My platform-cookie upload was rejected

If Shadow Edge wouldn't accept your cookie file, or your downloads still fail after uploading one, it's almost always one of a handful of things. Here's how to fix each.

"This file can't be read" on upload

This means the file wasn't in the form Shadow Edge expects. Check:

• You exported it with the recommended tool — "Get cookies.txt LOCALLY" on Chrome-family browsers, or the "cookies.txt" add-on on Firefox. A screenshot, a saved web page, or a file from another tool won't work.
• You uploaded the actual exported file, not something you renamed or edited.

If in doubt, export a fresh file by following the Chrome guide or the Firefox guide again.

The upload worked, but downloads still fail

Run through these in order:

1. Right platform? Make sure the platform you picked in Account → Platform cookies matches the site the file came from. (YouTube cookies won't help a Bilibili download.)
2. Were you signed in when you exported? The file has to come from a browser where you're actually logged in to that site. Sign in, reload, and export again.
3. Did you sign out afterward? Signing out of the site in your browser, or changing your password there, makes the exported cookies stop working. Export a fresh file.
4. Has it expired? Check the "expires in N days" badge. If it's run out, export and upload again.

It worked before and suddenly stopped

Sign-ins don't last forever — most sites expire them after a few days to a few weeks. When yours runs out you'll see the same "sign in required" failure you saw the first time. The fix is the same: export a fresh file and upload it again. See Upload your cookie file to Shadow Edge.

It's not a cookie problem at all

If the content is region-locked, paywalled for an account you don't have, or copy-protected, cookies can't fix it — see A source failed to import for those cases.

Still stuck? Email support@goshadowing.com.