tessl install github:jezweb/claude-skills --skill cloudflare-durable-objectsgithub.com/jezweb/claude-skills
Build stateful Durable Objects for real-time apps, WebSocket servers, coordination, and persistent state. Prevents 20 documented errors. Use when: implementing chat rooms, multiplayer games, rate limiting, session management, WebSocket hibernation, or troubleshooting class export, migration, WebSocket state loss, boolean binding, RPC streams, or binding errors.
Review Score
87%
Validation Score
12/16
Implementation Score
77%
Activation Score
100%
Status: Production Ready ✅ Last Updated: 2026-01-21 Dependencies: cloudflare-worker-base (recommended) Latest Versions: wrangler@4.58.0, @cloudflare/workers-types@4.20260109.0 Official Docs: https://developers.cloudflare.com/durable-objects/
Recent Updates (2025):
getByName() API shortcut for named DOsScaffold new DO project:
npm create cloudflare@latest my-durable-app -- --template=cloudflare/durable-objects-template --tsOr add to existing Worker:
// src/counter.ts - Durable Object class
import { DurableObject } from 'cloudflare:workers';
export class Counter extends DurableObject {
async increment(): Promise<number> {
let value = (await this.ctx.storage.get<number>('value')) || 0;
await this.ctx.storage.put('value', ++value);
return value;
}
}
export default Counter; // CRITICAL: Export required// wrangler.jsonc - Configuration
{
"durable_objects": {
"bindings": [{ "name": "COUNTER", "class_name": "Counter" }]
},
"migrations": [
{ "tag": "v1", "new_sqlite_classes": ["Counter"] } // SQLite backend (10GB limit)
]
}// src/index.ts - Worker
import { Counter } from './counter';
export { Counter };
export default {
async fetch(request: Request, env: { COUNTER: DurableObjectNamespace<Counter> }) {
const stub = env.COUNTER.getByName('global-counter'); // Aug 2025: getByName() shortcut
return new Response(`Count: ${await stub.increment()}`);
}
};import { DurableObject } from 'cloudflare:workers';
export class MyDO extends DurableObject {
constructor(ctx: DurableObjectState, env: Env) {
super(ctx, env); // REQUIRED first line
// Load state before requests (optional)
ctx.blockConcurrencyWhile(async () => {
this.value = await ctx.storage.get('key') || defaultValue;
});
}
// RPC methods (recommended)
async myMethod(): Promise<string> { return 'Hello'; }
// HTTP fetch handler (optional)
async fetch(request: Request): Promise<Response> { return new Response('OK'); }
}
export default MyDO; // CRITICAL: Export required
// Worker must export DO class too
import { MyDO } from './my-do';
export { MyDO };Constructor Rules:
super(ctx, env) firstctx.blockConcurrencyWhile() for storage initializationsetTimeout/setInterval (use alarms)Two backends available:
Enable SQLite in migrations:
{ "migrations": [{ "tag": "v1", "new_sqlite_classes": ["MyDO"] }] }export class MyDO extends DurableObject {
sql: SqlStorage;
constructor(ctx: DurableObjectState, env: Env) {
super(ctx, env);
this.sql = ctx.storage.sql;
this.sql.exec(`
CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS messages (id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY, text TEXT, created_at INTEGER);
CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_created ON messages(created_at);
PRAGMA optimize; // Feb 2025: Query performance optimization
`);
}
async addMessage(text: string): Promise<number> {
const cursor = this.sql.exec('INSERT INTO messages (text, created_at) VALUES (?, ?) RETURNING id', text, Date.now());
return cursor.one<{ id: number }>().id;
}
async getMessages(limit = 50): Promise<any[]> {
return this.sql.exec('SELECT * FROM messages ORDER BY created_at DESC LIMIT ?', limit).toArray();
}
}SQL Methods:
sql.exec(query, ...params) → cursorcursor.one<T>() → single row (throws if none)cursor.one<T>({ allowNone: true }) → row or nullcursor.toArray<T>() → all rowsctx.storage.transactionSync(() => { ... }) → atomic multi-statementBest Practices:
? placeholders for parameterized queriesPRAGMA optimize after schema changesSTRICT keyword to table definitions to enforce type affinity and catch type mismatches early// Single operations
await this.ctx.storage.put('key', value);
const value = await this.ctx.storage.get<T>('key');
await this.ctx.storage.delete('key');
// Batch operations
await this.ctx.storage.put({ key1: val1, key2: val2 });
const map = await this.ctx.storage.get(['key1', 'key2']);
await this.ctx.storage.delete(['key1', 'key2']);
// List and delete all
const map = await this.ctx.storage.list({ prefix: 'user:', limit: 100 });
await this.ctx.storage.deleteAll(); // Atomic on SQLite only
// Transactions
await this.ctx.storage.transaction(async (txn) => {
await txn.put('key1', val1);
await txn.put('key2', val2);
});Storage Limits: SQLite 10GB (April 2025 GA) | KV 128MB
Capabilities:
How it works:
CRITICAL: In-memory state is lost on hibernation. Use serializeAttachment() to persist per-WebSocket metadata.
