elastic/elasticsearch · error · InvalidUserDataException

Branch does not exist

Error message

Branch {branch} does not exist

What it means

Thrown by UpdateBranchesJsonTask.executeTask() in the removeBranch path when no branch with the given name exists in branches.json.

Solutions

1. Check the branch names currently in branches.json and correct the --remove-branch argument.
2. If the branch is genuinely gone, no further action is needed.

Example fix

// before
./gradlew updateBranches --remove-branch=8.x   # actual name is 8.10

// after
./gradlew updateBranches --remove-branch=8.10

// Confirm the branch exists before issuing --remove-branch
static boolean branchExists(Path branchesFile, String name) throws IOException {
    return new ObjectMapper().readTree(branchesFile.toFile())
        .path("branches").findValuesAsText("branch").contains(name);
}

When it happens

Trigger: Running --remove-branch=<name> for a name not present in branches.json (typo, already removed, wrong repo state).

Common situations: Operator typo in the branch name; the branch was never added; a prior remove already succeeded; the local branches.json is stale.

Related errors

• Branch already exists
• File branches.json has not been found in
• At least one of add-branch, remove-branch or update-branch…
• Expected branch and version in format
• Failed to read branches.json from

AI-assisted analysis of elastic/elasticsearch@db6a809a66 (2026-08-12). Data as JSON: /api/errors/02e4eab3e5643de2. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at build-tools-internal/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gradle/internal/release/UpdateBranchesJsonTask.java:134

    @TaskAction
    public void executeTask() throws IOException {
        List<DevelopmentBranch> developmentBranches = readBranches(branchesFile);

        if (addBranch == null && removeBranch == null && updateBranch == null) {
            throw new InvalidUserDataException("At least one of add-branch, remove-branch or update-branch must be specified");
        }

        if (addBranch != null) {
            LOGGER.info("Adding branch {} with version {}", addBranch.name(), addBranch.version());
            if (developmentBranches.stream().anyMatch(developmentBranch -> developmentBranch.name().equals(addBranch.name()))) {
                throw new InvalidUserDataException("Branch " + addBranch.name() + " already exists");
            }
            developmentBranches.add(addBranch);
        }
        if (removeBranch != null) {
            LOGGER.info("Removing branch {}", removeBranch);
            if (developmentBranches.stream().noneMatch(developmentBranch -> developmentBranch.name().equals(removeBranch))) {
                throw new InvalidUserDataException("Branch " + removeBranch + " does not exist");
            }
            developmentBranches.removeIf(developmentBranch -> developmentBranch.name().equals(removeBranch));
        }
        if (updateBranch != null) {
            LOGGER.info("Updating branch {} with version {}", updateBranch.name(), updateBranch.version());
            if (developmentBranches.stream().noneMatch(developmentBranch -> developmentBranch.name().equals(updateBranch.name()))) {
                throw new InvalidUserDataException("Branch " + updateBranch.name() + " does not exist");
            }
            developmentBranches.removeIf(developmentBranch -> developmentBranch.name().equals(updateBranch.name()));
            developmentBranches.add(updateBranch);
        }

        developmentBranches.sort(Comparator.comparing(DevelopmentBranch::version).reversed());

        JsonNode jsonNode = objectMapper.readTree(new FileInputStream(branchesFile));
        ArrayNode updatedBranches = objectMapper.createArrayNode();
        for (DevelopmentBranch branch : developmentBranches) {
            ObjectNode objectNode = objectMapper.createObjectNode();

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