chroma-core/chroma · error · ValueError

Invalid parameter name: {name} for configuration {self.__cla

Error message

Invalid parameter name: {name} for configuration {self.__class__.__name__}

What it means

ConfigurationInternal.get_parameter (chromadb/api/configuration.py:155) raises this ValueError when asked for a parameter name not present in the configuration's parameter_map. Note that the map is always fully populated with defaults at construction, so a miss here means the name is not defined for this configuration class at all (the message includes the class name to make that obvious).

Source

Thrown at chromadb/api/configuration.py:155

            return NotImplemented
        return self.parameter_map == __value.parameter_map

    @abstractmethod
    def configuration_validator(self) -> None:
        """Perform custom validation when parameters are dependent on each other.

        Raises an InvalidConfigurationError if the configuration is invalid.
        """
        pass

    def get_parameters(self) -> List[ConfigurationParameter]:
        """Returns the parameters of the configuration."""
        return list(self.parameter_map.values())

    def get_parameter(self, name: str) -> ConfigurationParameter:
        """Returns the parameter with the given name, or except if it doesn't exist."""
        if name not in self.parameter_map:
            raise ValueError(
                f"Invalid parameter name: {name} for configuration {self.__class__.__name__}"
            )
        param_value = cast(ConfigurationParameter, self.parameter_map.get(name))
        return param_value

    def set_parameter(self, name: str, value: Union[str, int, float, bool]) -> None:
        """Sets the parameter with the given name to the given value."""
        if name not in self.definitions:
            raise ValueError(f"Invalid parameter name: {name}")
        definition = self.definitions[name]
        parameter = self.parameter_map[name]
        if definition.is_static:
            raise StaticParameterError(f"Cannot set static parameter: {name}")
        if not definition.validator(value):
            raise ValueError(f"Invalid value for parameter {name}: {value}")
        parameter.value = value

    @override

View on GitHub (pinned to aecdd12c8a)

Solutions

1. Enumerate what exists: [p.name for p in cfg.get_parameters()] or sorted(cfg.parameter_map)
2. Use the new-style name (e.g. ef_search, not hnsw:search_ef) after checking the mapping in from_legacy_params
3. Guard reads with `if name in cfg.parameter_map:` before calling get_parameter

Example fix

# before
value = cfg.get_parameter("ef")                 # unknown name
# after
print([p.name for p in cfg.get_parameters()])   # discover valid names
value = cfg.get_parameter("ef_search")

def get_param_or_none(cfg, name):
    return cfg.get_parameter(name).value if name in cfg.parameter_map else None

try:
    p = cfg.get_parameter(name)
except ValueError as e:
    if "Invalid parameter name" in str(e):
        p = None  # or fall back to a documented default
    else:
        raise

When it happens

Trigger: cfg.get_parameter("ef") on an HNSW configuration where the name is "ef_search"; calling get_parameter("hnsw:space") with the legacy prefixed name; asking a non-HNSW configuration for an HNSW-only parameter.

Common situations: Using legacy parameter names from pre-configuration versions instead of the new names; assuming a parameter exists on every configuration class; autocomplete or IDE-driven guesses at parameter names.

Related errors

• Invalid parameter name: {parameter.name}
• Invalid parameter name: {name}
• Invalid configuration type: {parameter.value}
• Invalid parameter value: {parameter.value}
• Cannot set static parameter: {name}

AI-assisted analysis of chroma-core/chroma@aecdd12c8a (2026-08-16). Data as JSON: /api/errors/b0396b3f4a44e699. Report an issue: GitHub.