backend/app/api/admin.py

@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ Action surfaces:
   POST   /api/admin/tags/<int:dest_id>/merge       (Tier B)
   POST   /api/admin/tags/prune-unused              (Tier A)
   POST   /api/admin/posts/prune-bare               (Tier A)
+  POST   /api/admin/posts/refetch-external         (Tier A)
   GET    /api/admin/tags/<int:tag_id>/usage-count  (helper)
 
 Tier-C ops take a dry_run body flag (returns projection inline,
@@ -22,7 +23,7 @@ from quart import Blueprint, jsonify, request
 from sqlalchemy import select, text
 
 from ..extensions import get_session
-from ..models import Artist
+from ..models import Artist, Post
 from ..services.cleanup_service import project_artist_cascade, project_bulk_image_delete
 from ._responses import error_response as _bad
 
@@ -276,6 +277,44 @@ async def posts_reconcile_duplicates():
     return await _run_dry_run_op(reconcile_duplicate_posts, source_id=source_id)
 
 
+@admin_bp.route("/posts/refetch-external", methods=["POST"])
+async def posts_refetch_external():
+    """Surgical re-fetch of a post's external file-host links (operator
+    2026-07-03): the normal cadence never re-walks deep back-catalogue posts,
+    so a deleted external file only comes back by resetting its ExternalLink
+    row(s) — this endpoint does that per post and dispatches the fetches.
+    Sha-dedupe discards payload files that still exist, so only what's
+    missing lands. Body: {external_post_id: str, source_id?: int (to
+    disambiguate the same external id across sources)}."""
+    from ..services.external_links import refetch_links_for_post
+
+    body = await request.get_json(silent=True) or {}
+    ext_id = str(body.get("external_post_id") or "").strip()
+    if not ext_id:
+        return _bad("missing_external_post_id",
+                    detail="external_post_id is required")
+    raw_source = body.get("source_id")
+    try:
+        source_id = int(raw_source) if raw_source is not None else None
+    except (TypeError, ValueError):
+        return _bad("invalid_source_id", detail="source_id must be an integer")
+
+    async with get_session() as session:
+        stmt = select(Post.id).where(Post.external_post_id == ext_id)
+        if source_id is not None:
+            stmt = stmt.where(Post.source_id == source_id)
+        post_ids = (await session.execute(stmt)).scalars().all()
+        if not post_ids:
+            return _bad("post_not_found", status=404,
+                        detail=f"no post with external_post_id {ext_id!r}")
+        results = {}
+        for pid in post_ids:
+            results[str(pid)] = await session.run_sync(
+                lambda s, p=pid: refetch_links_for_post(s, p)
+            )
+    return jsonify({"posts": results})
+
+
 def _reset_content_confirm_token(projection: dict) -> str:
     """Stable 8-hex token derived from the live counts (mirrors the Tier-C
     bulk-delete token): it changes whenever the data changes, so the apply can

backend/app/services/external_links.py

@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+"""Surgical re-fetch of a post's external file-host links.
+
+The normal download cadence never re-walks deep back-catalogue posts (the
+seen-gates exist precisely to keep old items from resurfacing), so when a
+file that CAME from an ExternalLink is deleted — e.g. the failure-triage
+recovery flow removing a corrupt original — a plain source re-check will
+never bring it back. The link ROW is the durable, per-post handle: resetting
+it to pending and dispatching the fetch re-downloads exactly that link's
+payload, and sha-dedupe at import discards anything that still exists — so
+only the missing file actually lands. (Operator 2026-07-03: recovery must
+not require artist-wide deep scans.)
+"""
+import logging
+
+from sqlalchemy import select
+from sqlalchemy.orm import Session
+
+from ..models import ExternalLink
+
+log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+
+def refetch_links_for_post(session: Session, post_id: int) -> dict:
+    """Reset every settled ExternalLink on a post to pending (fresh attempt
+    budget) and dispatch its fetch. In-flight ('downloading') links are left
+    alone. Commits. Returns {links_total, links_reset}."""
+    links = session.execute(
+        select(ExternalLink).where(ExternalLink.post_id == post_id)
+    ).scalars().all()
+    reset_ids = []
+    for link in links:
+        if link.status == "downloading":
+            continue
+        link.status = "pending"
+        link.attempts = 0
+        link.last_error = None
+        link.completed_at = None
+        reset_ids.append(link.id)
+    session.commit()
+    if reset_ids:
+        # Lazy import (services -> tasks would cycle at module load). The
+        # 10-min extdl sweep would pick pending rows up anyway — dispatching
+        # directly just skips the wait.
+        from ..tasks.external import fetch_external_link
+
+        for lid in reset_ids:
+            fetch_external_link.delay(lid)
+        log.info(
+            "external refetch: post %s — %d/%d link(s) reset + dispatched",
+            post_id, len(reset_ids), len(links),
+        )
+    return {"links_total": len(links), "links_reset": len(reset_ids)}

