argoproj/argo-workflows · error

memoization configmap doesn't have %s label, refusing to use

Error message

memoization configmap doesn't have %s label, refusing to use it

What it means

Memoization caches are stored in ConfigMaps that must carry the label `workflows.argoproj.io/configmap-type: Cache`. validateConfigMap refuses to use a ConfigMap missing the type label or having the wrong value, to prevent accidentally corrupting an arbitrary user ConfigMap with cache data.

Source

Thrown at workflow/controller/cache/configmap_cache.go:60

	logger := logging.RequireLoggerFromContext(ctx)
	logger.WithFields(logging.Fields{"namespace": c.namespace, "name": c.name}).WithFields(fields).WithError(err).Debug(ctx, message)
}

func (c *configMapCache) logInfo(ctx context.Context, fields logging.Fields, message string) {
	logger := logging.RequireLoggerFromContext(ctx)
	logger.WithFields(logging.Fields{"namespace": c.namespace, "name": c.name}).WithFields(fields).Info(ctx, message)
}

func (c *configMapCache) validateConfigmap(ctx context.Context, cm *apiv1.ConfigMap) error {
	label, foundLabel := cm.GetLabels()[common.LabelKeyConfigMapType]
	errString := ""
	if !foundLabel {
		errString = fmt.Sprintf("memoization configmap doesn't have %s label, refusing to use it", common.LabelKeyConfigMapType)
	} else if label != common.LabelValueTypeConfigMapCache {
		errString = fmt.Sprintf("memoization configmap doesn't have label %s = %s, refusing to use it", common.LabelKeyConfigMapType, common.LabelValueTypeConfigMapCache)
	}
	if errString != "" {
		err := errors.New(errString)
		c.logError(ctx, err, logging.Fields{}, errString)
		return err
	}
	return nil
}

func (c *configMapCache) Load(ctx context.Context, key string) (*Entry, error) {
	var entry *Entry
	err := retry.OnError(kwait.Backoff{
		Duration: time.Second,
		Factor:   2,
		Jitter:   0.1,
		Steps:    5,
		Cap:      30 * time.Second,
	}, func(err error) bool {
		return argoerr.IsTransientErr(ctx, err) || apierr.IsConflict(err)
	}, func() error {
		var innerErr error

View on GitHub (pinned to 35bff19146)

Solutions

1. Label the ConfigMap: `kubectl label configmap my-cache workflows.argoproj.io/configmap-type=Cache`.
2. Check the label value exactly matches `Cache` (case-sensitive).
3. Re-apply the ConfigMap manifest including the label; verify with `kubectl get cm my-cache --show-labels`.

Example fix

# before
apiVersion: v1
kind: ConfigMap
metadata:
  name: my-cache
# after
apiVersion: v1
kind: ConfigMap
metadata:
  name: my-cache
  labels:
    workflows.argoproj.io/configmap-type: Cache

cm, err := clientset.CoreV1().ConfigMaps(ns).Get(ctx, name, metav1.GetOptions{})
if err != nil { return err }
l, ok := cm.Labels["workflows.argoproj.io/configmap-type"]
if !ok || l != "Cache" {
    return fmt.Errorf("configmap %s must have label workflows.argoproj.io/configmap-type=Cache", name)
}

if err := cache.Save(...); err != nil && strings.Contains(err.Error(), "refusing to use it") {
    // fix the ConfigMap labels, then retry
}

When it happens

Trigger: Calling load() or save() on a configMapCache whose referenced ConfigMap either lacks the `workflows.argoproj.io/configmap-type` label entirely, or has it set to something other than `Cache`.

Common situations: User created the ConfigMap by hand and forgot the label; label value typo'd (e.g. `cache` lowercase instead of `Cache`); copied a ConfigMap from another memoization setup with a different label scheme; kubectl apply dropped labels during an update.

Related errors

• failed to unmarshal container args: %w
• if you have an item in your config map named 'config', you m
• clientSecret empty
• key %s missing in secret %s
• error getting config map for artifact repository ref "%v": %

AI-assisted analysis of argoproj/argo-workflows@35bff19146 (2026-09-03). Data as JSON: /api/errors/bfac6aa90ba50ffe. Report an issue: GitHub.