n8n-io/n8n · warning · NotFoundError

Could not find the folder: ${folderId}

Error message

Could not find the folder: ${folderId}

What it means

NotFoundError (HTTP 404) whose message is the `FolderNotFoundError.message` (template 'Could not find the folder: <folderId>'), re-thrown at folder.controller.ts:73 inside `createFolder` when `folderService.createFolder(payload, projectId)` rejects with `FolderNotFoundError` — typically because the requested parent folder in the payload does not exist in the project.

Source

Thrown at packages/cli/src/controllers/folder.controller.ts:73

		}
	}

	@Post('/')
	@ProjectScope('folder:create')
	@Licensed('feat:folders')
	async createFolder(
		req: AuthenticatedRequest<{ projectId: string }>,
		_res: Response,
		@Body payload: CreateFolderDto,
	) {
		const { projectId } = req.params;

		try {
			const folder = await this.folderService.createFolder(payload, projectId);
			return folder;
		} catch (e) {
			if (e instanceof FolderNotFoundError) {
				throw new NotFoundError(e.message);
			}
			throw new InternalServerError(undefined, e);
		}
	}

	@Get('/:folderId/tree')
	@ProjectScope('folder:read')
	@Licensed('feat:folders')
	async getFolderTree(
		req: AuthenticatedRequest<{ projectId: string; folderId: string }>,
		_res: Response,
	) {
		const { projectId, folderId } = req.params;

		try {
			const tree = await this.folderService.getFolderTree(folderId, projectId);
			return tree;
		} catch (e) {

View on GitHub (pinned to 5ac6606e81)

Solutions

1. Confirm the parent folder exists in the same project via `GET /projects/<projectId>/folders`.
2. Omit `parentFolderId` (or set to null) to create at the project root.
3. Refresh the folder tree before submitting and re-send with the current parent ID.
4. Guard against deleted parents in the client before submit.

Example fix

// before
POST /projects/p1/folders  { "parentFolderId": "stale-xyz", "name": "Sub" }
// 404 Could not find the folder: stale-xyz

// after
POST /projects/p1/folders  { "name": "Root" }

async function parentExists(svc: FolderService, projectId: string, parentId?: string) {
  if (!parentId) return true; // root
  try { await svc.getFolderTree(parentId, projectId); return true; } catch { return false; }
}
// gate createFolder on parentExists(...)

const isCreateFolderDto = (p: unknown): p is { name: string; parentFolderId?: string } =>
  typeof p === 'object' && p !== null && typeof (p as any).name === 'string';

try { await createFolder(payload, projectId); }
catch (e) { if (e instanceof NotFoundError && /Could not find the folder/.test(e.message)) { /* clear stale parent id */ } }

When it happens

Trigger: POST `/projects/<projectId>/folders` with a `parentFolderId` (inside the `CreateFolderDto`) that does not exist in that project. The service lookup of the parent fails and surfaces as `FolderNotFoundError`.

Common situations: UI bug sending a stale parent ID; parent folder deleted between dialog open and submit; cross-project parent reference; manually crafted payloads with wrong IDs.

Related errors

• Project not found
• error.message
• Internal Server Error
• File not found: ${path}
• Down migration only possible when there are no projects. Ple

AI-assisted analysis of n8n-io/n8n@5ac6606e81 (2026-08-12). Data as JSON: /api/errors/cf9cf783eb2a7b7f. Report an issue: GitHub.