d2lang/d2 · error

failed to fully %scompile (rendering partial svg): %w

Error message

failed to fully %scompile (rendering partial svg): %w

What it means

During watch recompilation, compile() may fail after it has already produced a partial SVG. Watch wraps the original error with the prefix "failed to fully <re>compile (rendering partial svg)" so the user knows an incomplete (partial) diagram was rendered from a full or recompile.

Source

Thrown at d2cli/watch.go:451

					Err: broadcastErr.Error(),
				})
				continue
			}
			w.pw = newPW
		}

		fs := trackedFS{}
		w.boardpathMu.Lock()
		var boardPath []string
		if w.boardPath != "" {
			boardPath = strings.Split(w.boardPath, string(os.PathSeparator))
		}
		svg, _, err := compile(ctx, w.ms, w.plugins, &fs, w.layout, w.renderOpts, w.fontFamily, w.monoFontFamily, w.animateInterval, w.inputPath, w.outputPath, boardPath, false, w.bundle, w.forceAppendix, w.pw.Browser, w.outputFormat, w.asciiMode)
		w.boardpathMu.Unlock()
		errs := ""
		if err != nil {
			if len(svg) > 0 {
				err = fmt.Errorf("failed to fully %scompile (rendering partial svg): %w", recompiledPrefix, err)
			} else {
				err = fmt.Errorf("failed to %scompile: %w", recompiledPrefix, err)
			}
			errs = err.Error()
			w.ms.Log.Error.Print(errs)
		}
		err = w.replaceWatchList(ctx, fs.opened)
		if err != nil {
			return err
		}

		w.broadcast(&compileResult{
			SVG:   string(svg),
			Scale: w.renderOpts.Scale,
			Err:   errs,
		})

		if firstCompile {

View on GitHub (pinned to 0d69dca6f5)

Solutions

1. Fix the underlying wrapped error shown after the %w portion (it names the actual failing element/key)
2. Check the referenced shape/key in your .d2 source for invalid values
3. Save a valid file so watch performs a clean recompile

Example fix

// before
x.style.fill-pattern: stripes   # invalid
// after
x.style.fill-pattern: dots

// run a one-shot compile to validate before watching:
// d2 file.d2 /tmp/out.svg && d2 file.d2 --watch

if strings.Contains(errStr, "failed to fully") {
	// partial svg rendered: fix the wrapped cause, watch will re-render fully
}

When it happens

Trigger: compile() returns both a non-empty svg and an error — e.g. one board of a multi-board diagram fails while others rendered, or a downstream render step (export/animation) fails after SVG generation.

Common situations: Syntax or semantic errors in part of a .d2 file being edited in watch mode, invalid style values on some shapes, or an export step failing after the SVG was built.

Related errors

• failed to %scompile: %w
• response.error.message
• failed to fully compile (partial render written) %s: %w
• failed to compile %s: %w
• issue encountered with PNG exporter: %w

AI-assisted analysis of d2lang/d2@0d69dca6f5 (2026-08-31). Data as JSON: /api/errors/9c2f7b9c9679347f. Report an issue: GitHub.