elastic/elasticsearch · error · GradleException

Failed to load keywords JSON from

Error message

Failed to load keywords JSON from {jsonKeywords} - {message}

What it means

Thrown by ValidateJsonNoKeywordsTask when parsing the keywords JSON file (jsonKeywords) with Jackson raises an IOException. The mapper.readTree call expects a JSON object mapping language -> array of keyword strings; any malformed JSON, I/O error, or unexpected structure surfaces here with the offending file name and parse error message.

Solutions

1. Open the named jsonKeywords file and fix the JSON syntax error indicated by the attached IOException message.
2. Validate the file with a JSON linter (e.g. jq . <file>) before re-running.
3. If the file was corrupted by a merge conflict, resolve the conflict and re-validate.
4. Re-run :<project>:validateJsonNoKeywords.

Example fix

// before (invalid JSON)
{
  "en": ["select", "from",]
}
// after (trailing comma removed)
{
  "en": ["select", "from"]
}

// Validate JSON syntax before the task parses it
try (JsonParser p = jsonMapper.getFactory().createParser(jsonKeywordsFile)) {
    while (p.nextToken() != null) { /* drain */ }
} catch (IOException e) {
    throw new IllegalStateException("Keywords JSON is malformed: " + e.getMessage());
}

try { Map<String,Set<String>> kw = loadKeywords(jsonKeywordsFile); }
catch (GradleException e) { /* message names file + parse error — fix the JSON, don't ignore */ throw e; }

When it happens

Trigger: The getJsonKeywords() file is opened and parsed into an ObjectNode; a syntax error (trailing comma, unquoted key, truncated file) or a read failure causes Jackson to throw IOException, caught and rethrown as a GradleException naming the file and the parse error.

Common situations: Hand-editing the keywords JSON and introducing a syntax error; a merge conflict artifact left inside the file; file truncated by an interrupted write; the file is valid JSON but not a JSON object (e.g. an array), causing the ObjectNode cast downstream to fail (separate failure) — but this specific throw is for parse IOException.

Related errors

• Failed to write keywords report
• Forbidden APIs cli failed
• Invalid tag format [ ]
• Third party audit task is not configured correctly
• Unnecessary split package ignores found

AI-assisted analysis of elastic/elasticsearch@db6a809a66 (2026-08-12). Data as JSON: /api/errors/1ec36a9b587f0905. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at build-tools-internal/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gradle/internal/precommit/ValidateJsonNoKeywordsTask.java:227

     * multiple languages, so it is easier and more useful to have a single map of keywords.
     *
     * @return a mapping from keyword to languages.
     */
    private Map<String, Set<String>> loadKeywords(ObjectMapper mapper) {
        Map<String, Set<String>> languagesByKeyword = new HashMap<>();

        try {
            final ObjectNode keywordsNode = ((ObjectNode) mapper.readTree(this.jsonKeywords));

            keywordsNode.fieldNames().forEachRemaining(eachLanguage -> {
                keywordsNode.get(eachLanguage).elements().forEachRemaining(e -> {
                    final String eachKeyword = e.textValue();
                    final Set<String> languages = languagesByKeyword.computeIfAbsent(eachKeyword, _keyword -> new HashSet<>());
                    languages.add(eachLanguage);
                });
            });
        } catch (IOException e) {
            throw new GradleException("Failed to load keywords JSON from " + jsonKeywords.getName() + " - " + e.getMessage(), e);
        }

        return languagesByKeyword;
    }
}

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