argoproj/argo-workflows · error

failed to set key for artifact %s in stored spec: %w

Error message

failed to set key for artifact %s in stored spec: %w

What it means

overrideArtifacts also re-keys artifacts inside wf.Status.StoredWorkflowSpec (present when the workflow was created from a WorkflowTemplate, i.e. cluster-resolved spec). When SetKey fails there, the error is wrapped with the 'in stored spec' suffix. Same root causes: artifact types that don't support key overrides (git, raw) and invalid HTTP/Artifactory URLs.

Source

Thrown at workflow/util/util.go:429

	// Note: For workflowTemplateRef workflows, artifacts are handled in workflow_server.go
	// which has access to the WorkflowTemplate to copy the full artifact configuration
	consumed := make(map[string]bool, len(overrides))
	for i, artifact := range wf.Spec.Arguments.Artifacts {
		if newKey, ok := overrides[artifact.Name]; ok {
			consumed[artifact.Name] = true
			if err := wf.Spec.Arguments.Artifacts[i].SetKey(newKey); err != nil {
				return fmt.Errorf("failed to set key for artifact %s: %w", artifact.Name, err)
			}
		}
	}

	// Also update StoredWorkflowSpec if present
	if wf.Status.StoredWorkflowSpec != nil {
		for i, artifact := range wf.Status.StoredWorkflowSpec.Arguments.Artifacts {
			if newKey, ok := overrides[artifact.Name]; ok {
				consumed[artifact.Name] = true
				if err := wf.Status.StoredWorkflowSpec.Arguments.Artifacts[i].SetKey(newKey); err != nil {
					return fmt.Errorf("failed to set key for artifact %s in stored spec: %w", artifact.Name, err)
				}
			}
		}
	}

	// For workflowTemplateRef workflows the artifacts live in the template, not here, so
	// unmatched overrides are expected and are validated on the templateRef path instead
	// (ApplyOverridesToTemplateArtifacts). Only flag unmatched overrides when this workflow
	// is the authority for its own artifacts.
	if wf.Spec.WorkflowTemplateRef == nil {
		return unmatchedOverridesError(overrides, consumed)
	}

	return nil
}

func ReadParametersFile(ctx context.Context, file string, opts *wfv1.SubmitOpts) error {
	var body []byte

View on GitHub (pinned to 35bff19146)

Solutions

1. Change the stored template's artifact to a key-capable backend type, then re-submit.
2. Remove the override for that artifact name and adjust the template source directly.
3. Fix the URL in the template artifact so it parses.

Example fix

// before (in the WorkflowTemplate)
artifacts:
  - name: code
    git:
      repo: https://github.com/x/y
// after
artifacts:
  - name: code
    oss:
      key: builds/code.tgz

if wf.Status.StoredWorkflowSpec != nil {
	for _, art := range wf.Status.StoredWorkflowSpec.Arguments.Artifacts {
		if overrides[art.Name] != "" && (art.Git != nil || art.Raw != nil) {
			return fmt.Errorf("stored-spec artifact %q cannot take a key override", art.Name)
		}
	}
}

func storedSpecSupportsOverrides(wf *wfv1.Workflow) bool {
	if wf.Status.StoredWorkflowSpec == nil {
		return true
	}
	for _, a := range wf.Status.StoredWorkflowSpec.Arguments.Artifacts {
		if a.Git != nil || a.Raw != nil {
			return false
		}
	}
	return true
}

err := util.ApplySubmitOpts(wf, opts)
if err != nil && strings.Contains(err.Error(), "in stored spec") {
	// fix the WorkflowTemplate itself and resubmit
	return err
}

When it happens

Trigger: Submitting with --artifact overrides against a workflow submitted via workflowTemplateRef, where the stored (template-derived) spec arguments contain a git/raw artifact or a malformed URL named in the overrides.

Common situations: Teams centralizing artifact definitions in WorkflowTemplates with git sources, then trying to re-point them with CLI key overrides — which is unsupported for git.

Related errors

• failed to set key for artifact %s: %w
• set type not supported for type: %v
• artifact override(s) matched no artifact: %s
• no artifact logs are available
• Artifact driver connection validation failed: %v

AI-assisted analysis of argoproj/argo-workflows@35bff19146 (2026-09-03). Data as JSON: /api/errors/b3b5b9a1f02dd7e9. Report an issue: GitHub.