cannot set output parameters because node is not expecting a

Error message

cannot set output parameters because node is not expecting any raw parameters

What it means

When applying WorkflowTaskResult output parameters back onto a workflow node (setOutputs path), the node must already declare outputs with parameters. If values.OutputParameters is non-empty but node.Outputs is nil, this error is returned: the executor is reporting outputs the node's template never declared. Failing loudly prevents silently injecting undeclared parameters into the workflow status.

Source

Thrown at workflow/util/util.go:682

					// Update phase
					if values.Phase != "" {
						node.Phase = values.Phase
						if values.Phase.Fulfilled(node.TaskResultSynced) {
							node.FinishedAt = metav1.Time{Time: time.Now().UTC()}
						}
						nodeUpdated = true
					}

					// Update message
					if values.Message != "" {
						node.Message = values.Message
						nodeUpdated = true
					}

					// Update output parameters
					if len(values.OutputParameters) > 0 {
						if node.Outputs == nil {
							return true, fmt.Errorf("cannot set output parameters because node is not expecting any raw parameters")
						}
						for name, val := range values.OutputParameters {
							hit := false
							for i, param := range node.Outputs.Parameters {
								if param.Name == name {
									if param.ValueFrom == nil || param.ValueFrom.Supplied == nil {
										return true, fmt.Errorf("cannot set output parameter '%s' because it does not use valueFrom.raw or it was already set", param.Name)
									}
									node.Outputs.Parameters[i].Value = wfv1.AnyStringPtr(val)
									node.Outputs.Parameters[i].ValueFrom = nil
									nodeUpdated = true
									hit = true
									AddParamToGlobalScope(ctx, wf, node.Outputs.Parameters[i])
									break
								}
							}
							if !hit {
								return true, fmt.Errorf("node is not expecting output parameter '%s'", name)

View on GitHub (pinned to 35bff19146)

Solutions

Delete/restart the pod so the node's template matches what the executor reports (re-run the step under the current template).
Ensure the template declares outputs.parameters for every parameter the step emits.
If this happens during retries, retry the workflow fresh instead of resuming the stale pod.

Example fix

// before (template has no outputs but emits param)
script:
  command: [sh]
  source: echo hello
// after
script:
  command: [sh]
  source: echo hello
outputs:
  parameters:
    - name: msg
      valueFrom:
        path: /tmp/msg

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

if len(values.OutputParameters) > 0 && node.Outputs == nil {
	// pod reports params the node never declared: stale template version
	return fmt.Errorf("node %s expects no raw parameters", nodeID)
}

Type guard

func nodeExpectsRawParams(n wfv1.NodeStatus) bool {
	return n.Outputs != nil && len(n.Outputs.Parameters) > 0
}

Try / catch

updated, err := util.SetOutputs(ctx, wf, nodeID, values)
if err != nil && strings.Contains(err.Error(), "not expecting any raw parameters") {
	// delete the stale pod / re-run the node under the current template
	return requeue
}

Prevention

Declare outputs.parameters for every parameter a step emits.
Avoid editing templates while their pods are mid-flight.
After upgrades, resubmit rather than resume stale workflows.

When it happens

Trigger: argoexec reports OutputParameters for a node whose template has no outputs.parameters section — e.g. the template was edited after the pod started, or a pod from an older template version reports params the new spec lacks.

Common situations: Editing a workflow template's outputs while a pod from the previous definition is still running, or retry/resubmit flows mixing node state across template versions.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of argoproj/argo-workflows@35bff19146 (2026-09-03). Data as JSON: /api/errors/ad778761c0c155dc. Report an issue: GitHub.