What causes "{"type":"no_user_key"}" in danny-avila/LibreChat?

Provide an OpenAI API key in the request (userValues.apiKey) and retry.

no_user_key

no_user_key

Error message

{"type":"no_user_key"}

What it means

Thrown when the user is responsible for supplying their own OpenAI key (userProvidesKey) but no key value was provided. The error payload is a JSON string with type NO_USER_KEY so the frontend can detect this specific case and prompt for a key. Note the condition uses a single '&' (bitwise) rather than '&&'; for boolean operands it behaves the same but is a latent bug.

Source

Thrown at api/server/services/Endpoints/assistants/initalize.js:32

    const expiresAt = await getUserKeyExpiry({
      userId: req.user.id,
      name: EModelEndpoint.assistants,
    });
    checkUserKeyExpiry(expiresAt, EModelEndpoint.assistants);
    userValues = await getUserKeyValues({ userId: req.user.id, name: EModelEndpoint.assistants });
  }

  let apiKey = userProvidesKey ? userValues.apiKey : ASSISTANTS_API_KEY;
  let baseURL = userProvidesURL ? userValues.baseURL : ASSISTANTS_BASE_URL;

  const opts = {
    defaultHeaders: {
      'OpenAI-Beta': `assistants=${version}`,
    },
  };

  if (userProvidesKey & !apiKey) {
    throw new Error(
      JSON.stringify({
        type: ErrorTypes.NO_USER_KEY,
      }),
    );
  }

  if (!apiKey) {
    throw new Error('Assistants API key not provided. Please provide it again.');
  }

  if (baseURL) {
    opts.baseURL = baseURL;
  }

  const proxyDispatcher = getProxyDispatcher(PROXY);
  if (proxyDispatcher) {
    opts.fetchOptions = {
      dispatcher: proxyDispatcher,

View on GitHub (pinned to 5ff282f900)

Solutions

Provide an OpenAI API key in the request (userValues.apiKey) and retry.
If the key is no longer needed per-user, switch the endpoint to a server-managed key (ASSISTANTS_API_KEY).
Re-prompt the user to enter their key via the UI flow triggered by the no_user_key type.
Clear and re-enter the stored credential to rule out corruption.

Example fix

// before
if (userProvidesKey & !apiKey) {
// after
if (userProvidesKey && !apiKey) {

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

if (userProvidesKey && !userValues.apiKey) {
  return res.status(400).json({ error: 'An OpenAI API key is required for this endpoint' });
}

Type guard

function hasUserKey(userProvidesKey, userValues) {
  return !userProvidesKey || typeof userValues?.apiKey === 'string' && userValues.apiKey.length > 0;
}

Try / catch

try { await initialize(req, res, version); }
catch (e) { if (e.message.includes('NO_USER_KEY')) return res.status(401).json({ code: 'no_user_key' }); throw e; }

Prevention

Validate the key client-side before submit when user-provided keys are required.
Store the key per user and re-prompt on NO_USER_KEY.
Use '&&' not '&' in the guard condition.

When it happens

Trigger: The endpoint/agent is configured to use a user-provided key, the request carries no apiKey in userValues, and the Assistants initialize path is entered.

Common situations: User's saved API key was cleared/expired; frontend form submitted without the key field; a session restored without the previously entered key; user declined to provide a key.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of danny-avila/LibreChat@5ff282f900 (2026-08-12). Data as JSON: /api/errors/d797436800385c7f. Report an issue: GitHub.