instructure/canvas-lms · error · Checkpoints::FlagDisabledError

discussion_checkpoints feature flag must be enabled

Error message

discussion_checkpoints feature flag must be enabled

What it means

Checkpoints::DiscussionCheckpointCommonService#validate_flag_enabled checks that the discussion topic's root context has the discussion_checkpoints feature enabled via discussion_checkpoints_enabled?. If not, it raises FlagDisabledError. All discussion checkpoint create/update/delete services run this guard before doing any work, since checkpoints are gated behind the feature flag.

Solutions

  1. Enable the discussion_checkpoints feature flag for the account (or site admin) via Account settings UI or rails console: account.enable_feature!(:discussion_checkpoints).
  2. In tests, stub the flag before calling the service.
  3. Confirm the discussion topic belongs to a Course context, not a group/user context without the flag.

Example fix

// before (spec)
creator.call(discussion_topic:, dates: ...)
// after
allow_any_instance_of(Account).to receive(:discussion_checkpoints_enabled?).and_return(true)
creator.call(discussion_topic:, dates: ...)
Defensive patterns

Strategy: try-catch

Validate before calling

unless discussion_topic.context.discussion_checkpoints_enabled?
  raise Checkpoints::FlagDisabledError
end

Try / catch

begin
  service.call(...)
rescue Checkpoints::FlagDisabledError
  render json: { error: 'discussion_checkpoints is not enabled for this context' }, status: :forbidden
end

Prevention

When it happens

Trigger: Any create/update/delete call on Checkpoints discussion services (e.g. DiscussionCheckpointCreatorService#call) for a course/account where the :discussion_checkpoints feature flag is off; calling with a discussion_topic in a context (e.g. a user or group context) that doesn't support the flag.

Common situations: Testing checkpoint code locally without enabling the flag; staging/production environments where the flag hasn't been enabled for the account; requests hitting a course in an account that opted out; specs that forget to stub Account.site_admin.feature_enabled?(:discussion_checkpoints).

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of instructure/canvas-lms@1c9f0bb801 (2026-09-15). Data as JSON: /api/errors/2df46bd787353986. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at app/services/checkpoints/discussion_checkpoint_common_service.rb:37

class Checkpoints::DiscussionCheckpointCommonService < ApplicationService
  def initialize(discussion_topic:, checkpoint_label:, dates:, points_possible: nil, replies_required: 1, saved_by: nil, updating_user: nil)
    super()
    @discussion_topic = discussion_topic
    @assignment = discussion_topic.assignment
    @checkpoint_label = checkpoint_label
    @dates = dates
    @points_possible = points_possible
    @replies_required = replies_required
    @saved_by = saved_by
    @updating_user = updating_user
  end

  private

  def validate_flag_enabled
    unless @discussion_topic.context.discussion_checkpoints_enabled?
      raise Checkpoints::FlagDisabledError, "discussion_checkpoints feature flag must be enabled"
    end
  end

  def validate_dates
    valid_date_types = %w[everyone override].freeze

    @dates.each do |date|
      if date[:type].blank?
        raise Checkpoints::DateTypeRequiredError, "each date must have a type specified ('everyone' or 'override')"
      end
      unless valid_date_types.include?(date[:type])
        raise Checkpoints::InvalidDateTypeError, "invalid date type: #{date[:type]}"
      end
    end
  end

  def attributes_to_inherit_from_parent
    # TODO: handle peer reviews

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