export class ChatRoom extends DurableObject {
sessions: Map<WebSocket, { userId: string; username: string }>;
constructor(ctx: DurableObjectState, env: Env) {
super(ctx, env);
this.sessions = new Map();
// CRITICAL: Restore WebSocket metadata after hibernation
ctx.getWebSockets().forEach((ws) => {
this.sessions.set(ws, ws.deserializeAttachment());
});
}
async fetch(request: Request): Promise<Response> {
const pair = new WebSocketPair();
const [client, server] = Object.values(pair);
const url = new URL(request.url);
const metadata = { userId: url.searchParams.get('userId'), username: url.searchParams.get('username') };
// CRITICAL: Use ctx.acceptWebSocket(), NOT ws.accept()
this.ctx.acceptWebSocket(server);
server.serializeAttachment(metadata); // Persist across hibernation
this.sessions.set(server, metadata);
return new Response(null, { status: 101, webSocket: client });
}
async webSocketMessage(ws: WebSocket, message: string | ArrayBuffer): Promise<void> {
const session = this.sessions.get(ws);
// Handle message (max 32 MiB since Oct 2025)
}
async webSocketClose(ws: WebSocket, code: number, reason: string, wasClean: boolean): Promise<void> {
this.sessions.delete(ws);
ws.close(code, 'Closing');
}
async webSocketError(ws: WebSocket, error: any): Promise<void> {
this.sessions.delete(ws);
}
}Hibernation Rules:
ctx.acceptWebSocket(ws) - enables hibernationws.serializeAttachment(data) - persist metadatactx.getWebSockets().forEach() - restore in constructorsetTimeout/setIntervalws.accept() - standard API, no hibernationsetTimeout/setInterval - prevents hibernationfetch() - blocks hibernationSchedule DO to wake at future time. Use for: batching, cleanup, reminders, periodic tasks.
export class Batcher extends DurableObject {
async addItem(item: string): Promise<void> {
// Add to buffer
const buffer = await this.ctx.storage.get<string[]>('buffer') || [];
buffer.push(item);
await this.ctx.storage.put('buffer', buffer);
// Schedule alarm if not set
if ((await this.ctx.storage.getAlarm()) === null) {
await this.ctx.storage.setAlarm(Date.now() + 10000); // 10 seconds
}
}
async alarm(info: { retryCount: number; isRetry: boolean }): Promise<void> {
if (info.retryCount > 3) return; // Give up after 3 retries
const buffer = await this.ctx.storage.get<string[]>('buffer') || [];
await this.processBatch(buffer);
await this.ctx.storage.put('buffer', []);
// Alarm auto-deleted after success
}
}API Methods:
await ctx.storage.setAlarm(Date.now() + 60000) - set alarm (overwrites existing)await ctx.storage.getAlarm() - get timestamp or nullawait ctx.storage.deleteAlarm() - cancel alarmasync alarm(info) - handler called when alarm firesBehavior:
RPC (Recommended): Direct method calls, type-safe, simple
// DO class
export class Counter extends DurableObject {
async increment(): Promise<number> {
let value = (await this.ctx.storage.get<number>('count')) || 0;
await this.ctx.storage.put('count', ++value);
return value;
}
}
// Worker calls
const stub = env.COUNTER.getByName('my-counter');
const count = await stub.increment(); // Type-safe!HTTP Fetch: Request/response pattern, required for WebSocket upgrades
// DO class
export class Counter extends DurableObject {
async fetch(request: Request): Promise<Response> {
const url = new URL(request.url);
if (url.pathname === '/increment') {
let value = (await this.ctx.storage.get<number>('count')) || 0;
await this.ctx.storage.put('count', ++value);
return new Response(JSON.stringify({ count: value }));
}
return new Response('Not found', { status: 404 });
}
}
// Worker calls
const stub = env.COUNTER.getByName('my-counter');
const response = await stub.fetch('https://fake-host/increment', { method: 'POST' });
const data = await response.json();When to use: RPC for new projects (simpler), HTTP Fetch for WebSocket upgrades or complex routing
Three ways to get IDs:
idFromName(name) - Consistent routing (same name = same DO)const stub = env.CHAT_ROOM.getByName('room-123'); // Aug 2025: Shortcut for idFromName + get
// Use for: chat rooms, user sessions, per-tenant logic, singletonsnewUniqueId() - Random unique ID (must store for reuse)const id = env.MY_DO.newUniqueId({ jurisdiction: 'eu' }); // Optional: EU compliance
