go-redis/redis · error

FTExplainCli is not implemented

Error message

FTExplainCli is not implemented

What it means

FTExplainCli is a stub that always returns this error; FT.EXPLAINCLI was deprecated and removed from RediSearch, so go-redis never sends it. The method exists only for API discoverability and deliberately errors at search_commands.go:1741.

Source

Thrown at search_commands.go:1741

// The 'index' parameter specifies the index to query, the 'query' parameter specifies the query string, and the 'options' parameter specifies the Dialect for the query.
// For more information, please refer to the Redis documentation:
// [FT.EXPLAIN]: (https://redis.io/commands/ft.explain/)
func (c cmdable) FTExplainWithArgs(ctx context.Context, index string, query string, options *FTExplainOptions) *StringCmd {
	args := []interface{}{"FT.EXPLAIN", index, query}
	if options.Dialect != "" {
		args = append(args, "DIALECT", options.Dialect)
	} else {
		args = append(args, "DIALECT", 2)
	}
	cmd := NewStringCmd(ctx, args...)
	_ = c(ctx, cmd)
	return cmd
}

// FTExplainCli - Returns the execution plan for a complex query. [Not Implemented]
// For more information, see https://redis.io/commands/ft.explaincli/
func (c cmdable) FTExplainCli(ctx context.Context, key, path string) error {
	return fmt.Errorf("FTExplainCli is not implemented")
}

// parseFTAttributeFromMap parses an FTAttribute from a RESP3 map format
func parseFTAttributeFromMap(attrMap map[interface{}]interface{}) FTAttribute {
	att := FTAttribute{}
	for k, v := range attrMap {
		key := internal.ToLower(internal.ToString(k))
		switch key {
		case "attribute":
			att.Attribute = internal.ToString(v)
		case "identifier":
			att.Identifier = internal.ToString(v)
		case "type":
			att.Type = internal.ToString(v)
		case "weight":
			att.Weight = internal.ToFloat(v)
		case "phonetic":
			att.PhoneticMatcher = internal.ToString(v)

View on GitHub (pinned to 36d97525cd)

Solutions

1. Use FTExplain or FTExplainWithArgs instead, which return the execution plan for a query.
2. Remove all FTExplainCli references from your code; it cannot be made to work.
3. If you need CLI-style output, run redis-cli directly against the server.

Example fix

// before
client.FTExplainCli(ctx, "myidx", q)

// after
client.FTExplainWithArgs(ctx, "myidx", q, &redis.FTExplainOptions{Dialect: "2"})

// FTExplainCli cannot work; route to FTExplainWithArgs instead.
cmd := client.FTExplainWithArgs(ctx, index, query, &redis.FTExplainOptions{Dialect: "2"})

if err := client.FTExplainCli(ctx, index, query); err != nil {
    if strings.Contains(err.Error(), "not implemented") {
        // switch to FTExplainWithArgs
    }
}

When it happens

Trigger: Calling client.FTExplainCli(ctx, key, path). Any call returns the error immediately without touching the connection.

Common situations: Porting code from an older client/docs that referenced FT.EXPLAINCLI, or autocomplete suggesting FTExplainCli next to FTExplain.

Related errors

• not implemented
• GeoRadius does not support Store or StoreDist
• GeoRadiusByMember does not support Store or StoreDist
• redis: invalid map key %#v
• redis: unexpected response %#v

AI-assisted analysis of go-redis/redis@36d97525cd (2026-08-06). Data as JSON: /data/errors/e07e89199b86aa8f.json. Report an issue: GitHub.