External share package fails to open

Use this article when the Offline Share Decrypter rejects a package, reports a passphrase problem, refuses metadata, or opens without showing the expected records. Check package integrity and recipient handling before recreating a share.

Triage the issue

  1. Open Sharing and confirm the package was created from the intended records only.
  2. Confirm the package JSON was not edited, reformatted by chat software, renamed into another format or pasted into a document.
  3. Confirm the passphrase came from the one-time display and was transferred through a different channel than the package.
  4. Check expiry, maximum opens and whether the package was already consumed.
  5. Confirm the recipient uses a current browser that does not block local files.
  6. If the recipient still cannot open it, create a new package with a narrower record set; the old file stays openable until it expires.

Error types

ErrorLikely causeOperator action
Wrong passphraseTranscription, whitespace or wrong recipient messageRe-send the passphrase privately; do not put it beside the package.
Tampered metadataPackage content changed after exportRecreate the package from VaultPilot.
Expired packageTime window passedCreate a new package with a justified expiry window.
Exhausted usage countMaximum opens reachedCheck recipient handling before issuing a replacement.
Unsupported versionOld decrypter or future package formatUse the decrypter linked from the same release context as the package.

Safe evidence

  • Package creation time, expiry and max-open policy.
  • Decrypter error category and browser family.
  • Whether the package was transferred as an attached .json file.
  • Share id placeholder such as <SHARE_ID>, not package contents.
  • Whether the passphrase was sent in the same channel.

Do not send

Do not send package JSON, passphrases, recipient identities, record names, screenshots of decrypted content or private links, even to support.

Still stuck?

Check the troubleshooting guide, then write to support@vaultpilot.io with the version, the steps you took and the exact redacted error. Never attach passwords, vault exports or private keys.

Open the troubleshooting guide

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