const idString = id.toString(); // Save to KV/D1 for lateridFromString(idString) - Recreate from saved IDconst id = env.MY_DO.idFromString(await env.KV.get('session:123'));
const stub = env.MY_DO.get(id);Location hints (best-effort):
const stub = env.MY_DO.get(id, { locationHint: 'enam' }); // wnam, enam, sam, weur, eeur, apac, oc, afr, meJurisdiction (strict enforcement):
const id = env.MY_DO.newUniqueId({ jurisdiction: 'eu' }); // Options: 'eu', 'fedramp'
// Cannot combine with location hints, higher latency outside jurisdictionRequired for: create, rename, delete, transfer DO classes
1. Create:
{ "migrations": [{ "tag": "v1", "new_sqlite_classes": ["Counter"] }] } // SQLite 10GB
// Or: "new_classes": ["Counter"] // KV 128MB (legacy)2. Rename:
{ "migrations": [
{ "tag": "v1", "new_sqlite_classes": ["OldName"] },
{ "tag": "v2", "renamed_classes": [{ "from": "OldName", "to": "NewName" }] }
]}3. Delete:
{ "migrations": [
{ "tag": "v1", "new_sqlite_classes": ["Counter"] },
{ "tag": "v2", "deleted_classes": ["Counter"] } // Immediate deletion, cannot undo
]}4. Transfer:
{ "migrations": [{ "tag": "v1", "transferred_classes": [
{ "from": "OldClass", "from_script": "old-worker", "to": "NewClass" }
]}]}Migration Rules:
Rate Limiting:
async checkLimit(userId: string, limit: number, window: number): Promise<boolean> {
const requests = (await this.ctx.storage.get<number[]>(`rate:${userId}`)) || [];
const valid = requests.filter(t => Date.now() - t < window);
if (valid.length >= limit) return false;
valid.push(Date.now());
await this.ctx.storage.put(`rate:${userId}`, valid);
return true;
}Session Management with TTL:
async set(key: string, value: any, ttl?: number): Promise<void> {
const expiresAt = ttl ? Date.now() + ttl : null;
this.sql.exec('INSERT OR REPLACE INTO session (key, value, expires_at) VALUES (?, ?, ?)',
key, JSON.stringify(value), expiresAt);
}
async alarm(): Promise<void> {
this.sql.exec('DELETE FROM session WHERE expires_at < ?', Date.now());
await this.ctx.storage.setAlarm(Date.now() + 3600000); // Hourly cleanup
}Leader Election:
async electLeader(workerId: string): Promise<boolean> {
try {
this.sql.exec('INSERT INTO leader (id, worker_id, elected_at) VALUES (1, ?, ?)', workerId, Date.now());
return true;
} catch { return false; } // Already has leader
}Multi-DO Coordination:
// Coordinator delegates to child DOs
const gameRoom = env.GAME_ROOM.getByName(gameId);
await gameRoom.initialize();
await this.ctx.storage.put(`game:${gameId}`, { created: Date.now() });✅ Export DO class from Worker
export class MyDO extends DurableObject { }
export default MyDO; // Required✅ Call super(ctx, env) in constructor
constructor(ctx: DurableObjectState, env: Env) {
super(ctx, env); // Required first line
}✅ Use new_sqlite_classes for new DOs
{ "tag": "v1", "new_sqlite_classes": ["MyDO"] }✅ Use ctx.acceptWebSocket() for hibernation
this.ctx.acceptWebSocket(server); // Enables hibernation✅ Persist critical state to storage (not just memory)
await this.ctx.storage.put('important', value);✅ Use alarms instead of setTimeout/setInterval
await this.ctx.storage.setAlarm(Date.now() + 60000);✅ Use parameterized SQL queries
this.sql.exec('SELECT * FROM table WHERE id = ?', id);✅ Minimize constructor work
constructor(ctx, env) {
super(ctx, env);
// Minimal initialization only
ctx.blockConcurrencyWhile(async () => {
// Load from storage
});
}❌ Create DO without migration
// Missing migrations array = error❌ Forget to export DO class
class MyDO extends DurableObject { }
// Missing: export default MyDO;❌ Use setTimeout or setInterval
setTimeout(() => {}, 1000); // Prevents hibernation❌ Rely only on in-memory state with WebSockets
// ❌ WRONG: this.sessions will be lost on hibernation
// ✅ CORRECT: Use serializeAttachment()❌ Deploy migrations gradually
# Migrations are atomic - cannot use gradual rollout❌ Enable SQLite on existing KV-backed DO
// Not supported - must create new DO class instead❌ Use standard WebSocket API expecting hibernation
ws.accept(); // ❌ No hibernation
this.ctx.acceptWebSocket(ws); // ✅ Hibernation enabled❌ Assume location hints are guaranteed
// Location hints are best-effort onlyThis skill prevents 20 documented issues:
