microsoft/semantic-kernel · error · ArgumentException

Invalid execution settings, cannot convert to

Error message

Invalid execution settings, cannot convert to {nameof(AzureAIInferencePromptExecutionSettings)}

What it means

Thrown by AzureAIInferencePromptExecutionSettings.FromExecutionSettings when an incoming PromptExecutionSettings cannot be converted. Conversion first short-circuits for null and same-type inputs, then serializes the object to JSON and deserializes into AzureAIInferencePromptExecutionSettings using JsonOptionsCache.ReadPermissive. If that deserialization yields null, an ArgumentException is thrown.

Solutions

1. Construct an AzureAIInferencePromptExecutionSettings directly instead of relying on cross-type conversion.
2. Ensure the source settings object JSON-serializes to a non-null JSON object with known properties.
3. If loading from config, validate the settings node exists and is an object before FromExecutionSettings.
4. Catch ArgumentException around settings conversion and provide a clear configuration error.

Example fix

// before
var settings = PromptExecutionSettings.FromDictionary(configDict);
var azure = AzureAIInferencePromptExecutionSettings.FromExecutionSettings(settings);
// throws if configDict deserializes to null

// after
var azure = new AzureAIInferencePromptExecutionSettings
{
    Temperature = 0.7f,
    MaxTokens = 512
};

// pre-flight: ensure the settings JSON is a non-null object
var json = JsonSerializer.Serialize(executionSettings);
using var doc = JsonDocument.Parse(json);
if (doc.RootElement.ValueKind != JsonValueKind.Object)
    throw new ArgumentException("Execution settings must serialize to a JSON object.");
var azure = AzureAIInferencePromptExecutionSettings.FromExecutionSettings(executionSettings);

bool IsConvertibleToAzureAI(PromptExecutionSettings? s)
{
    if (s is null || s is AzureAIInferencePromptExecutionSettings) return true;
    var json = JsonSerializer.Serialize(s);
    using var doc = JsonDocument.Parse(json);
    return doc.RootElement.ValueKind == JsonValueKind.Object;
}

try { return AzureAIInferencePromptExecutionSettings.FromExecutionSettings(settings); }
catch (ArgumentException ex) when (ex.Message.Contains("cannot convert to AzureAIInferencePromptExecutionSettings"))
{ throw new ConfigurationException("Execution settings could not be converted to AzureAIInferencePromptExecutionSettings.", ex); }

When it happens

Trigger: Passing an execution settings instance whose JSON serialization deserializes to null for AzureAIInferencePromptExecutionSettings — e.g. a malformed ExtensionData, a settings subclass with incompatible constructor/property shapes, or a Dictionary-backed settings whose JSON root is not an object. Also from a config file where the settings node cannot bind.

Common situations: Hand-constructing a PromptExecutionSettings from an anonymous/dictionary object whose JSON form is empty or non-object. Loading settings from YAML/JSON config where the node is missing or null. Passing an OpenAI-specific settings object with fields that fail permissive binding.

Related errors

• Failed to parse the provided audio options from JSON…
• Failed to parse the provided audio options from string…
• The provided response modalities
• The provided response modalities JSON array may only…
• The provided response modalities

AI-assisted analysis of microsoft/semantic-kernel@c028a0c7dc (2026-08-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/36d27f224ce23b91. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at dotnet/src/Connectors/Connectors.AzureAIInference/Settings/AzureAIInferencePromptExecutionSettings.cs:264

        if (executionSettings is null)
        {
            return new AzureAIInferencePromptExecutionSettings();
        }

        if (executionSettings is AzureAIInferencePromptExecutionSettings settings)
        {
            return settings;
        }

        var json = JsonSerializer.Serialize(executionSettings);

        var aiInferenceSettings = JsonSerializer.Deserialize<AzureAIInferencePromptExecutionSettings>(json, JsonOptionsCache.ReadPermissive);
        if (aiInferenceSettings is not null)
        {
            return aiInferenceSettings;
        }

        throw new ArgumentException($"Invalid execution settings, cannot convert to {nameof(AzureAIInferencePromptExecutionSettings)}", nameof(executionSettings));
    }

    #region private ================================================================================

    private string? _extraParameters;
    private float? _frequencyPenalty;
    private float? _presencePenalty;
    private float? _temperature;
    private float? _nucleusSamplingFactor;
    private int? _maxTokens;
    private object? _responseFormat;
    private IList<string>? _stopSequences;
    private IList<ChatCompletionsToolDefinition>? _tools;
    private long? _seed;

    #endregion
}

View on GitHub (pinned to c028a0c7dc)