cannot use both --allow-offline and --allow-delegated flags

Error message

cannot use both --allow-offline and --allow-delegated flags

What it means

`ipfs ipns put` treats --allow-offline and --allow-delegated as mutually exclusive publishing modes: local-only storage versus HTTP publishing via delegated publishers. Passing both is rejected outright before any publishing happens.

Source

Thrown at core/commands/name/name.go:446

	Run: func(req *cmds.Request, res cmds.ResponseEmitter, env cmds.Environment) error {
		nd, err := cmdenv.GetNode(env)
		if err != nil {
			return err
		}

		api, err := cmdenv.GetApi(env, req)
		if err != nil {
			return err
		}

		// Parse options
		force, _ := req.Options[forceOptionName].(bool)
		allowOffline, _ := req.Options[putAllowOfflineOption].(bool)
		allowDelegated, _ := req.Options[allowDelegatedOption].(bool)

		// Validate flag combinations
		if allowOffline && allowDelegated {
			return errors.New("cannot use both --allow-offline and --allow-delegated flags")
		}

		// Handle different publishing modes
		if allowDelegated {
			// AllowDelegated mode: check if delegated publishers are configured
			cfg, err := nd.Repo.Config()
			if err != nil {
				return fmt.Errorf("failed to read config: %w", err)
			}
			delegatedPublishers := cfg.DelegatedPublishersWithAutoConf()
			if len(delegatedPublishers) == 0 {
				return errors.New("no delegated publishers configured: add Ipns.DelegatedPublishers or use --allow-offline for local-only publishing")
			}
			// For allow-delegated mode, we proceed even if offline
			// since we're using HTTP publishing via delegated publishers
		}

		// Parse the IPNS name argument

View on GitHub (pinned to 329838acdf)

Solutions

Choose one mode: use --allow-offline for local-only publishing, or --allow-delegated for delegated publishers
Remove one of the two flags from the invoking script/profile

Example fix

// before
ipfs ipns put --allow-offline --allow-delegated --key=self record.bin
// error: cannot use both --allow-offline and --allow-delegated flags
// after
ipfs ipns put --allow-delegated --key=self record.bin

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

if allowOffline && allowDelegated {
    return errors.New("choose either --allow-offline or --allow-delegated, not both")
}

Prevention

Never build flag sets from config that could contain both modes
Pick one publishing mode per script/environment

When it happens

Trigger: Invoking `ipfs ipns put --allow-offline --allow-delegated ...` with both boolean flags set.

Common situations: Scripts accumulating flags from config where both modes were enabled, or users unsure which mode applies and passing both 'to be safe'.

Understand the failure class

Background: "mutually exclusive" flag errors: what "can't supply both nx and xx", "--raw is not compatible with -i" and "cannot be used with" mean, and how to fix them — this error's family across 29 libraries.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of ipfs/kubo@329838acdf (2026-09-03). Data as JSON: /api/errors/ad5ace0d9eb8882b. Report an issue: GitHub.