microsoft/semantic-kernel · error · ServiceInitializationError

Error: Azure Cognitive Search credentials not set.

Error message

Error: Azure Cognitive Search credentials not set.

What it means

Defensive guard in `get_search_index_async_client`: after the credential-resolution block, it asserts that at least one of `azure_credential`/`token_credential` is non-None, raising `ServiceInitializationError` otherwise. Under the current if/elif/else flow this is largely unreachable because the `else` branch (error 1373) already raises when nothing is supplied; it protects against a regression where credentials end up None unexpectedly.

Source

Thrown at python/semantic_kernel/connectors/memory_stores/azure_cognitive_search/utils.py:69

    if service_endpoint is None:
        print(service_endpoint)
        raise ServiceInitializationError("Error: Azure Cognitive Search client not set.")

    # Credentials
    if admin_key:
        azure_credential = AzureKeyCredential(admin_key)
    elif azure_credential:
        azure_credential = azure_credential
    elif token_credential:
        token_credential = token_credential
    elif os.getenv(ENV_VAR_API_KEY):
        azure_credential = AzureKeyCredential(os.getenv(ENV_VAR_API_KEY))
    else:
        raise ServiceInitializationError("Error: missing Azure Cognitive Search client credentials.")

    if azure_credential is None and token_credential is None:
        raise ServiceInitializationError("Error: Azure Cognitive Search credentials not set.")

    sk_headers = {USER_AGENT: "Semantic-Kernel"}

    if azure_credential:
        return SearchIndexClient(endpoint=service_endpoint, credential=azure_credential, headers=sk_headers)

    if token_credential:
        return SearchIndexClient(endpoint=service_endpoint, credential=token_credential, headers=sk_headers)

    raise ValueError("Error: unable to create Azure Cognitive Search client.")


def get_index_schema(vector_size: int, vector_search_profile_name: str) -> list:
    """Return the schema of search indexes.

    Args:
        vector_size (int): The size of the vectors being stored in collection/index.
        vector_search_profile_name (str): The name of the vector search profile.

View on GitHub (pinned to c028a0c7dc)

Solutions

1. Provide a valid `admin_key`, `azure_credential`, or `token_credential` (or `AZURE_COGNITIVE_SEARCH_ADMIN_KEY`) so resolution succeeds at the earlier branches.
2. If encountered unexpectedly, audit any monkeypatching of the credential arguments or the factory.
3. Report as a bug if reached during normal configuration.

# Defensive/unreachable under normal flow; ensure a credential object is truthy.
assert azure_credential or token_credential, "credential objects unexpectedly None"

def has_resolved_credential(azure_credential, token_credential) -> bool:
    return bool(azure_credential) or bool(token_credential)

from semantic_kernel.exceptions import ServiceInitializationError
try:
    client = get_search_index_async_client(...)
except ServiceInitializationError as e:
    if "credentials not set" in str(e):
        raise SystemExit("credential resolution regression; supply valid credential") from e
    raise

When it happens

Trigger: Reachable only if the credential assignment logic is altered so both variables remain None while skipping the `else` raise, or via unusual monkeypatching. Under normal control flow it does not fire because error 1373 fires first.

Common situations: Test harness patching credential objects to None; a refactor breaking the credential branches; passing a falsy credential object that the branches skip.

Related errors

• Error: unable to create Azure Cognitive Search client.
• Error: self._search_index_client not set 1.
• Error: Azure Cognitive Search client not set.
• Error: missing Azure Cognitive Search client credentials.
• Failed to create Azure Cognitive Search settings.

AI-assisted analysis of microsoft/semantic-kernel@c028a0c7dc (2026-08-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/04844cae2d038eea. Report an issue: GitHub.