LykosAI/StabilityMatrix · warning · ValidationException

API key is required

Error message

API key is required

What it means

ConnectCivit in AccountSettingsViewModel builds an API-key text-entry dialog with a validator that throws ValidationException('API key is required') when the input is null or whitespace. It prevents starting a Civitai connection with a blank key.

Solutions

1. Paste your Civitai API key (from civitai.com account settings) into the field before confirming.
2. Trim surrounding whitespace from the pasted key.
3. Regenerate the API key on the Civitai website if the old one was revoked.

Example fix

// before
Validator = s => { if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(s)) throw new ValidationException("API key is required"); };
// after
Validator = s => { if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(s)) throw new ValidationException("API key is required");
    if (s.Trim().Length < 8) throw new ValidationException("API key looks too short"); };

if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(apiKey)) {
    // prompt user first; do not open Connect dialog
    return;
}

bool HasApiKey(string? s) => !string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(s);

try { await viewModel.ConnectCivit(); }
catch (ValidationException ex) { ShowStatus(ex.Message); }

When it happens

Trigger: Submitting the 'Connect Civitai' API key dialog (AccountSettingsViewModel.cs:338) with an empty or whitespace-only key.

Common situations: Clicking Connect before pasting the key; pasting into the wrong field; clipboard containing only whitespace; password-masked field hiding that nothing was entered.

Understand the failure class

Background: "API key is required" / "API key not found" / "No API key was set": the missing-api-key error family across 16 libraries — this error's family across 16 libraries.

Related errors

• Token is required
• Resources.Validation_ApiKeyRequired
• Length cannot be null when latentType is Hunyuan
• Invalid Token
• Lykos account must be connected in to manage OAuth…

AI-assisted analysis of LykosAI/StabilityMatrix@af93d6ef57 (2026-09-12). Data as JSON: /api/errors/8575da77b0015e90. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at StabilityMatrix.Avalonia/ViewModels/Settings/AccountSettingsViewModel.cs:338

    }

    [RelayCommand(CanExecute = nameof(IsInitialUpdateFinished))]
    private async Task ConnectCivit()
    {
        if (!await BeforeConnectCheck())
            return;

        var textFields = new TextBoxField[]
        {
            new()
            {
                Label = Resources.Label_ApiKey,
                IsPassword = true, // Added this line
                Validator = s =>
                {
                    if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(s))
                    {
                        throw new ValidationException("API key is required");
                    }
                },
            },
        };

        var dialog = DialogHelper.CreateTextEntryDialog(
            "Connect CivitAI Account",
            """
            Login to [CivitAI](https://civitai.com/) and head to your [Account](https://civitai.com/user/account) page

            Add a new API key and paste it below
            """,
            "avares://StabilityMatrix.Avalonia/Assets/guide-civitai-api.webp",
            textFields
        );
        dialog.PrimaryButtonText = Resources.Action_Connect;

        if (await dialog.ShowAsync() != ContentDialogResult.Primary || textFields[0].Text is not { } apiToken)

View on GitHub (pinned to af93d6ef57)