instructure/canvas-lms · error · GraphQL::ExecutionError

no such source context

Error message

no such source context

What it means

ImportOutcomes mutation raises this when sourceContextType/sourceContextId were provided, the type is valid (Account or Course), but no active record with that id exists. The mutation requires the source context to be a real Account or Course before importing outcomes from it.

Solutions

1. Verify the sourceContextId exists via GraphQL node query or rails console (Account.find / Course.find)
2. Ensure id format matches expectations (legacy numeric vs relay global id)
3. Check you are querying the correct shard/root account for the id
4. Confirm the Account/Course was not deleted; pick an existing source context

Example fix

// before
importOutcomes(input: { sourceContextId: "999999", sourceContextType: "Course", targetGroupId: "5", groupId: "3" })
// after: verify first
const ctx = await node({ id: toGlobalId("Course", "999999") }); // must not be null
importOutcomes(input: { sourceContextId: "1234", sourceContextType: "Course", targetGroupId: "5", groupId: "3" });

const node = await graphqlClient.node(toGlobalId(sourceContextType, sourceContextId));
if (!node) throw new Error(`source context ${sourceContextType}#${sourceContextId} does not exist`);

const isSourceContext = (n) => n && ["Account", "Course"].includes(n.__typename);

try {
  await importOutcomes(input);
} catch (e) {
  if (e.message === "no such source context") {
    // re-resolve source context id or omit sourceContext to let the group define it
  }
}

When it happens

Trigger: Calling importOutcomes with sourceContextType:'Account' or 'Course' plus a sourceContextId that matches no record — deleted account/course, wrong shard id, id from another environment, or a numeric legacy id where a global relay id is needed (or vice versa).

Common situations: Copying requests between prod/staging; referencing a course deleted via course cleanup jobs; cross-shard ids without the proper shard-scoped global id; typos in the id; sourceContextId of a User or other non-Account/Course type.

Understand the failure class

Background: "Not found" and "does not exist" errors: why "Task not found", "No such folder", and "Can't find" fire when a lookup comes back empty — this error's family across 14 libraries.

Related errors

• group not found
• no such target group
• invalid context for group
• Outcome is not available in context #
• Outcome is not available in context #

AI-assisted analysis of instructure/canvas-lms@1c9f0bb801 (2026-09-15). Data as JSON: /api/errors/0ac1ffc8f2706ac8. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at app/graphql/mutations/import_outcomes.rb:50

  field :progress, Types::ProgressType, null: true

  VALID_CONTEXTS = %w[Account Course].freeze

  def resolve(input:)
    source_context = nil
    if input[:source_context_type].present?
      if input[:source_context_id].present?
        begin
          source_context = context_class(input[:source_context_type]).find_by(id: input[:source_context_id])
        rescue NameError
          return validation_error(
            I18n.t("invalid value"), attribute: "sourceContextType"
          )
        end

        if source_context.nil?
          raise GraphQL::ExecutionError, I18n.t("no such source context")
        end
      else
        return validation_error(
          I18n.t("sourceContextId required if sourceContextType provided"),
          attribute: "sourceContextId"
        )
      end
    elsif input[:source_context_id].present?
      return validation_error(
        I18n.t("sourceContextType required if sourceContextId provided"),
        attribute: "sourceContextType"
      )
    end

    target_context, target_group = get_target(input)

    verify_authorized_action!(target_context, :manage_outcomes)

View on GitHub (pinned to 1c9f0bb801)