Sync conflicts — refresh to continue
What to do when ZetaMarker says this page changed elsewhere and blocks editing until you refresh or reload.
What the message means
While you had this page open, highlights or page details changed somewhere else — for example in the web dashboard, on another device, or in another browser tab. ZetaMarker could not merge your pending changes safely.
The extension shows a message like:
This page changed elsewhere. Refresh and reactivate the extension to sync with cloud.
Until you fix this, you cannot add or edit highlights on this page. Your local data is not deleted — sync is paused for this tab until you refresh.
Why it happens
Cloud sync tracks a version timestamp for each page. When you edit highlights, the extension sends changes only if its copy matches the server.
A conflict occurs when:
- You edited the same page in the dashboard while the extension tab still had an older copy open.
- You edited on two devices before both finished syncing.
- Another tab synced changes to the same URL while this tab was still open.
The server responds with a conflict, and the extension stops applying changes so nothing is overwritten by mistake.
What to do — web pages
- Click Refresh on the toast (or reload the tab with F5).
- Wait for the page to finish loading.
- Click the ZetaMarker icon again to reactivate the extension if needed.
- Your highlights should reload from the latest cloud copy.
If you had unsaved edits in this tab only, they may not sync. Check the sidebar and dashboard for the latest version, then re-apply any missing changes.
What to do — PDFs in the extension
In the PDF viewer, the same conflict can appear with slightly different buttons:
- Refresh highlights — reloads highlights from the cloud without leaving the PDF.
- Reload page — full reload of the PDF viewer (use if refresh highlights does not help).
After either action, wait for sync to finish before editing again.
Sync conflicts vs other messages
| Message | Meaning | Main action |
|---|---|---|
| This page changed elsewhere. Refresh and reactivate the extension to sync with cloud. (this article) | Version conflict (409) | Refresh / reload |
| Highlights updated from cloud. Refresh the page to re-render highlights. | Large cloud update on an open tab | Refresh after cloud sync |
| This page is in Trash. Restore or permanently delete it in the web app, and then retry. | Page was deleted in dashboard | Pages in Trash |
| Page was deleted in cloud | Page removed permanently from your library | Start fresh on this URL |
Still stuck?
- Open the page in the dashboard and confirm highlights look correct there.
- Refresh the browser tab and activate ZetaMarker again.
- If the message keeps returning, avoid editing the same page in the dashboard and extension at the same time — let sync finish (check the sync icon in the sidebar).
Contact support@zetamarker.com if a conflict never clears after refresh.