What causes "error creating template: path: %s, name: %s: %w" in hasura/graphql-engine?

Validate the template: go run a snippet that parses console.gohtml with text/template to see the exact syntax error

error creating template: path: %s, name: %s: %w

Error message

error creating template: path: %s, name: %s: %w

What it means

After reading the console template bytes, LoadTemplates parses them with text/template; a syntax error in console.gohtml produces 'error creating template' with the path and template name. Only happens with custom/modified templates — the shipped embedded template is well-formed.

Source

Thrown at cli/pkg/console/template.go:103

	r := multitemplate.New()

	for _, templateName := range templateNames {
		templatePath := path + templateName

		templateBytes, err := p.consoleFS.ReadFile(templatePath)
		if err != nil {
			return nil, errors.E(
				op,
				fmt.Errorf("error reading from file: path: %s :%w", templatePath, err),
			)
		}

		theTemplate, err := template.New(templateName).Parse(string(templateBytes))
		if err != nil {
			return nil, errors.E(
				op,
				fmt.Errorf(
					"error creating template: path: %s, name: %s: %w",
					path,
					templateName,
					err,
				),
			)
		}

		r.Add(templateName, theTemplate)
	}

	return r, nil
}

// GetTemplateVersion returns the template version tv required to render
// the console html.
func (p *DefaultTemplateProvider) GetTemplateVersion(v *version.Version) string {
	// pre-release builds

View on GitHub (pinned to 724551b9ae)

Solutions

Validate the template: go run a snippet that parses console.gohtml with text/template to see the exact syntax error
Fix or revert the offending {{ ... }} constructs
Re-extract the original template from the CLI release if it was modified
Test template changes before starting the console

Example fix

// before
<html>{{ if loggedIn }} ...   <!-- missing {{ end }} -->

// after
<html>{{ if loggedIn }} ... {{ end }}

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

// Parse-check custom templates at build time
if _, err := template.New("console.gohtml").ParseFiles(tplPath); err != nil {
    return fmt.Errorf("template syntax error: %w", err)
}

Try / catch

render, err := p.LoadTemplates(path, name)
if err != nil && strings.Contains(err.Error(), "error creating template") {
    // parse files with text/template locally to locate the syntax error
}

Prevention

Lint modified templates by parsing them in CI
Diff custom templates against shipped ones before upgrades
Avoid hand-editing console.gohtml unless necessary

When it happens

Trigger: Supplying a hand-edited or custom console.gohtml containing invalid template syntax (unclosed {{if}}, bad pipelines) that template.New(...).Parse rejects during BuildConsoleRouter.

Common situations: Customizing the console template and introducing syntax errors; template files edited with tools that mangle {{ }} delimiters; version upgrades changing expected template structure.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of hasura/graphql-engine@724551b9ae (2026-08-28). Data as JSON: /api/errors/32196332b0ec6e98. Report an issue: GitHub.