backend/app/services/ml/gpu_triage.py

@@ -121,13 +121,22 @@ def triage_errored_jobs(
 def recover_defective_image(
     session: Session, image_id: int, *, images_root: Path,
 ) -> dict:
-    """Delete the defective copy + record and re-poll its subscription Source.
+    """Delete the defective copy + record and queue its re-fetch — surgically
+    where possible.
 
-    Mirrors the Layer-2 import refetch: with the bad file gone, the source's
-    next gallery-dl run re-fetches a fresh copy, which re-imports as a new
-    record and re-enters the GPU pipeline. The record delete cascades the
-    error tombstones with it. 'no_source' when no enabled, real-URL Source is
-    reachable via the image's provenance — manual remediation there."""
+    Two re-fetch layers (operator 2026-07-03: deep back-catalogue items are
+    NEVER re-walked by the normal cadence, so recovery can't rely on it):
+    1. SURGICAL: any ExternalLink rows on the image's post(s) are reset +
+       re-dispatched — this is how external-host files (the common defect
+       case: big videos) come back regardless of post age. Sha-dedupe at
+       import discards payload files that still exist.
+    2. BROAD: a source re-check, which re-fetches gallery-dl-NATIVE files the
+       walk still reaches (recent posts). A native file deeper than the walk
+       needs a per-source backfill/deep scan — reported via links_reset=0 so
+       the caller can say so.
+
+    The record delete cascades the error tombstones with it. 'no_source' when
+    no enabled, real-URL Source resolves via provenance — manual there."""
     rec = session.get(ImageRecord, image_id)
     if rec is None:
         return {"status": "not_found"}
@@ -143,14 +152,28 @@ def recover_defective_image(
     ).scalars().first()
     if src_id is None:
         return {"status": "no_source"}
+    # Capture the post linkage BEFORE the delete cascades provenance away.
+    post_ids = session.execute(
+        select(ImageProvenance.post_id)
+        .where(ImageProvenance.image_record_id == image_id)
+    ).scalars().all()
     path = rec.path
     summary = delete_images(session, image_ids=[image_id], images_root=images_root)
+    from ..external_links import refetch_links_for_post
+
+    links_reset = 0
+    for pid in post_ids:
+        links_reset += refetch_links_for_post(session, pid)["links_reset"]
     # Lazy import (services -> tasks would cycle at module load).
     from ...tasks.download import download_source
 
     download_source.delay(src_id)
     log.warning(
-        "gpu triage recovery: deleted defective image %s (%s) and queued a "
-        "re-check of source %s to re-fetch it", image_id, path, src_id,
+        "gpu triage recovery: deleted defective image %s (%s); reset %d "
+        "external link(s) and queued a re-check of source %s",
+        image_id, path, links_reset, src_id,
     )
-    return {"status": "refetch_queued", "source_id": src_id, **summary}
+    return {
+        "status": "refetch_queued", "source_id": src_id,
+        "links_reset": links_reset, **summary,
+    }

tests/test_api_admin.py

@@ -390,6 +390,72 @@ async def test_prune_unused_commit_deletes_and_returns_count(client, db):
     assert "byebye" in body["sample_names"]
 
