RocketChat/Rocket.Chat · error · Error

error-importer-not-defined

Error message

error-importer-not-defined

What it means

ImportService.run() resolves the importer implementation for the operation with Importers.get(importerKey), where importerKey is stored on the Import document (values like 'csv', 'slack', 'hipchat-enterprise'). If no importer is registered under that key, get() returns undefined and the service throws error-importer-not-defined: the operation record points at an importer this server build does not know.

Source

Thrown at apps/meteor/server/services/import/service.ts:168

		await Imports.increaseTotalCount(operation._id, 'users', users.length);
		await Imports.setOperationStatus(operation._id, 'importer_user_selection');
	}

	public async run(userId: string): Promise<void> {
		const operation = await Imports.findLastImport();
		if (!operation?.valid) {
			throw new Error('error-operation-not-found');
		}

		if (operation.status !== 'importer_user_selection') {
			throw new Error('error-invalid-operation-status');
		}

		const { importerKey } = operation;
		const importer = Importers.get(importerKey);
		if (!importer) {
			throw new Error('error-importer-not-defined');
		}

		// eslint-disable-next-line new-cap
		const instance = new importer.importer(importer, operation, {
			skipUserCallbacks: true,
			skipDefaultChannels: true,
			enableEmail2fa: settings.get<boolean>('Accounts_TwoFactorAuthentication_By_Email_Auto_Opt_In'),
			quickUserInsertion: true,
			skipExistingUsers: true,
		});

		await instance.startImport({ users: { all: true } }, userId);
	}
}

View on GitHub (pinned to b2c16d5842)

Solutions

  1. Inspect the last Imports document (db.imports.find().sort({_id: -1}).limit(1)) and compare its importerKey against the importers offered in the import UI
  2. Re-create the import from scratch using a currently registered importer instead of resuming the stale operation
  3. If a custom importer was uninstalled, reinstall/register it before resuming the operation
  4. Delete the stale import operation so the wizard starts clean

Example fix

// before
await importService.run(userId); // error-importer-not-defined

// after
const { importerKey } = operation;
if (!Importers.get(importerKey)) {
  throw new Error(`Importer '${importerKey}' is not registered on this server; restart the import with a supported importer`);
}
await importService.run(userId);
Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

const importer = Importers.get(operation.importerKey);
if (!importer) {
  // do not call run(); pick a registered importer instead
  throw new Error(`Importer '${operation.importerKey}' is not registered on this server`);
}

Type guard

const isRegisteredImporter = (key: string): boolean => Boolean(Importers.get(key));

Try / catch

try {
  await importService.run(userId);
} catch (err) {
  if (err instanceof Error && err.message === 'error-importer-not-defined') {
    // restart the import with a supported importer; resuming this operation will keep failing
    return restartImportWithSupportedImporter();
  }
  throw err;
}

Prevention

When it happens

Trigger: The Imports document carries an importerKey that is absent from the Importers registry — an importer removed or renamed in a newer Rocket.Chat version, a manually edited/migrated Mongo record, or a community/custom importer that is no longer installed when the import is resumed.

Common situations: Upgrading Rocket.Chat across versions where importer keys changed; resuming an old import after uninstalling the importer; inconsistent database records after manual edits or migrations.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of RocketChat/Rocket.Chat@b2c16d5842 (2026-08-18). Data as JSON: /api/errors/7136bf952c485582. Report an issue: GitHub.