How to Fix WebSocket Connection Failed in AI-Built Apps
WebSocket connections fail to establish or drop unexpectedly. AI-generated realtime features often miss proper connection handling, reconnection logic, and proxy configuration.
Error messages you might see
WebSocket connection to 'wss://...' failed: Error during WebSocket handshakeError: WebSocket is not open: readyState 3 (CLOSED)Why this happens in AI-generated code
Reverse proxy not configured for WebSocket
Nginx or load balancers block WebSocket upgrades because AI code doesn't include proxy configuration.
Missing reconnection logic
AI code opens a WebSocket once but doesn't handle disconnections or implement exponential backoff.
CORS or authentication issues
WebSocket handshake fails because the server doesn't accept the origin or authentication token is missing.
How to fix it
Configure proxy for WebSocket upgrade
Add `proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade` and `proxy_set_header Connection 'upgrade'` to your Nginx config.
Implement reconnection with backoff
Wrap WebSocket creation in a function that retries with exponential backoff on close or error events.
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Frequently asked questions
Why does my WebSocket work locally but not in production?
Production typically has reverse proxies and load balancers that need explicit WebSocket upgrade configuration.
Should I use Socket.io or native WebSockets?
Socket.io adds reconnection, fallbacks, and rooms out of the box. Use native WebSockets only if you need minimal overhead.
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