microsoft/semantic-kernel · error · InvalidDataException

Request failed: {nameof(GetIssueDetailAsync)}

Error message

Request failed: {nameof(GetIssueDetailAsync)}

What it means

An InvalidDataException thrown by GetIssueDetailAsync when the /repos/{org}/{repo}/issues/{id} response deserializes to a null GitHubModels.IssueDetail. Indicates the body did not map to the expected issue-detail object.

Source

Thrown at dotnet/samples/LearnResources/Plugins/GitHub/GitHubPlugin.cs:68

        path = BuildQuery(path, "assignee", assignee);
        path = BuildQuery(path, "labels", label);
        path = BuildQuery(path, "per_page", maxResults?.ToString() ?? string.Empty);

        JsonDocument response = await MakeRequestAsync(client, path);

        return response.Deserialize<GitHubModels.Issue[]>() ?? throw new InvalidDataException($"Request failed: {nameof(GetIssuesAsync)}");
    }

    [KernelFunction]
    public async Task<GitHubModels.IssueDetail> GetIssueDetailAsync(string organization, string repo, int issueId)
    {
        using HttpClient client = this.CreateClient();

        string path = $"/repos/{organization}/{repo}/issues/{issueId}";

        JsonDocument response = await MakeRequestAsync(client, path);

        return response.Deserialize<GitHubModels.IssueDetail>() ?? throw new InvalidDataException($"Request failed: {nameof(GetIssueDetailAsync)}");
    }

    private HttpClient CreateClient()
    {
        HttpClient client = new()
        {
            BaseAddress = new Uri(settings.BaseUrl)
        };

        client.DefaultRequestHeaders.Clear();
        client.DefaultRequestHeaders.Add("User-Agent", "request");
        client.DefaultRequestHeaders.Add("Accept", "application/vnd.github+json");
        client.DefaultRequestHeaders.Add("Authorization", $"Bearer {settings.Token}");
        client.DefaultRequestHeaders.Add("X-GitHub-Api-Version", "2022-11-28");

        return client;
    }

View on GitHub (pinned to c028a0c7dc)

Solutions

1. Verify the issueId exists in org/repo and is accessible with the configured token.
2. Inspect the raw response to distinguish a 404 error body from a real IssueDetail payload.
3. Ensure MakeRequestAsync surfaces non-2xx status as exceptions before deserialization.

Example fix

// before
return response.Deserialize<GitHubModels.IssueDetail>() ?? throw new InvalidDataException($"Request failed: {nameof(GetIssueDetailAsync)}");
// after
var detail = response.Deserialize<GitHubModels.IssueDetail>();
if (detail is null) throw new InvalidDataException($"{nameof(GetIssueDetailAsync)}: issue {issueId} in {organization}/{repo} not found or unexpected body.");
return detail;

if (issueId <= 0) throw new ArgumentOutOfRangeException(nameof(issueId));
if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(organization) || string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(repo)) throw new ArgumentException("org/repo required");

bool IsValidIssueId(int id) => id > 0;

try { return await plugin.GetIssueDetailAsync(org, repo, issueId); }
catch (InvalidDataException ex) when (ex.Message.Contains(nameof(GitHubPlugin.GetIssueDetailAsync))) { /* verify issueId exists and token access */ }

When it happens

Trigger: Calling GetIssueDetailAsync(org, repo, issueId) where the endpoint returns a body that yields null on deserialization (404 error JSON, empty body, schema mismatch).

Common situations: Nonexistent issueId (GitHub returns a JSON error object); token without access; API schema drift; issueId is a PR number returning a different shape.

Related errors

• Request failed: {nameof(GetUserProfileAsync)}
• Request failed: {nameof(GetRepositoryAsync)}
• Request failed: {nameof(GetIssuesAsync)}
• Response is not available.
• Failed to parse response: {responseText}

AI-assisted analysis of microsoft/semantic-kernel@c028a0c7dc (2026-08-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/880b86dfbb2fb949. Report an issue: GitHub.