actualbudget/actual · error · RuleError

${msg}

Error message

${msg}

What it means

The `assert` helper in rule-utils.ts throws a `RuleError` whenever a falsy test value is passed, with a caller-supplied `type` and message. It is the standard invariant-check used throughout the rules engine (rule construction, condition parsing, test execution). Any rule definition or serialized rule data that violates the rules API contract will surface here.

Solutions

1. Log the full rule/condition object being processed to identify which invariant failed
2. Validate rule conditions (op, field, value all present and valid) before calling runRules/new Rule
3. Migrate or fix malformed rule rows in the budget database
4. Upgrade to the latest version in case the rule schema changed between versions

Example fix

// before
new Rule({ conditions: [{ op: 'is' }] }); // missing field/value -> assert throws
// after
new Rule({
  conditions: [{ field: 'payee', op: 'is', value: 'amazon' }],
  actions: [{ op: 'set', field: 'category', value: 'Shopping' }],
});

function isValidRuleInput(rule) {
  return (
    Array.isArray(rule.conditions) && rule.conditions.length > 0 &&
    rule.conditions.every(c => c.op && c.field) &&
    Array.isArray(rule.actions) && rule.actions.every(a => a.op && a.field)
  );
}
if (!isValidRuleInput(input)) throw new Error('Invalid rule input');

function isRuleCondition(c) {
  return typeof c === 'object' && c !== null &&
    typeof c.field === 'string' && typeof c.op === 'string' &&
    'value' in c;
}

import { RuleError } from './rule-error';
try {
  const rule = new Rule(rawRule);
  rule.runTest(transaction);
} catch (e) {
  if (e instanceof RuleError) {
    console.error(`Rule error [${e.type}]: ${e.message}`);
  } else {
    throw e;
  }
}

When it happens

Trigger: Any call to `assert(value, type, msg)` where `value` is falsy — e.g. `runTest` on a rule with a malformed condition, `new Rule(...)` with missing fields, or `parse` of a rule with an invalid operator/field combination.

Common situations: Programmatically building Rule objects via the API with missing `op`, `field`, or `value`; deserializing rules from an older/edited budget database where condition shapes changed; typos in custom rule conditions.

Related errors

• A date condition is required to create a schedule
• A tag with that name already exists
• Account group name is required
• Account mismatch: transaction belongs to account
• Account with ID not found.

AI-assisted analysis of actualbudget/actual@d4334cb6e6 (2026-08-29). Data as JSON: /api/errors/cfa0b9db707ff582. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at packages/loot-core/src/server/rules/rule-utils.ts:14

// @ts-strict-ignore
import * as dateFns from 'date-fns';

import { logger } from '#platform/server/log';
import { RuleError } from '#server/errors';
import { RSchedule } from '#server/util/rschedule';
import { recurConfigToRSchedule } from '#shared/schedules';
import type { RuleConditionEntity } from '#types/models';

import type { Rule } from './rule';

export function assert(test: unknown, type: string, msg: string): asserts test {
  if (!test) {
    throw new RuleError(type, msg);
  }
}

const OP_SCORES: Record<RuleConditionEntity['op'], number> = {
  is: 10,
  isNot: 10,
  oneOf: 9,
  notOneOf: 9,
  isapprox: 5,
  isbetween: 5,
  gt: 1,
  gte: 1,
  lt: 1,
  lte: 1,
  contains: 0,
  doesNotContain: 0,
  matches: 0,
  hasTags: 0,

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