BerriAI/litellm · error · ValueError

Cannot set prompt_directory when working with prompt_initial

Error message

Cannot set prompt_directory when working with prompt_initializer. Needs to be a specific dotprompt file

What it means

Error "Cannot set prompt_directory when working with prompt_initializer. Needs to be a specific dotprompt file" thrown in BerriAI/litellm.

Source

Thrown at litellm/integrations/dotprompt/__init__.py:54

    from .prompt_manager import PromptManager

    # Parse the dotprompt content to extract frontmatter and content
    temp_manager: Final = PromptManager()
    metadata, content = temp_manager._parse_frontmatter(dotprompt_content)

    # Convert to prompt_data format
    return {"content": content.strip(), "metadata": metadata}


def prompt_initializer(litellm_params: "PromptLiteLLMParams", prompt_spec: "PromptSpec") -> "CustomPromptManagement":
    """
    Initialize a prompt from a .prompt file.
    """
    prompt_directory: Final = getattr(litellm_params, "prompt_directory", None)
    prompt_data = getattr(litellm_params, "prompt_data", None)
    prompt_id: Final = getattr(litellm_params, "prompt_id", None)
    if prompt_directory:
        raise ValueError(
            "Cannot set prompt_directory when working with prompt_initializer. Needs to be a specific dotprompt file"
        )

    prompt_file: Final = getattr(litellm_params, "prompt_file", None)

    # Handle dotprompt_content from database
    dotprompt_content: Final = getattr(litellm_params, "dotprompt_content", None)
    if dotprompt_content and not prompt_data and not prompt_file:
        prompt_data = _get_prompt_data_from_dotprompt_content(dotprompt_content)

    try:
        dot_prompt_manager: Final = DotpromptManager(
            prompt_directory=prompt_directory,
            prompt_data=prompt_data,
            prompt_file=prompt_file,
            prompt_id=prompt_id,
        )

View on GitHub (pinned to 6c2dcb801b)

Solutions

1. Do not set prompt_directory when a prompt_initializer (specific dotprompt file) is configured; use one or the other.

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at litellm/integrations/dotprompt/__init__.py:54 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of BerriAI/litellm@6c2dcb801b (2026-08-15). Data as JSON: /api/errors/d44ecf38d45adfdf. Report an issue: GitHub.