flowable/flowable-engine · error · FlowableObjectNotFoundException

Cannot find case instance for id ${caseInstanceId}

Error message

Cannot find case instance for id ${caseInstanceId}

What it means

FlowableableObjectNotFoundException thrown in AbstractNeedsCaseInstanceCmd.execute after findById on the CaseInstanceEntityManager returns null. The engine verified the id was non-null but no CaseInstanceEntity with that id exists in the runtime tables. Commands like changing case state or submitting a form refuse to proceed without a live case instance.

Source

Thrown at modules/flowable-cmmn-engine/src/main/java/org/flowable/cmmn/engine/impl/cmd/AbstractNeedsCaseInstanceCmd.java:45

 */
public abstract class AbstractNeedsCaseInstanceCmd implements Command<Void>, Serializable {
    
    protected String caseInstanceId;

    public AbstractNeedsCaseInstanceCmd(String caseInstanceId) {
        this.caseInstanceId = caseInstanceId;
    }

    @Override
    public Void execute(CommandContext commandContext) {
        if (caseInstanceId == null) {
            throw new FlowableIllegalArgumentException("Case instance id is null");
        }
        
        CmmnEngineConfiguration cmmnEngineConfiguration = CommandContextUtil.getCmmnEngineConfiguration(commandContext);
        CaseInstanceEntity caseInstanceEntity = cmmnEngineConfiguration.getCaseInstanceEntityManager().findById(caseInstanceId);
        if (caseInstanceEntity == null) {
            throw new FlowableObjectNotFoundException("Cannot find case instance for id " + caseInstanceId, CaseInstanceEntity.class);
        }
        
        internalExecute(commandContext, caseInstanceEntity);
        return null;
    }
    
    protected abstract void internalExecute(CommandContext commandContext, CaseInstanceEntity caseInstanceEntity);
   
}

View on GitHub (pinned to d6d39ce1c6)

Solutions

1. Verify the case instance is still active via cmmnRuntimeService.createCaseInstanceQuery().caseInstanceId(id).singleResult() before the command
2. Use the historical service (cmmnHistoryService) if you only need data for a completed case
3. Confirm the id against the ACT_CMMN_RU_CASE_INST table / Flowable admin UI
4. Check you are pointed at the same database and tenant the case was created in

Example fix

// before
cmmnTaskService.completePlanItemStandaloneForm(planItemInstanceId, caseInstanceId, formInfo, variables);
// after
CaseInstance caseInstance = cmmnRuntimeService.createCaseInstanceQuery().caseInstanceId(caseInstanceId).singleResult();
if (caseInstance == null) {
    throw new IllegalArgumentException("No active case instance for id " + caseInstanceId);
}
cmmnTaskService.completePlanItemStandaloneForm(planItemInstanceId, caseInstanceId, formInfo, variables);

CaseInstance ci = cmmnRuntimeService.createCaseInstanceQuery().caseInstanceId(caseInstanceId).singleResult();
if (ci == null) throw new IllegalStateException("Case instance " + caseInstanceId + " not found or already ended");

try { cmmnTaskService.completePlanItemStandaloneForm(...); }
catch (FlowableObjectNotFoundException e) { log.info("Case instance gone: {}", e.getMessage()); }

When it happens

Trigger: Calling case-level commands with a caseInstanceId that was deleted or never created; using the historic instance id after the case completed (runtime row removed); id from a different engine/database.

Common situations: Id stored/passed around after the case instance ended (runtime rows are removed on completion); typo or truncated id; multi-tenant setup querying the wrong tenant's engine; test using random ids without creating an instance.

Understand the failure class

Background: "Not found" and "does not exist" errors: why "Task not found", "No such folder", and "Can't find" fire when a lookup comes back empty — this error's family across 14 libraries.

Related errors

• Cannot find case instance with id
• Cannot find case instance with id
• case instance ${caseInstanceId} doesn't exist
• No case instance found for id = '${caseInstanceId}'.
• No case instance found for id = '${caseInstanceId}'.

AI-assisted analysis of flowable/flowable-engine@d6d39ce1c6 (2026-09-11). Data as JSON: /api/errors/cc86c531f7a8a56c. Report an issue: GitHub.