What causes "'${modulePath}' is incorrect" in cube-js/cube?

Fix the import specifier so it names a real package or file (e.g. 'lodash' not '' or '.')

cube-js/cube · error · UserError

'${modulePath}' is incorrect

Error message

'${modulePath}' is incorrect

What it means

After resolving the module path under node_modules, the compiler derives the top-level package name. If the path yields no package segment (empty packagePath), the import is deemed invalid and UserError ''${modulePath}' is incorrect' is thrown (unless allowNodeRequire is set). This guards against malformed or degenerate module specifiers.

Source

Thrown at packages/cubejs-schema-compiler/src/compiler/DataSchemaCompiler.ts:1010

    }

    const nodeModulesPath = path.resolve('node_modules');
    let absPath = currentFile.isModule ?
      path.resolve('node_modules', path.dirname(currentFile.fileName), modulePath) :
      path.resolve('node_modules', modulePath);

    if (!absPath.startsWith(nodeModulesPath)) {
      if (this.allowNodeRequire) {
        return null;
      }
      throw new UserError(`'${modulePath}' restricted`);
    }
    const packagePath = absPath.replace(nodeModulesPath, '').split('/').filter(s => !!s)[0];
    if (!packagePath) {
      if (this.allowNodeRequire) {
        return null;
      }
      throw new UserError(`'${modulePath}' is incorrect`);
    }
    if (!this.isWhiteListedPackage(packagePath)) {
      if (this.allowNodeRequire) {
        return null;
      }
      throw new UserError(`Package '${packagePath}' not found`);
    }
    if (fs.existsSync(absPath)) {
      const stat = fs.lstatSync(absPath);
      if (stat.isDirectory()) {
        absPath = path.resolve(absPath, 'index.js');
      }
    }
    // eslint-disable-next-line prefer-template
    absPath = path.extname(absPath) !== '.js' ? absPath + '.js' : absPath;
    if (!fs.existsSync(absPath)) {
      if (this.allowNodeRequire) {
        return null;

View on GitHub (pinned to 7d981676b3)

Solutions

Fix the import specifier so it names a real package or file (e.g. 'lodash' not '' or '.')
Remove the empty/dynamic import if it is dead code
Enable allowNodeRequire if this import is intentional and handled natively

Example fix

// before
const pkg = require(name); // name === ''

// after
const pkg = require('lodash');

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

function isValidModuleSpecifier(modulePath) {
  return typeof modulePath === 'string' && modulePath.trim() !== '' && modulePath !== '.' && modulePath !== '/';
}

Try / catch

try {
  await compiler.compile();
} catch (e) {
  if (String(e.message).endsWith("' is incorrect")) {
    console.error('Empty or malformed module specifier in data model:', e.message);
  }
}

Prevention

Lint data model files for empty require()/import arguments
Avoid building import specifiers via string interpolation of possibly-empty variables
Run schema compilation in CI to catch malformed imports early

When it happens

Trigger: Importing '' or '.' from a data model module such that path.resolve('node_modules', modulePath) equals node_modules itself and the first path segment after node_modules is empty.

Common situations: Leftover empty require/import statements, template literals that interpolate to an empty string, or misconfigured dynamic import specifiers in generated schemas.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of cube-js/cube@7d981676b3 (2026-09-02). Data as JSON: /api/errors/f70c9ac55fa80199. Report an issue: GitHub.