ipfs/kubo · error

no delegated publishers configured: add Ipns.DelegatedPublis

Error message

no delegated publishers configured: add Ipns.DelegatedPublishers or use --allow-offline for local-only publishing

What it means

`ipfs ipns put --allow-delegated` requires at least one entry in Ipns.DelegatedPublishers (after AutoConf expansion). If cfg.DelegatedPublishersWithAutoConf() returns an empty list, publishing to delegated endpoints is impossible, so the command stops and points the user at the config option or the --allow-offline alternative.

Source

Thrown at core/commands/name/name.go:458

		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
		nameArg := req.Arguments[0]
		if !strings.HasPrefix(nameArg, "/ipns/") {
			nameArg = "/ipns/" + nameArg
		}
		// Extract the name part after /ipns/
		namePart := strings.TrimPrefix(nameArg, "/ipns/")
		name, err := ipns.NameFromString(namePart)
		if err != nil {
			return fmt.Errorf("invalid IPNS name: %w", err)
		}

		// Read raw record bytes from file/stdin

View on GitHub (pinned to 329838acdf)

Solutions

1. Configure publishers: `ipfs config --json Ipns.DelegatedPublishers '["https://publisher.example"]'`
2. Ensure AutoConf is enabled/reachable so defaults can populate the list
3. Use `--allow-offline` instead if local-only publishing is acceptable

Example fix

// before
ipfs ipns put --allow-delegated --key=self record.bin
// error: no delegated publishers configured: ...
// after
ipfs config --json Ipns.DelegatedPublishers '["https://delegated-publisher.example"]'
ipfs ipns put --allow-delegated --key=self record.bin

// pre-check before invoking with --allow-delegated
cfg, _ := node.Repo.Config()
pubs := cfg.DelegatedPublishersWithAutoConf()
if len(pubs) == 0 { /* configure publishers or use --allow-offline */ }

When it happens

Trigger: `ipfs ipns put --allow-delegated ...` on a node where Ipns.DelegatedPublishers is empty and AutoConf does not supply defaults (e.g. AutoConf disabled or unreachable).

Common situations: Fresh nodes without delegated publisher configuration, AutoConf turned off in config, or air-gapped setups where auto-discovery of publishers cannot run.

Understand the failure class

Background: "missing required config value" errors: why libraries refuse to start when a configuration key is empty, unset, or blank — this error's family across 48 libraries.

Related errors

• failed to read config: %w
• cannot specify negative resolve cache size
• failed to read config: %w
• no delegated publishers configured: add Ipns.DelegatedPublis
• cannot specify negative resolve cache size

AI-assisted analysis of ipfs/kubo@329838acdf (2026-09-03). Data as JSON: /api/errors/197202cee7a3125e. Report an issue: GitHub.