Error: "binding not found" or "Class X not found"
Source: https://developers.cloudflare.com/durable-objects/get-started/
Why It Happens: DO class not exported from Worker
Prevention:
export class MyDO extends DurableObject { }
export default MyDO; // ← RequiredError: "migrations required" or "no migration found for class"
Source: https://developers.cloudflare.com/durable-objects/reference/durable-objects-migrations/
Why It Happens: Created DO class without migration entry
Prevention: Always add migration when creating new DO class
{
"migrations": [
{ "tag": "v1", "new_sqlite_classes": ["MyDO"] }
]
}Error: Schema errors, storage API mismatch
Source: https://developers.cloudflare.com/durable-objects/api/sqlite-storage-api/
Why It Happens: Used new_classes instead of new_sqlite_classes
Prevention: Use new_sqlite_classes for SQLite backend (recommended)
Error: Slow hibernation wake-up times
Source: https://developers.cloudflare.com/durable-objects/best-practices/access-durable-objects-storage/
Why It Happens: Heavy work in constructor
Prevention: Minimize constructor, use blockConcurrencyWhile()
constructor(ctx, env) {
super(ctx, env);
ctx.blockConcurrencyWhile(async () => {
// Load from storage
});
}Error: DO never hibernates, high duration charges
Source: https://developers.cloudflare.com/durable-objects/concepts/durable-object-lifecycle/
Why It Happens: setTimeout/setInterval prevents hibernation
Prevention: Use alarms API instead
// ❌ WRONG
setTimeout(() => {}, 1000);
// ✅ CORRECT
await this.ctx.storage.setAlarm(Date.now() + 1000);Error: WebSocket metadata lost, state reset unexpectedly
Source: https://developers.cloudflare.com/durable-objects/best-practices/websockets/
Why It Happens: Relied on in-memory state that's cleared on hibernation
Prevention: Use serializeAttachment() for WebSocket metadata
ws.serializeAttachment({ userId, username });
// Restore in constructor
ctx.getWebSockets().forEach(ws => {
const metadata = ws.deserializeAttachment();
this.sessions.set(ws, metadata);
});Error: High charges despite hibernation API
Source: Cloudflare Docs | GitHub Issue #4864
Why It Happens: Durable Objects maintaining persistent connections to external WebSocket services using new WebSocket('url') cannot hibernate and remain pinned in memory indefinitely
Use Cases Affected:
ctx.acceptWebSocket(). Outgoing WebSocket connections created with new WebSocket(url) prevent hibernation. Redesign architecture to avoid outgoing WebSocket connections from Durable Objects if hibernation is required.Error: Unexpected DO class name conflicts Source: https://developers.cloudflare.com/durable-objects/platform/known-issues/#global-uniqueness Why It Happens: DO class names are globally unique per account Prevention: Understand DO class names are shared across all Workers in account
Error: Storage not fully deleted, billing continues; or internal error in alarm handler Source: KV Storage API | GitHub Issue #2993 Why It Happens:
deleteAll() can fail partially (not atomic)deleteAll() in alarm handler causes internal error and retry loop (fixed in runtime)
Prevention:deleteAlarm() BEFORE deleteAll():async alarm(info: { retryCount: number }): Promise<void> {
await this.ctx.storage.deleteAlarm(); // ← Call first
await this.ctx.storage.deleteAll(); // Then delete all
}Error: Runtime error accessing DO binding Source: https://developers.cloudflare.com/durable-objects/get-started/ Why It Happens: Binding name in wrangler.jsonc doesn't match code Prevention: Ensure consistency
{ "bindings": [{ "name": "MY_DO", "class_name": "MyDO" }] }env.MY_DO.getByName('instance'); // Must match binding nameError: "state limit exceeded" or storage errors
Source: https://developers.cloudflare.com/durable-objects/platform/pricing/
Why It Happens: Exceeded 1GB (SQLite) or 128MB (KV) limit
Prevention: Monitor storage size, implement cleanup with alarms
Error: Gradual deployment blocked Source: https://developers.cloudflare.com/workers/configuration/versions-and-deployments/gradual-deployments/ Why It Happens: Tried to use gradual rollout with migrations Prevention: Migrations deploy atomically across all instances
