different-ai/openwork · error · Error

GitHub install start response was incomplete.

Error message

GitHub install start response was incomplete.

What it means

useStartGithubInstall's mutation starts a GitHub App installation: the server responds with an item containing redirectUrl and state. If either is missing/empty after isRecord/asString narrowing, this error is thrown inside the mutation, and a second identical error is thrown when the mutation result comes back null.

Source

Thrown at ee/apps/den-web/app/(den)/dashboard/_components/integration-data.tsx:428

      await runReauthableAction("start-github-install", async () => {
      const { response, payload } = await requestJson(
        "/v1/connectors/github/install/start",
        {
          method: "POST",
          body: JSON.stringify({ returnPath: input.returnPath }),
        },
        15000,
      );

      if (!response.ok) {
        throw getRequestError(payload, response, `Failed to start GitHub install (${response.status}).`);
      }

      const item = isRecord(payload) && isRecord(payload.item) ? payload.item : null;
      const redirectUrl = item ? asString(item.redirectUrl) : null;
      const state = item ? asString(item.state) : null;
      if (!redirectUrl || !state) {
        throw new Error("GitHub install start response was incomplete.");
      }

        result = { redirectUrl, state };
      });
      if (!result) {
        throw new Error("GitHub install start response was incomplete.");
      }
      return result;
    },
    onSuccess: () => {
      queryClient.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: integrationQueryKeys.all });
    },
  });
}

export function useGithubInstallCompletion(input: { installationId: number | null; state: string | null }) {
  const { runReauthableAction } = useOrgDashboard();

View on GitHub (pinned to 2b7df46e8a)

Solutions

1. Verify the GitHub App is fully configured on the Den server (app slug, client ID, secret) so a redirect URL can be generated.
2. Inspect the raw start-install response to see whether item/redirectUrl/state are present.
3. Re-authenticate — some servers omit state when the session cannot mint a CSRF token.
4. Align frontend and server versions so the response matches { item: { redirectUrl, state } }.

Example fix

// before
const item = isRecord(payload) && isRecord(payload.item) ? payload.item : null;
const redirectUrl = item ? asString(item.redirectUrl) : null;
// after
const item = isRecord(payload) && isRecord(payload.item) ? payload.item : null;
const redirectUrl = item ? asString(item.redirectUrl) : null;
if (!redirectUrl && isRecord(payload)) console.error("install start payload keys:", Object.keys(payload));

// before starting install, verify the app is configured:
const cfg = await requestJson("/v1/connectors/github/config", { method: "GET" }, 10000);
const ready = isRecord(cfg.payload) && typeof cfg.payload.appSlug === "string" && cfg.payload.appSlug.length > 0;
if (!ready) throw new Error("GitHub App not configured on server.");

function hasInstallStart(p: unknown): p is { item: { redirectUrl: string; state: string } } {
  if (typeof p !== "object" || p === null) return false;
  const item = (p as { item?: unknown }).item;
  return (
    typeof item === "object" && item !== null &&
    typeof (item as { redirectUrl?: unknown }).redirectUrl === "string" &&
    typeof (item as { state?: unknown }).state === "string"
  );
}

try {
  await startGithubInstall();
} catch (e) {
  setError(e instanceof Error ? e.message : "Could not start GitHub install.");
}

When it happens

Trigger: POST to start install returns 200 but item is absent, item.redirectUrl is null/empty, or item.state is null/empty — e.g. the GitHub App is not fully configured so no install URL can be built, or an API shape change moved these fields.

Common situations: GitHub App setup incomplete on the server (missing app slug/client id so redirectUrl can't be generated); CSRF/state secret store misconfigured server-side; frontend/server version mismatch on the item schema.

Related errors

• Task creation did not return a session ID.
• github_connector_app_not_configured
• invalid_github_install_state
• Profile update response did not include a user.
• API key was created, but the secret was not returned.

AI-assisted analysis of different-ai/openwork@2b7df46e8a (2026-09-01). Data as JSON: /api/errors/547fa2382edc7dd7. Report an issue: GitHub.