OpenFeign/feign · error · VerificationAssertionError

Wanted: ' ' but never invoked! Got

Error message

Wanted: '%s' but never invoked! Got: %s

What it means

verifyTimes(HttpMethod, String, times) builds a RequestKey from method and url and looks it up in the recorded requests map. If no request with exactly that method and url was ever recorded, a VerificationAssertionError is thrown listing the keys that were actually invoked. This is a 'wanted invocation never happened' verification failure.

Solutions

1. Ensure the request was actually sent before verifying (check earlier test steps/exceptions)
2. Make the method and url in verifyTimes exactly match what the client sends (path, query params)
3. Inspect the 'Got:' list in the message to find the recorded key and use it
4. If the request should not happen at all, use verifyNever instead

Example fix

// before
mockClient.verifyTimes(HttpMethod.GET, "/api/users", 1); // never invoked
// after
mockClient.verifyTimes(HttpMethod.GET, "/api/v1/users", 1); // match actual request

// Check the key exists before verifying:
RequestKey key = RequestKey.builder(method, url).build();
boolean invoked = mockClient.verifyTimes(method, url, 1) != null; // or track via verifyNever first
if (!invoked) { /* handle */ }

try {
  mockClient.verifyOne(HttpMethod.GET, "/api/users");
} catch (VerificationAssertionError e) {
  fail("Expected request never invoked. Recorded: " + e.getMessage());
}

When it happens

Trigger: mockClient.verifyTimes(method, url, n>0) (or verifyOne) where requests map contains no entry whose RequestKey equals the built method/url key.

Common situations: Typo or wrong path in the verify call; request was never sent because an earlier mock/test failed; request used different query string or base URL than the verify key; sequential mode aborted before sending it.

Understand the failure class

Background: Record Not Found Errors: "not found", RecordNotFound, and "was not found" — what they mean and how to fix them — this error's family across 28 libraries.

Related errors

• times must be a non negative number
• Wanted: ' ' to be invoked: ' ' times but got: ' '!
• Do not wanted: ' ' but was invoked!
• Received excessive request
• Expected: , but was

AI-assisted analysis of OpenFeign/feign@e2a1e27560 (2026-09-10). Data as JSON: /api/errors/ff57aaaed6604100. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at mock/src/main/java/feign/mock/MockClient.java:257

  }

  public Request verifyOne(RequestKey requestKey) {
    return verifyTimes(requestKey, 1).get(0);
  }

  public List<Request> verifyTimes(final HttpMethod method, final String url, final int times) {
    if (times < 0) {
      throw new IllegalArgumentException("times must be a non negative number");
    }

    if (times == 0) {
      verifyNever(method, url);
      return Collections.emptyList();
    }

    RequestKey requestKey = RequestKey.builder(method, url).build();
    if (!requests.containsKey(requestKey)) {
      throw new VerificationAssertionError(
          "Wanted: '%s' but never invoked! Got: %s", requestKey, requests.keySet());
    }

    List<Request> result = requests.get(requestKey);
    if (result.size() != times) {
      throw new VerificationAssertionError(
          "Wanted: '%s' to be invoked: '%s' times but got: '%s'!",
          requestKey, times, result.size());
    }

    return result;
  }

  public List<Request> verifyTimes(RequestKey requestKey, final int times) {
    if (times < 0) {
      throw new IllegalArgumentException("times must be a non negative number");
    }

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