Error: DO created in wrong region Source: https://developers.cloudflare.com/durable-objects/reference/data-location/ Why It Happens: Location hints are best-effort, not guaranteed Prevention: Use jurisdiction for strict requirements
Error: Tasks lost after alarm failures Source: https://developers.cloudflare.com/durable-objects/api/alarms/ Why It Happens: Alarm handler throws errors repeatedly Prevention: Implement idempotent alarm handlers
async alarm(info: { retryCount: number }): Promise<void> {
if (info.retryCount > 3) {
console.error('Giving up after 3 retries');
return;
}
// Idempotent operation
}Error: DO never hibernates despite using hibernation API
Source: https://developers.cloudflare.com/durable-objects/concepts/durable-object-lifecycle/
Why It Happens: In-progress fetch() requests prevent hibernation
Prevention: Ensure all async I/O completes before idle period
Error: Boolean columns contain strings "true"/"false" instead of integers 0/1; SQL queries with boolean comparisons fail
Source: GitHub Issue #9964
Why It Happens: JavaScript boolean values are serialized as strings in Durable Objects SQLite (inconsistent with D1 behavior)
Prevention: Manually convert booleans to integers and use STRICT tables
// Convert booleans to integers
this.sql.exec('INSERT INTO test (bool_col) VALUES (?)', value ? 1 : 0);
// Use STRICT tables to catch type mismatches early
this.sql.exec(`
CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS test (
id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,
bool_col INTEGER NOT NULL
) STRICT;
`);Error: Wrangler dev logs show "Network connection lost" when canceling ReadableStream from RPC, despite correct cancellation Source: GitHub Issue #11071 Why It Happens: Canceling ReadableStream returned from Durable Object via RPC triggers misleading error logs in Wrangler dev (presentation issue, not runtime bug) Prevention: No workaround available. The cancellation works correctly - ignore the false error logs in Wrangler dev. Issue does not appear in production or workerd-only setup.
Error: Constructor's blockConcurrencyWhile doesn't block requests in local dev, causing race conditions hidden during development
Source: GitHub Issue #8686
Why It Happens: Bug in older @cloudflare/vite-plugin and wrangler versions
Prevention: Upgrade to @cloudflare/vite-plugin v1.3.1+ and wrangler v4.18.0+ where this is fixed
Error: "Cannot access MyDurableObject#myMethod as Durable Object RPC is not yet supported between multiple wrangler dev sessions"
Source: GitHub Issue #11944
Why It Happens: Accessing a Durable Object over RPC from multiple wrangler dev instances (e.g., separate Workers in monorepo) is not yet supported in local dev
Prevention: Use wrangler dev -c config1 -c config2 to run multiple workers in single session, or use HTTP fetch instead of RPC for cross-worker DO communication during local development
Error: DurableObjectState.id.name is undefined in constructor when using @cloudflare/vitest-pool-workers 0.8.71
Source: GitHub Issue #11580
Why It Happens: Regression in vitest-pool-workers 0.8.71 (worked in 0.8.38)
Prevention: Downgrade to @cloudflare/vitest-pool-workers@0.8.38 or upgrade to later version where this is fixed
wrangler.jsonc:
{
"compatibility_date": "2025-11-23",
"durable_objects": {
"bindings": [{ "name": "COUNTER", "class_name": "Counter" }]
},
"migrations": [
{ "tag": "v1", "new_sqlite_classes": ["Counter"] },
{ "tag": "v2", "renamed_classes": [{ "from": "Counter", "to": "CounterV2" }] }
]
}TypeScript:
import { DurableObject, DurableObjectState, DurableObjectNamespace } from 'cloudflare:workers';
interface Env { MY_DO: DurableObjectNamespace<MyDurableObject>; }
export class MyDurableObject extends DurableObject<Env> {
constructor(ctx: DurableObjectState, env: Env) {
super(ctx, env);
this.sql = ctx.storage.sql;
}
}Questions? Issues?
references/top-errors.md for common problemstemplates/ for working examplesLast verified: 2026-01-21 | Skill version: 3.1.0 | Changes: Added 5 new issues (boolean binding, RPC stream cancel, blockConcurrencyWhile local dev, RPC multi-session, vitest regression), expanded Issue #7 (outgoing WebSocket use cases) and Issue #9 (deleteAll alarm interaction), added STRICT tables best practice, updated @cloudflare/actors beta warning