hashicorp/vagrant · error · Vagrant::Errors::VagrantfileTemplateNotFoundError

The Vagrantfile template '%{path}' does not exist. Please do

Error message

The Vagrantfile template '%{path}' does not exist. Please double check the template path and try again.

What it means

`vagrant init --template PATH` verifies the template resolves to a real file after stripping a trailing `.erb`. When a custom template is supplied, no template_root is set, so the path is interpreted as given (relative to the current working directory); only the built-in names Vagrantfile / Vagrantfile.min resolve against templates/commands/init. File.file? returning false raises Vagrant::Errors::VagrantfileTemplateNotFoundError with the resolved path in %{path}.

Source

Thrown at plugins/commands/init/command.rb:80

        # Determine the template and template root to use
        template_root = ""
        if options[:template].nil?
          options[:template] = "Vagrantfile"

          if options[:minimal]
            options[:template] = "Vagrantfile.min"
          end

          template_root = ::Vagrant.source_root.join("templates/commands/init")
        end

        # Strip the .erb extension off the template if the user passes it in
        options[:template] = options[:template].chomp(".erb")

        # Make sure the template actually exists
        full_template_path = Vagrant::Util::TemplateRenderer.new(options[:template], template_root: template_root).full_template_path
        if !File.file?(full_template_path)
          raise Vagrant::Errors::VagrantfileTemplateNotFoundError, path: full_template_path
        end

        contents = Vagrant::Util::TemplateRenderer.render(options[:template],
          box_name: argv[0] || "base",
          box_url: argv[1],
          box_version: options[:box_version],
          template_root: template_root
        )

        if save_path
          # Write out the contents
          begin
            save_path.open("w+") do |f|
              f.write(contents)
            end
          rescue Errno::EACCES
            raise Vagrant::Errors::VagrantfileWriteError
          end

View on GitHub (pinned to 35f3160f4a)

Solutions

Verify the path from the directory you run vagrant in: `ls -l <path>`.
Pass an absolute path: `vagrant init --template /abs/path/to/template <box>`.
Drop --template to use the built-in Vagrantfile / Vagrantfile.min (with --minimal) templates.

Example fix

# before
vagrant init --template templates/base.erb mybox   # run from the wrong cwd
# after
vagrant init --template /home/me/project/templates/base.erb mybox

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

tpl = File.expand_path(ARGV['--template']) rescue nil
abort "template not found: #{tpl}" unless tpl && File.file?(tpl)
system('vagrant', 'init', '--template', tpl, 'mybox')

Try / catch

begin
  Vagrant::Environment.new.cli(['init', '--template', tpl, 'mybox'])
rescue Vagrant::Errors::VagrantfileTemplateNotFoundError => e
  warn e.extra_data[:path] # the resolved path that failed
  exit 1
end

Prevention

Pass absolute paths for custom templates.
Remember init strips a trailing .erb before checking existence.
Store project templates in a fixed location and reference them relative to the repo root.

When it happens

Trigger: `vagrant init --template my-template.erb box` where the file is not in the cwd; a typo'd or absolute path that does not exist; --template pointing at a directory (File.file? is false for directories).

Common situations: Running init from a different directory than where the template lives; templates referenced from a moved/renamed repo folder; .erb extension confusion (init strips it, so the on-disk name must still match after stripping).

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of hashicorp/vagrant@35f3160f4a (2026-08-21). Data as JSON: /api/errors/c4150e7788050860. Report an issue: GitHub.