Context graph observation #{observation_id} was not found

Error message

Context graph observation #{observation_id} was not found

What it means

Returned by the `graph pin-observation` subcommand when `db.set_context_observation_pinned(observation_id, true)` comes back as `None`, meaning no context-graph observation row matches the supplied ID. The database layer uses `Option<Observation>` to signal "not found" rather than an error, and the CLI converts that `None` into an anyhow bail. The pin operation therefore never runs against a missing row.

Source

Thrown at ecc2/src/main.rs:2414

                    &observation_type,
                    priority.into(),
                    pinned,
                    &summary,
                    &details,
                )?;
                if json {
                    println!("{}", serde_json::to_string_pretty(&observation)?);
                } else {
                    println!("{}", format_graph_observation_human(&observation));
                }
            }
            GraphCommands::PinObservation {
                observation_id,
                json,
            } => {
                let Some(observation) = db.set_context_observation_pinned(observation_id, true)?
                else {
                    return Err(anyhow::anyhow!(
                        "Context graph observation #{observation_id} was not found"
                    ));
                };
                if json {
                    println!("{}", serde_json::to_string_pretty(&observation)?);
                } else {
                    println!("{}", format_graph_observation_human(&observation));
                }
            }
            GraphCommands::UnpinObservation {
                observation_id,
                json,
            } => {
                let Some(observation) = db.set_context_observation_pinned(observation_id, false)?
                else {
                    return Err(anyhow::anyhow!(
                        "Context graph observation #{observation_id} was not found"
                    ));

View on GitHub (pinned to 01e15490f0)

Solutions

List current observations with `ecc graph observations` (optionally `--entity-id`) to confirm the valid ID range.
Verify you are pointing at the same state store / workspace the observation was created in.
If the ID is correct but missing, re-sync graph data (`ecc graph sync`) to repopulate observations before pinning.

Example fix

// before
ecc graph pin-observation 9999

// after
ecc graph observations --entity-id 42   # find the real id
ecc graph pin-observation <real-id>

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

// Confirm the observation exists before pinning
fn observation_exists(db: &StateStore, id: i64) -> Result<bool> {
    Ok(db.get_context_observation(id)?.is_some())
}

if !observation_exists(&db, observation_id)? {
    eprintln!("observation #{observation_id} not found; run `ecc graph observations`");
    return Ok(());
}

Try / catch

// Treat pin as best-effort
match db.set_context_observation_pinned(observation_id, true) {
    Ok(Some(obs)) => print_observation(obs),
    Ok(None) => eprintln!("observation #{observation_id} not found"),
    Err(e) => return Err(e),
}

Prevention

Always obtain observation IDs from a fresh `graph observations` listing rather than stale notes.
Confirm the state store path matches the workspace that owns the observation.
In scripts, check existence before pinning to avoid aborting a batch on one missing row.

When it happens

Trigger: Running `ecc graph pin-observation <id>` with an ID that does not exist in the `context_observations` table. Passing an ID after the underlying observation was deleted, or passing a stale ID copied from an older `graph observations` listing. Supplying a zero or negative ID, or an ID that belongs to a different SQLite database file.

Common situations: Operating against the wrong ECC state database (e.g. a fresh checkout with no graph data yet). Reusing observation IDs across sessions after the store was reset. Typos when transcribing an ID from human-readable output where only a truncated form is shown.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of affaan-m/ECC@01e15490f0 (2026-08-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/5dce42770d263179. Report an issue: GitHub.