 
+# --- Tier-A: POST /posts/refetch-external ----------------------------
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_refetch_external_resets_and_dispatches(client, db, monkeypatch):
+    """Surgical recovery for deep posts (2026-07-03): settled links reset to
+    pending with a fresh budget + dispatched; in-flight links untouched."""
+    from sqlalchemy import select
+
+    from backend.app.models import ExternalLink, Post, Source
+
+    a = Artist(name="Deep", slug="deep")
+    db.add(a)
+    await db.flush()
+    src = Source(artist_id=a.id, platform="patreon",
+                 url="https://www.patreon.com/deep", enabled=True)
+    db.add(src)
+    await db.flush()
+    post = Post(artist_id=a.id, source_id=src.id, external_post_id="96376640")
+    db.add(post)
+    await db.flush()
+    done = ExternalLink(post_id=post.id, artist_id=a.id, host="mega",
+                        url="https://mega.nz/file/a#k1", status="downloaded",
+                        attempts=1)
+    dead = ExternalLink(post_id=post.id, artist_id=a.id, host="gdrive",
+                        url="https://drive.google.com/x", status="dead",
+                        attempts=5, last_error="quota")
+    busy = ExternalLink(post_id=post.id, artist_id=a.id, host="mega",
+                        url="https://mega.nz/file/b#k2", status="downloading",
+                        attempts=1)
+    db.add_all([done, dead, busy])
+    await db.flush()
+    ids = (done.id, dead.id, busy.id)
+    await db.commit()
+
+    fetches = []
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        "backend.app.tasks.external.fetch_external_link.delay",
+        lambda lid: fetches.append(lid),
+    )
+
+    resp = await client.post(
+        "/api/admin/posts/refetch-external",
+        json={"external_post_id": "96376640"},
+    )
+    assert resp.status_code == 200
+    body = await resp.get_json()
+    assert list(body["posts"].values()) == [{"links_total": 3, "links_reset": 2}]
+    assert sorted(fetches) == sorted([ids[0], ids[1]])
+
+    rows = dict((await db.execute(
+        select(ExternalLink.id, ExternalLink.status)
+        .where(ExternalLink.post_id == post.id)
+    )).all())
+    assert rows[ids[0]] == "pending"
+    assert rows[ids[1]] == "pending"
+    assert rows[ids[2]] == "downloading"     # in-flight left alone
+
+    # Unknown post → 404, nothing dispatched.
+    miss = await client.post(
+        "/api/admin/posts/refetch-external",
+        json={"external_post_id": "nope"},
+    )
+    assert miss.status_code == 404
+
+
 # --- Tier-A: POST /posts/prune-bare + /posts/reconcile-duplicates ---
 # These two routes share _run_dry_run_op with the tag prunes (DRY pass,
 # task #753); cover their apply path + reconcile's source_id passthrough so

tests/test_gpu_triage.py

@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ from sqlalchemy import select
 
 from backend.app.models import (
     Artist,
+    ExternalLink,
     GpuJob,
     ImageProvenance,
     ImageRecord,
@@ -138,7 +139,14 @@ async def test_recover_deletes_record_and_requeues_source(
     await db.flush()
     db.add(ImageProvenance(image_record_id=img.id, post_id=post.id,
                            source_id=src.id))
-    img_id, src_id = img.id, src.id
+    # A settled external-host link on the same post: recovery must reset it
+    # (the SURGICAL path — deep posts are never re-walked by the cadence).
+    link = ExternalLink(post_id=post.id, artist_id=artist.id, host="mega",
+                        url="https://mega.nz/file/x#key", status="downloaded",
+                        attempts=2)
+    db.add(link)
+    await db.flush()
+    img_id, src_id, link_id = img.id, src.id, link.id
     await db.commit()
 
     queued = []
@@ -146,13 +154,27 @@ async def test_recover_deletes_record_and_requeues_source(
         "backend.app.tasks.download.download_source.delay",
         lambda sid: queued.append(sid),
     )
+    fetches = []
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        "backend.app.tasks.external.fetch_external_link.delay",
+        lambda lid: fetches.append(lid),
+    )
 
     resp = await client.post(f"/api/gpu/errors/{img_id}/recover")
     assert resp.status_code == 200
     body = await resp.get_json()
     assert body["status"] == "refetch_queued"
     assert body["source_id"] == src_id
+    assert body["links_reset"] == 1
     assert queued == [src_id]
+    assert fetches == [link_id]
+
+    # The link is armed for a fresh attempt.
+    row = (await db.execute(
+        select(ExternalLink.status, ExternalLink.attempts)
+        .where(ExternalLink.id == link_id)
+    )).one()
+    assert tuple(row) == ("pending", 0)
 
     # Record gone — the error tombstones cascade away with it.
     remaining = (await db.execute(