docker/compose · error

could not find %s: %w

Error message

could not find %s: %w

What it means

Graph.AddEdge was called with a source vertex that was never added to the in-memory dependency graph. In practice this is the raw not-found error that resurfaces when a required depends_on target is neither an active service nor a disabled-by-profile service — i.e. it simply does not exist in the project.

Source

Thrown at pkg/compose/dependencies.go:317

// AddVertex adds a vertex to the Graph
func (g *Graph) AddVertex(key string, service string, initialStatus ServiceStatus) {
	g.lock.Lock()
	defer g.lock.Unlock()

	v := NewVertex(key, service, initialStatus)
	g.Vertices[key] = v
}

// AddEdge adds a relationship of dependency between vertices `source` and `destination`
func (g *Graph) AddEdge(source string, destination string) error {
	g.lock.Lock()
	defer g.lock.Unlock()

	sourceVertex := g.Vertices[source]
	destinationVertex := g.Vertices[destination]

	if sourceVertex == nil {
		return fmt.Errorf("could not find %s: %w", source, api.ErrNotFound)
	}
	if destinationVertex == nil {
		return fmt.Errorf("could not find %s: %w", destination, api.ErrNotFound)
	}

	// If they are already connected
	if _, ok := sourceVertex.Children[destination]; ok {
		return nil
	}

	sourceVertex.Children[destination] = destinationVertex
	destinationVertex.Parents[source] = sourceVertex

	return nil
}

// Leaves returns the slice of leaves of the graph
func (g *Graph) Leaves() []*Vertex {

View on GitHub (pinned to ddc4b044b6)

Solutions

1. Fix the depends_on name to match a defined service
2. Check which files were merged: docker compose config to see final services
3. Remove the stale depends_on entry
4. If it should exist behind a profile, add profiles to it (then error 191's guidance applies)

Example fix

# before
services:
  api:
    depends_on: [databse]  # typo
# after
services:
  api:
    depends_on: [database]

// verify every depends_on source exists in the merged project
for _, svc := range project.Services {
    if _, ok := project.Services[svc.Name]; !ok {
        return fmt.Errorf("service %s missing from project", svc.Name)
    }
}

if err != nil && strings.Contains(err.Error(), "could not find") && strings.HasSuffix(err.Error(), api.ErrNotFound.Error()) {
    // run docker compose config, fix names, re-parse and retry
}

When it happens

Trigger: depends_on references a service name not defined in the (loaded) project — typo, wrong override file combination, or a service removed while depends_on remains — and it is required (default) and not profile-disabled.

Common situations: Typos in service names; compose -f overlay files that drop the depended-on service; renamed service without updating dependents; environment-variable-conditional services (profiles removed via scale).

Related errors

• service %s is required by %s but is disabled. Can be enabled
• cycle found: %s
• cannot publish compose file with local includes
• not found
• use_api_socket can't be used with a Windows Docker Engine

AI-assisted analysis of docker/compose@ddc4b044b6 (2026-08-15). Data as JSON: /api/errors/f26417da7b905c00. Report an issue: GitHub.