eyaltoledano/claude-task-master · error

Required not found. Searched

Error message

Required ${pathType} not found. Searched: ${defaultPaths.join(', ')}

What it means

When a path is marked required (override === true) and none of the candidate default locations contain the file/directory, resolvePath() throws with the list of paths it searched. This indicates the project is missing a mandatory taskmaster artifact (e.g. PRD, config, tasks file) in every standard location relative to basePath or process.cwd().

Solutions

1. Create the required file in one of the listed searched locations (the message enumerates them).
2. Run the init/creation command that generates the missing artifact (e.g. task-master init or init-prd).
3. Run the CLI from the project root, or pass an explicit override path via config/flags.
4. Pass basePath explicitly if the defaults should be resolved relative to a non-cwd root.

Example fix

// before
cd ~/ && task-master list   // cwd has no .taskmaster
// after
cd /path/to/my-project && task-master list
// or
mkdir -p .taskmaster && task-master init

function firstExisting(paths) {
  return paths.find((p) => fs.existsSync(p)) ?? null;
}
const found = firstExisting(defaultCandidates);
if (!found) {
  // create the artifact or chdir to the project root before invoking
  fs.mkdirSync('.taskmaster', { recursive: true });
}

try {
  paths.prd = tm.resolvePath({ prdPath: true }); // required
} catch (err) {
  if (err.message.startsWith('Required') && err.message.includes('not found. Searched:')) {
    console.error(err.message); // lists searched locations
    console.error('Run `task-master init` in your project root to create missing files');
    process.exit(1);
  }
  throw err;
}

When it happens

Trigger: Running a command that requires e.g. the PRD file in a project that has never had one created; running from the wrong directory so basePath defaults to an empty project; required override true with no explicit path and the file deleted after creation.

Common situations: Fresh clones missing git-ignored .taskmaster artifacts; running the CLI outside the project root in CI; a teammate deleting the required file while config still marks it required; project initialized with a different directory layout than the searched defaults.

Understand the failure class

Background: "File not found" and ENOENT errors: why libraries can't find a file that should exist — this error's family across 50 libraries.

Related errors

• override path does not exist
• Project root override path does not exist
• CONFIG_MISSING
• CONFIG_WRITE_ERROR
• Could not determine project root directory

AI-assisted analysis of eyaltoledano/claude-task-master@c0c98d367c (2026-08-29). Data as JSON: /api/errors/dfb0be4b1d4c282d. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at src/task-master.js:208

					throw new Error(
						`${pathType} override path does not exist: ${resolvedPath}`
					);
				}
			}
			return resolvedPath;
		}

		if (override === true) {
			// Required path - search defaults and fail if not found
			for (const defaultPath of defaultPaths) {
				const fullPath = path.isAbsolute(defaultPath)
					? defaultPath
					: path.join(basePath || process.cwd(), defaultPath);
				if (fs.existsSync(fullPath)) {
					return fullPath;
				}
			}
			throw new Error(
				`Required ${pathType} not found. Searched: ${defaultPaths.join(', ')}`
			);
		}

		// Optional path (override === false/undefined) - search defaults, return null if not found
		for (const defaultPath of defaultPaths) {
			const fullPath = path.isAbsolute(defaultPath)
				? defaultPath
				: path.join(basePath || process.cwd(), defaultPath);
			if (fs.existsSync(fullPath)) {
				return fullPath;
			}
		}

		return null;
	};

	const paths = {};

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