{"record":{"id":"72a21fbac82250c5","repo":"Mintplex-Labs/anything-llm","slug":"url-is-required-for-web-scraping","errorCode":null,"errorMessage":"URL is required for web scraping","messagePattern":"URL is required for web scraping","errorType":"exception","errorClass":"Error","httpStatus":null,"severity":"error","filePath":"server/utils/agentFlows/executors/web-scraping.js","lineNumber":20,"sourceCode":" * Execute a web scraping flow step\n * @param {Object} config Flow step configuration\n * @param {Object} context Execution context with introspect function\n * @returns {Promise<string>} Scraped content\n */\nasync function executeWebScraping(config, context) {\n  const { CollectorApi } = require(\"../../collectorApi\");\n  const { TokenManager } = require(\"../../helpers/tiktoken\");\n  const Provider = require(\"../../agents/aibitat/providers/ai-provider\");\n  const { summarizeContent } = require(\"../../agents/aibitat/utils/summarize\");\n\n  const { url, captureAs = \"text\", enableSummarization = true } = config;\n  const { introspect, logger, aibitat } = context;\n  logger(\n    `\\x1b[43m[AgentFlowToolExecutor]\\x1b[0m - executing Web Scraping block`\n  );\n\n  if (!url) {\n    throw new Error(\"URL is required for web scraping\");\n  }\n\n  const captureMode = captureAs === \"querySelector\" ? \"html\" : captureAs;\n  introspect(`Scraping the content of ${url} as ${captureAs}`);\n  const { success, content } = await new CollectorApi()\n    .getLinkContent(url, captureMode)\n    .then((res) => {\n      if (captureAs !== \"querySelector\") return res;\n      return parseHTMLwithSelector(res.content, config.querySelector, context);\n    });\n\n  if (!success) {\n    introspect(`Could not scrape ${url}. Cannot use this page's content.`);\n    throw new Error(\"URL could not be scraped and no content was found.\");\n  }\n\n  introspect(`Successfully scraped content from ${url}`);\n  if (!content || content?.length === 0) {","sourceCodeStart":2,"sourceCodeEnd":38,"githubUrl":"https://github.com/Mintplex-Labs/anything-llm/blob/3aec848f2885144aa8f1e53b9731a04310d5d558/server/utils/agentFlows/executors/web-scraping.js#L2-L38","documentation":"Thrown by executeWebScraping when the block's config.url is falsy — missing key, empty string, or a URL built entirely from an unresolvable variable. The check happens before any network activity, right after destructuring { url, captureAs = 'text', enableSummarization = true } from the block config.","triggerScenarios":"A Web Scraping block whose URL field was left blank in the flow builder; a hand-edited flow JSON missing the url key; or a url referencing a variable (e.g. {{user_url}}) that was never passed in when the flow was executed.","commonSituations":"Flow template expects variables the caller didn't supply; UI allowed saving the block without a URL (imported JSON); variable name typo means the URL resolves to undefined; API-triggered flow execution (webhook) omitting the variables object.","solutions":["Open the Web Scraping block in the flow builder and set a concrete URL.","If the URL uses a {{variable}}, make sure the variable is included in the variables passed to executeFlow / defined by an earlier step.","When hand-editing flow JSON, confirm each web_scraping step has \"url\" set and non-empty.","Test with a literal URL first, then switch to the variable once it works."],"exampleFix":"// before: flow step config\n{ \"type\": \"web_scraping\", \"config\": { \"url\": \"{{page}}\" } }\n// variables passed: {} -> Error: URL is required for web scraping\n\n// after\nconst result = await AgentFlows.executeFlow(uuid, { page: \"https://example.com\" });","handlingStrategy":"validation","validationCode":"function webScrapingStepConfigOk(step) {\n  return Boolean(step.config?.url) && typeof step.config.url === \"string\";\n}\n\nconst ready = flow.config.steps\n  .filter((s) => s.type === \"web_scraping\")\n  .every(webScrapingStepConfigOk);","typeGuard":"/** @param {{config?: {url?: string}}} step */\nfunction hasScrapeUrl(step) {\n  return typeof step.config?.url === \"string\" && step.config.url.trim().length > 0;\n}","tryCatchPattern":"try {\n  await AgentFlows.executeFlow(uuid, variables);\n} catch (e) {\n  if (/URL is required for web scraping/.test(e.message))\n    return respondMissingVariable(\"web_scraping block needs a url or a filled {{variable}}\");\n  throw e;\n}","preventionTips":["Validate at flow-build time that every web_scraping block has a non-empty URL or a declared variable dependency.","When flows are triggered by API, pass the full variables object and reject calls missing required keys before execution.","Default the URL to a literal during development, then parameterize."],"tags":["agent-flows","web-scraping","validation","required-field"],"backgroundTag":"missing-required-argument","analyzedSha":"3aec848f2885144aa8f1e53b9731a04310d5d558","analyzedAt":"2026-08-18T10:02:21.017Z","contentChangedAt":"2026-08-18T10:02:21.017Z","schemaVersion":2},"datasetVersion":"2026-09-23T08:17:48.524Z"}