{"record":{"id":"e64e13f527b20965","repo":"microsoft/semantic-kernel","slug":"the-openai-model-id-is-required","errorCode":null,"errorMessage":"The OpenAI model ID is required.","messagePattern":"The OpenAI model ID is required\\.","errorType":"exception","errorClass":"AgentInitializationException","httpStatus":null,"severity":"error","filePath":"python/semantic_kernel/agents/open_ai/openai_assistant_agent.py","lineNumber":357,"sourceCode":"        Returns:\n            An OpenAI client instance and the configured model name\n        \"\"\"\n        try:\n            openai_settings = OpenAISettings(\n                chat_model_id=ai_model_id,\n                api_key=api_key,\n                org_id=org_id,\n                env_file_path=env_file_path,\n                env_file_encoding=env_file_encoding,\n            )\n        except ValidationError as ex:\n            raise AgentInitializationException(\"Failed to create OpenAI settings.\", ex) from ex\n\n        if not openai_settings.api_key:\n            raise AgentInitializationException(\"The OpenAI API key is required.\")\n\n        if not openai_settings.chat_model_id:\n            raise AgentInitializationException(\"The OpenAI model ID is required.\")\n\n        merged_headers = dict(copy(default_headers)) if default_headers else {}\n        if default_headers:\n            merged_headers.update(default_headers)\n        if APP_INFO:\n            merged_headers.update(APP_INFO)\n            merged_headers = prepend_semantic_kernel_to_user_agent(merged_headers)\n\n        client = AsyncOpenAI(\n            api_key=openai_settings.api_key.get_secret_value() if openai_settings.api_key else None,\n            organization=openai_settings.org_id,\n            default_headers=merged_headers,\n            **kwargs,\n        )\n\n        return client, openai_settings.chat_model_id\n\n    @staticmethod","sourceCodeStart":339,"sourceCodeEnd":375,"githubUrl":"https://github.com/microsoft/semantic-kernel/blob/c028a0c7dc4f0814cdcbaba9d998f187a41197bf/python/semantic_kernel/agents/open_ai/openai_assistant_agent.py#L339-L375","documentation":"Raised by create_client_and_model() when openai_settings.chat_model_id resolves to empty/None. Even with a valid API key, the assistant flow needs a concrete model name to attach to the assistant definition, so the library blocks client creation rather than sending a null model to OpenAI.","triggerScenarios":"No OPENAI_CHAT_MODEL_ID (or the configured chat_model_id env var) set and no ai_model_id argument; model name present but empty; settings loaded from a .env that omits the model field.","commonSituations":"Using the connector without a model env var; misnamed env var (e.g. OPENAI_MODEL_ID vs the expected key); env file missing the model line; assuming a default model exists when none is set.","solutions":["Set the chat_model_id env var or pass ai_model_id='gpt-4o' explicitly.","Verify OpenAISettings.chat_model_id env var name matches what your .env provides.","Instantiate OpenAISettings() and print chat_model_id to confirm resolution before creating the client."],"exampleFix":"# before\nclient, model = await OpenAIAssistantAgent.create_client_and_model(api_key=os.environ['OPENAI_API_KEY'])\n\n# after\nclient, model = await OpenAIAssistantAgent.create_client_and_model(\n    api_key=os.environ['OPENAI_API_KEY'],\n    ai_model_id='gpt-4o',\n)","handlingStrategy":"validation","validationCode":"import os\nassert os.environ.get('OPENAI_CHAT_MODEL_ID') or args.ai_model_id, 'model id required'","typeGuard":"null","tryCatchPattern":"from semantic_kernel.exceptions.agent_exceptions import AgentInitializationException\ntry:\n    client, model = await OpenAIAssistantAgent.create_client_and_model(api_key=key)\nexcept AgentInitializationException as e:\n    if 'model ID' in str(e):\n        client, model = await OpenAIAssistantAgent.create_client_and_model(api_key=key, ai_model_id='gpt-4o')","preventionTips":["Set the chat_model_id env var in every environment.","Pass ai_model_id explicitly in code.","Document the required env var in your README."],"tags":["configuration","agents","openai-assistant","env","model-id"],"backgroundTag":null,"analyzedSha":"c028a0c7dc4f0814cdcbaba9d998f187a41197bf","analyzedAt":"2026-08-13T13:48:05.040Z","schemaVersion":2},"datasetVersion":"2026-08-13T14:17:21.547Z"}