HKUDS/Vibe-Trading · error · ValueError

live trading or execution goals are not supported

Error message

live trading or execution goals are not supported

What it means

replace_goal in agent/src/goal/store.py re-raises the same 'live trading or execution goals are not supported' ValueError in two cases: the objective/criteria text matches the execution patterns (delegated to reject_live_execution_objective), or risk_tier is explicitly RiskTier.LIVE_TRADING_OR_EXECUTION. It is the store-level enforcement of the research-only policy.

Source

Thrown at agent/src/goal/store.py:299

            ui_summary: Optional compact summary.
            source: Source of goal creation.
            protocol: Finance research protocol name.
            risk_tier: Risk classification.
            token_budget: Optional token budget.
            turn_budget: Optional turn budget.
            time_budget_seconds: Optional wall-clock budget.

        Returns:
            The newly active goal.

        Raises:
            ValueError: If objective or criteria are empty.
        """
        session_id = normalize_required_text(session_id, "session_id")
        objective = normalize_required_text(objective, "goal objective")
        reject_live_execution_objective(objective)
        if risk_tier is RiskTier.LIVE_TRADING_OR_EXECUTION:
            raise ValueError("live trading or execution goals are not supported")
        cleaned_criteria = [item.strip() for item in criteria if item.strip()]
        if not cleaned_criteria:
            raise ValueError("at least one goal criterion is required")
        for criterion in cleaned_criteria:
            reject_live_execution_objective(criterion)
        budgets = {
            "token_budget": token_budget,
            "turn_budget": turn_budget,
            "time_budget_seconds": time_budget_seconds,
        }
        for name, value in budgets.items():
            if value is not None and value <= 0:
                raise ValueError(f"{name} must be positive")

        now = _now_iso()
        goal_id = _id("goal")
        summary = ui_summary.strip() or objective[:80]
        current_values = [status.value for status in _CURRENT_STATUSES]

View on GitHub (pinned to 80ffdda44c)

Solutions

  1. Use a research-appropriate risk_tier (e.g. the default/research tier) instead of LIVE_TRADING_OR_EXECUTION
  2. Rewrite objective and every criterion to describe analysis/backtesting, not order execution
  3. Add a UI-level check that greps objective text for buy/sell/execute words before calling the store
  4. If execution is the real requirement, route it to a system built for it — this store will keep rejecting it

Example fix

# before
store.replace_goal(session_id="s1", objective="Run live momentum strategy", criteria=["Execute trades daily"], risk_tier=RiskTier.LIVE_TRADING_OR_EXECUTION)
# after
store.replace_goal(session_id="s1", objective="Backtest momentum strategy on SP500", criteria=["Sharpe > 1 over 5y"], risk_tier=RiskTier.RESEARCH)
Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

from agent.src.goal.policy import reject_live_execution_objective

if risk_tier is RiskTier.LIVE_TRADING_OR_EXECUTION:
    raise ValueError('this app only supports research goals')
for text in [objective, *criteria]:
    reject_live_execution_objective(text)  # fail fast with context
store.replace_goal(session_id=sid, objective=objective, criteria=criteria, risk_tier=risk_tier)

Type guard

def is_supported_goal(objective: str, criteria: list[str], risk_tier) -> bool:
    from agent.src.goal.policy import _EXECUTION_PATTERNS
    import re
    texts_ok = not any(p.search(t) for t in [objective, *criteria] for p in _EXECUTION_PATTERNS)
    return texts_ok and risk_tier is not RiskTier.LIVE_TRADING_OR_EXECUTION

Try / catch

try:
    store.replace_goal(session_id=sid, objective=obj, criteria=cs, risk_tier=tier)
except ValueError as e:
    if 'not supported' in str(e):
        raise UnsupportedGoalError('Rephrase as a research goal and use a research risk tier') from e
    raise

Prevention

When it happens

Trigger: Calling replace_goal with risk_tier=RiskTier.LIVE_TRADING_OR_EXECUTION, or with an objective/criterion containing execution-style wording ('place order', 'execute trades', 'live trading').

Common situations: Wiring an agent CLI (cmd_start) or research pipeline that forwards raw user intent; enum-driven UI exposing the LIVE_TRADING tier; criteria lists copied from trading checklists that include order language.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of HKUDS/Vibe-Trading@80ffdda44c (2026-08-28). Data as JSON: /api/errors/afd747e8278be72c. Report an issue: GitHub.