chroma-core/chroma · error · ValueError

Invalid parameter name: {name}

Error message

Invalid parameter name: {name}

What it means

ConfigurationInternal.set_parameter (chromadb/api/configuration.py:164) raises this ValueError when the name is not in the class's definitions dict. Unlike get_parameter (which checks the populated parameter_map), the setter checks definitions because only declared parameters can ever be set - an unknown name cannot be set even as a new entry.

Source

Thrown at chromadb/api/configuration.py:164

        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
    def to_json_str(self) -> str:
        """Returns the JSON representation of the configuration."""
        return json.dumps(self.to_json())

    @classmethod
    @override
    def from_json_str(cls, json_str: str) -> Self:
        """Returns a configuration from the given JSON string."""
        try:

View on GitHub (pinned to aecdd12c8a)

Solutions

1. Check membership first: `if name not in cfg.definitions:` skip or log
2. Map legacy names to new names using the old_to_new table in from_legacy_params before setting
3. Prefer constructing a new configuration object over mutating one field at a time

Example fix

# before
cfg.set_parameter("hnsw:search_ef", 100)   # legacy name -> error
# after
legacy_to_new = {"hnsw:search_ef": "ef_search"}
cfg.set_parameter("ef_search", 100)

def safe_set(cfg, name, value):
    if name not in cfg.definitions:
        raise KeyError(f"unknown parameter {name!r}; valid: {sorted(cfg.definitions)}")
    cfg.set_parameter(name, value)

When it happens

Trigger: cfg.set_parameter("hnsw:space", "cosine") using the legacy prefixed key; set_parameter("ef", ...) where the declared name is "ef_search"; setting a parameter that exists on a different configuration class.

Common situations: Scripts migrating old metadata keys directly onto the new configuration object; typos or casing errors in dynamic loops that set parameters from a dict of user input.

Related errors

• Invalid parameter name: {parameter.name}
• Invalid parameter name: {name} for configuration {self.__cla
• Invalid value for parameter {name}: {value}
• Invalid configuration type: {parameter.value}
• Invalid parameter value: {parameter.value}

AI-assisted analysis of chroma-core/chroma@aecdd12c8a (2026-08-16). Data as JSON: /api/errors/4f49a28629f5585a. Report an issue: GitHub.