AlistGo/alist · error

API key is required

Error message

API key is required

What it means

Returned by Darkibox.Init when the Addition's APIKey field is empty. The Darkibox driver authenticates every request by injecting the key as a query parameter (callAPI adds ?key=...), so an empty key cannot work; Init fails fast before any network call rather than producing confusing 401s later. Storage cannot be added until a key is supplied.

Source

Thrown at drivers/darkibox/driver.go:32

	"github.com/alist-org/alist/v3/internal/op"
)

type Darkibox struct {
	model.Storage
	Addition
}

func (d *Darkibox) Config() driver.Config {
	return config
}

func (d *Darkibox) GetAddition() driver.Additional {
	return &d.Addition
}

func (d *Darkibox) Init(ctx context.Context) error {
	if d.APIKey == "" {
		return fmt.Errorf("API key is required")
	}
	if d.RootFolderID == "" {
		d.RootFolderID = "0"
	}

	// Verify API key by calling account/info
	var account accountInfoResult
	if err := d.callAPI(ctx, "/account/info", nil, &account); err != nil {
		return fmt.Errorf("failed to verify API key: %w", err)
	}

	op.MustSaveDriverStorage(d)
	return nil
}

func (d *Darkibox) Drop(ctx context.Context) error {
	return nil
}

View on GitHub (pinned to 843d9dc814)

Solutions

1. Fill in the Darkibox API key in the storage addition settings and save
2. Get the key from your Darkibox account page (account/API section) and paste it exactly, without surrounding whitespace
3. If set via API/automation, ensure the addition JSON includes a non-empty api_key field
4. Verify after saving that Init succeeds (storage shows as working)

Example fix

// before
{"driver":"darkibox","addition":{"api_key":""}}
// after
{"driver":"darkibox","addition":{"api_key":"YOUR_DARKIBOX_KEY"}}

// Before adding the storage, assert a non-empty key
if strings.TrimSpace(addition.APIKey) == "" {
    return errors.New("api_key is required for darkibox storage")
}

func hasDarkiboxKey(a Addition) bool {
    return strings.TrimSpace(a.APIKey) != ""
}

if err := d.Init(ctx); err != nil {
    if err.Error() == "API key is required" {
        // config omission: collect the key and re-save; no retry helps
        return errors.New("set the Darkibox API key in storage settings")
    }
    return err
}

When it happens

Trigger: Adding a Darkibox storage in the AList admin UI with the API key field left blank; programmatically creating the storage with an empty addition; the key field name changing between versions so the submitted value lands in the wrong field.

Common situations: Forgetting to fill the api_key field; copy-pasting into the wrong field; automation scripts omitting the key; schema changes after driver upgrades dropping the stored key.

Related errors

• api_key is empty
• can't find remote storage: %w
• remote_path is required
• chunk_size must be positive
• owner and repo are required

AI-assisted analysis of AlistGo/alist@843d9dc814 (2026-08-15). Data as JSON: /api/errors/6c877a1a18702023. Report an issue: GitHub.