HKUDS/Vibe-Trading · error · ValueError

source.playbook_slug is required

Error message

source.playbook_slug is required

What it means

When draft.source.kind is 'playbook', source.playbook_slug must be a non-empty string. The slug selects the playbook template whose rendered output becomes the job's prompt.

Source

Thrown at agent/src/scheduled_research/service.py:142

    source = draft.get("source")
    schedule_spec = draft.get("schedule")
    delivery_spec = draft.get("delivery") or {"mode": "in_app"}
    if not isinstance(source, Mapping) or not isinstance(schedule_spec, Mapping):
        raise ValueError("source and schedule must be objects")
    if not isinstance(delivery_spec, Mapping):
        raise ValueError("delivery must be an object")

    source_type = str(source.get("kind") or "prompt")
    playbook_slug = None
    config: dict[str, Any] = {}
    if source_type == "prompt":
        prompt = str(source.get("prompt") or "").strip()
        if not prompt:
            raise ValueError("source.prompt is required")
    elif source_type == "playbook":
        playbook_slug = str(source.get("playbook_slug") or "").strip()
        if not playbook_slug:
            raise ValueError("source.playbook_slug is required")
        playbook = get_playbook(playbook_slug)
        variables = source.get("variables") or {}
        if not isinstance(variables, Mapping):
            raise ValueError("source.variables must be an object")
        prompt = playbook.render(variables)
        config["playbook"] = playbook_slug
    else:
        raise ValueError("source.kind must be 'prompt' or 'playbook'")

    expression = str(schedule_spec.get("expression") or "").strip()
    timezone = schedule_spec.get("timezone")
    validate_schedule(expression)
    if is_interval_schedule(expression):
        validate_timezone_shape(timezone)
    else:
        validate_timezone(timezone)
    next_run_at = now
    if timezone is not None and not is_interval_schedule(expression):

View on GitHub (pinned to 80ffdda44c)

Solutions

1. Provide the exact playbook slug, e.g. source={"kind":"playbook","playbook_slug":"daily-digest"}
2. Trim and verify the slug exists via get_playbook before submitting
3. Make playbook selection mandatory when kind='playbook'

Example fix

// before
{"source": {"kind": "playbook", "playbook_slug": ""}}
// after
{"source": {"kind": "playbook", "playbook_slug": "daily-digest"}}

src = draft.get("source", {})
if src.get("kind") == "playbook":
    assert str(src.get("playbook_slug") or "").strip(), "source.playbook_slug is required"

def playbook_source_valid(src: dict) -> bool:
    return src.get("kind") != "playbook" or bool(str(src.get("playbook_slug") or "").strip())

try:
    propose_create(draft)
except ValueError as e:
    require_playbook_selection() if "playbook_slug" in str(e) else raise_

When it happens

Trigger: source={"kind":"playbook"} with playbook_slug missing, empty, or whitespace-only; slug built from an unset variable.

Common situations: Playbook selection dropdown not required in the UI; slug strings with stray whitespace; renamed/deleted slugs referenced by value.

Understand the failure class

Background: "Missing required field" and "field is required" errors: why libraries reject payloads that omit mandatory fields — this error's family across 20 libraries.

Related errors

• playbook {self.slug!r} has no variable {key!r}; declared: {s
• playbook variable {key!r} is {len(text)} chars; the cap is {
• title is required
• source.prompt is required
• source.variables must be an object

AI-assisted analysis of HKUDS/Vibe-Trading@80ffdda44c (2026-08-28). Data as JSON: /api/errors/63203c1f0d9e2693. Report an issue: GitHub.