angular/angular-cli · error

No builder name specified.

Error message

No builder name specified.

What it means

Builder identifiers must have the form 'package:builder'. resolveBuilder splits the string on ':' and throws when there is no builder name part after the colon.

Source

Thrown at packages/angular_devkit/architect/node/node-modules-architect-host.ts:148

   * clause. This should throw if no builder can be found. The dynamic import will throw if
   * it is unsupported.
   * @param builderStr The name of the builder to be used.
   * @returns All the info needed for the builder itself.
   */
  resolveBuilder(
    builderStr: string,
    basePath: string = this._root,
    seenBuilders?: Set<string>,
  ): Promise<NodeModulesBuilderInfo> {
    if (seenBuilders?.has(builderStr)) {
      throw new Error(
        'Circular builder alias references detected: ' + [...seenBuilders, builderStr],
      );
    }

    const [packageName, builderName] = builderStr.split(':', 2);
    if (!builderName) {
      throw new Error('No builder name specified.');
    }

    // Resolve and load the builders manifest from the package's `builders` field, if present
    const packageJsonPath = localRequire.resolve(packageName + '/package.json', {
      paths: [basePath],
    });

    const packageJson = JSON.parse(readFileSync(packageJsonPath, 'utf-8')) as { builders?: string };
    const buildersManifestRawPath = packageJson['builders'];
    if (!buildersManifestRawPath) {
      throw new Error(`Package ${JSON.stringify(packageName)} has no builders defined.`);
    }

    let buildersManifestPath = path.normalize(buildersManifestRawPath);
    if (path.isAbsolute(buildersManifestRawPath) || buildersManifestRawPath.startsWith('..')) {
      throw new Error(
        `Package "${packageName}" has an invalid builders manifest path: "${buildersManifestRawPath}"`,
      );

View on GitHub (pinned to bb72145f9a)

Solutions

1. Set the full 'package:builder' identifier in angular.json's builder field, e.g. '@angular-devkit/build-angular:application'.
2. Add the missing ':builderName' to the string passed to resolveBuilder.

Example fix

// before (angular.json)
"builder": "@angular-devkit/build-angular"
// after
"builder": "@angular-devkit/build-angular:browser"

if (!/^[^:]+:[^:]+$/.test(builderStr)) throw new Error(`Builder "${builderStr}" must be in 'package:builder' format.`);

const isValidBuilderId = (s) => typeof s === 'string' && /^[^:]+:[^:]+$/.test(s);

try { await host.resolveBuilder(builderStr); } catch (e) { if (e.message === 'No builder name specified.') { /* correct the builder identifier to include ':builderName' */ } else throw e; }

When it happens

Trigger: Passing a builder string like 'my-package' (no ':builderName' suffix) to resolveBuilder or setting an angular.json target's 'builder' field to a bare package name.

Common situations: Incomplete migration of angular.json after changing a builder; assuming builder name is optional; copy-paste dropping the ':build' part of '@angular-devkit/build-angular:browser'.

Related errors

• Circular builder alias references detected:
• Cannot find builder ${JSON.stringify(builderStr)}.
• The builder requires a target.
• No project name provided and no default project found in wor
• Option "project" is required.

AI-assisted analysis of angular/angular-cli@bb72145f9a (2026-08-30). Data as JSON: /api/errors/424b6105c48e5751. Report an issue: GitHub.