coleam00/Archon · error · Error

Failed to wait for workflow run: ${err.message}

Error message

Failed to wait for workflow run: ${err.message}

What it means

`archon workflow wait <runId>` polls until a run reaches a terminal state; if waiting throws, the CLI logs and either emits `{ok:false, runId, action:'wait', error}` JSON (in `--json` mode it never throws, matching the get/write contract) or re-throws 'Failed to wait for workflow run: <message>'.

Source

Thrown at packages/cli/src/commands/workflow.ts:3615

  let resolvedId: string;
  try {
    resolvedId = await resolveRunIdArg(runId, cwd);
    result = await waitForRunAttention(resolvedId, {
      // No timeout by default: a wait that ends on its own clock would answer a
      // question only the run can answer.
      ...(timeoutSeconds === undefined ? {} : { deadlineMs: timeoutSeconds * 1000 }),
      onAttached: observedStatus => announceWaitAttached(resolvedId, observedStatus, json),
    });
  } catch (error) {
    const err = error as Error;
    getLog().error({ err, runId }, 'cli.workflow_wait_failed');
    // In --json mode never throw — emit one parseable {ok:false} line (same contract
    // as `get` and the write commands) so a parsing agent always gets JSON.
    if (json) {
      await writeJsonLine({ ok: false, runId, action: 'wait', error: err.message });
      return 1;
    }
    throw new Error(`Failed to wait for workflow run: ${err.message}`);
  }

  if (result.kind === 'not_found') {
    if (json) {
      await writeJsonLine({ ok: false, runId, action: 'wait', error: 'not_found' });
    } else {
      console.log(formatWaitOutcome(resolvedId, result));
    }
    return 1;
  }

  if (json) {
    await writeJsonLine({
      ok: true,
      action: 'wait',
      runId: resolvedId,
      result: result.kind,
      ...(result.kind === 'attention' ? { attention: result.attention } : {}),

View on GitHub (pinned to 0773b97458)

Solutions

1. Retry the wait command — it is idempotent and will re-poll.
2. Verify DB connectivity if waits fail repeatedly (network, DSN, locks).
3. Use `archon workflow get <runId> --json` to check whether the run exists and its state.
4. In scripts, use `--json` mode and handle the `{ok:false, action:'wait'}` line instead of parsing thrown errors.

Example fix

// before
const code = await waitCommand(runId); // throws on failure
// after
const code = await waitCommand(runId, { json: true });
// parse emitted line: { ok: false, runId, action: 'wait', error } and handle explicitly

// confirm the run exists before waiting
const status = await getRunStatus(runId);
if (status.kind === 'not_found') throw new Error(`Run ${runId} not found`);

function isNotFound(r: { kind: string }): r is { kind: 'not_found' } {
  return r.kind === 'not_found';
}

try {
  const result = await waitForRun(runId);
} catch (err) {
  const e = err as Error;
  if (json) {
    await writeJsonLine({ ok: false, runId, action: 'wait', error: e.message });
    return 1;
  }
  throw new Error(`Failed to wait for workflow run: ${e.message}`);
}

When it happens

Trigger: Waiting on a run when the wait API throws: database connection lost mid-poll, storage adapter error, or a corrupt run record preventing status resolution (distinct from the handled `not_found` result kind).

Common situations: Long waits spanning a network DB outage; SQLite lock contention while the run writes; run record corrupted by a crashed writer; repeated transient DB errors until the wait gives up.

Related errors

• --resume and --config are mutually exclusive. A resumed run
• Failed to download web UI: ${tarballRes.status} ${tarballRes
• Failed to read version: package.json is malformed
• Failed to start detached workflow child (executable: ${cmd[0
• Cannot create worktree: database lookup failed. Error: ${res

AI-assisted analysis of coleam00/Archon@0773b97458 (2026-09-01). Data as JSON: /api/errors/ec1e69bb3080749e. Report an issue: GitHub.