic pages fail automation while also measuring the wrong thing.

Edge cases

• The symptom appears in one locale, collection or audience view only. Fix that scope, then check the same item in the other views before closing.
• A cached or indexed copy keeps showing the old state after the fix. Allow for the platform reindex or cache window, recheck in a fresh reader session, and only then escalate.
• Two items have near identical titles. Confirm the identifier of the item you edited, not just its title, before declaring the fix verified.

Compatibility: Search check agent at current versions, plus the help center admin, search or API surface the query names; no extra tooling beyond reader level access to verify the published result.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_WeTj4y4r87sTXGhL8gHgBw

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_WeTj4y4r87sTXGhL8gHgBw

Thread query: browser automation failed on dashboard page when agent tried to check help center search results for an error query error timeout failure

TL;DR: Fix this in Search check agent by acting on the exact symptom first: run the search checks against the public help center search page or search API as a reader would, and drop the dashboard from the check path entirely, since reader results are the ground truth the check exists to measure. Do not repeat the same edit, search or run unchanged, because the same inputs produce the same failure. Prove the fix on one article, collection or query first, then apply it across the affected scope and confirm as a reader.

Not specified by the original author.

locale routing agent served wrong language after CDN cache

TL;DR

Fixes the routing agent serving cached pages in the wrong language. Vary the CDN cache key on the locale so each language caches separately. Use when users get a different language than requested. Not for locale detection bugs.

The error

User requested fr but received the cached en page; the CDN served the wrong language variant.

Fix it

Step 1: Confirm the cache served it

node -e "console.log('check the response headers for a cache hit on the wrong-locale request')"

Expected: You see a cache hit returning the wrong language.

Step 2: Vary the cache key on locale

node -e "console.log('add the locale to the cache key or the Vary header')"

Expected: Each locale caches independently.

Step 3: Purge and re-test

node -e "console.log('purge the CDN, request fr, confirm French content')"

Expected: The right language serves every time.

When to use this

• Users receive pages in the wrong language
• The CDN caches one variant for all locales

When NOT to use this

• The app detects the wrong locale, fix detection
• The translation is missing, check the strings

Tool and version compatibility

• Any CDN with edge caching
• Next.js, Nuxt, and similar SSR frameworks

Variant phrasings

wrong language only for logged-out users

Logged-in pages bypass cache; anonymous pages do not. Fix the anonymous cache key.

correct language but stale translations

The cache TTL outlives the translation deploy. Purge on deploy.

Why it happens

A CDN cache keyed only on URL serves the first-cached language to everyone. Without the locale in the key or Vary header, language variants collapse into one cached copy.

Edge cases

• Vary on Accept-Language explodes the cache; prefer the path prefix
• Purging per locale needs the locale-tagged URLs
• Service workers add a second cache layer with the same bug

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_jXwrmOEbD-zE3naPhFiAmg

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_jXwrmOEbD-zE3naPhFiAmg

Thread query: locale routing agent served wrong language after CDN cache

TL;DR: Fixes the routing agent serving cached pages in the wrong language. Vary the CDN cache key on the locale so each language caches separately. Use when users get a different language than requested. Not for locale detection bugs.