instructure/canvas-lms · error · Canvas::Migration::Error

no_migration_file

no_migration_file

Error message

File required for content migration.

What it means

ZipFileWorker#perform requires an archive source: the content migration's attachment, or a file_url to download. If neither exists (and settings do not disable the archive-file requirement), Canvas::Migration::Error with 'File required for content migration.' is raised (I18n key :no_migration_file).

Solutions

1. Attach a file to the content migration (cm.attachment = ...) or set cm.migration_settings[:file_url] before queueing the job
2. Re-run the import through the UI so the upload completes before the worker processes
3. Verify the attachment wasn't deleted/failed upload (check file_state) between enqueue and perform
4. For API-driven migrations, include file_url in migration_settings when not uploading directly

Example fix

// before (API body)
{ "migration_type": "zip_file_importer", "settings": { "folder_id": 12 } }
// after
{ "migration_type": "zip_file_importer", "settings": { "folder_id": 12, "file_url": "https://files.example.com/pkg.zip" } }

raise 'no source file' if cm.attachment.nil? && cm.migration_settings[:file_url].blank?

has_source = !cm.attachment.nil? || cm.migration_settings[:file_url].present?

begin
  cm.run
rescue Canvas::Migration::Error => e
  if e.message.include?('File required')
    redirect_to upload_step_path(cm)
  end
end

When it happens

Trigger: Performing a zip_file_importer / unzip migration when cm.attachment is nil and cm.migration_settings[:file_url] is not set.

Common situations: Creating a ContentMigration via API without attaching a file or passing file_url, attachment deleted before the job ran, migration settings lost between queueing and processing.

Understand the failure class

Background: "missing required argument" and "the following required arguments were not provided": what required-argument errors mean and how to fix them — this error's family across 20 libraries.

Related errors

• File not found
• File required for content migration.
• att.upload_error_message
• # : #
• Destination '# ' already exists

AI-assisted analysis of instructure/canvas-lms@1c9f0bb801 (2026-09-15). Data as JSON: /api/errors/840401384803b08d. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at lib/canvas/migration/worker/zip_file_worker.rb:37

#
class Canvas::Migration::Worker::ZipFileWorker < Canvas::Migration::Worker::Base
  def perform(cm = nil)
    cm ||= ContentMigration.find migration_id
    cm.save if cm.capture_job_id

    cm.workflow_state = :importing
    cm.migration_settings[:skip_import_notification] = true
    cm.job_progress.start
    cm.save

    begin
      if cm.attachment
        zipfile = cm.attachment.open
      elsif cm.migration_settings[:file_url]
        att = Canvas::Migration::Worker.download_attachment(cm, cm.migration_settings[:file_url])
        zipfile = att.open
      elsif !settings[:no_archive_file]
        raise Canvas::Migration::Error, I18n.t(:no_migration_file, "File required for content migration.")
      end

      folder = cm.context.folders.find(cm.migration_settings[:folder_id])

      update_callback = lambda do |pct|
        percent_complete = pct * 100

        scaled = percent_complete

        if cm.import_immediately?
          scaled = (scaled / 2) + 50
        end

        # Only update if progress has incremented 1 percent
        if scaled - cm.progress >= 1
          cm.update_import_progress(percent_complete)
        end
      end

View on GitHub (pinned to 1c9f0bb801)