n8n-io/n8n · error · Error

Unknown flag: ${flag} Valid flags: ${formatValidFlags()}

Error message

Unknown flag: ${flag}

Valid flags:
  ${formatValidFlags()}

What it means

Error "Unknown flag: ${flag} Valid flags: ${formatValidFlags()}" thrown in n8n-io/n8n.

Source

Thrown at packages/@n8n/ai-workflow-builder.ee/evaluations/cli/argument-parser.ts:428

	return Array.isArray(value) && value.every((v): v is string => typeof v === 'string');
}

function parseCli(argv: string[]): {
	values: Partial<Record<CliKey, unknown>>;
	seenKeys: Set<CliKey>;
} {
	const values: Partial<Record<CliKey, unknown>> = {};
	const seenKeys = new Set<CliKey>();

	for (let i = 0; i < argv.length; i++) {
		const token = argv[i];
		if (!token.startsWith('-')) continue;

		const { flag, inlineValue } = splitFlagToken(token);
		const def = FLAG_TO_KEY[flag];

		if (!def) {
			throw new Error(`Unknown flag: ${flag}\n\nValid flags:\n  ${formatValidFlags()}`);
		}

		seenKeys.add(def.key);

		if (def.kind === 'boolean') {
			values[def.key] = true;
			continue;
		}

		const value = inlineValue ?? ensureValue(argv, i, flag);
		if (inlineValue === undefined) i++;

		if (def.key === 'filter') {
			const existing = values.filter;
			values.filter = isStringArray(existing) ? [...existing, value] : [value];
			continue;
		}

View on GitHub (pinned to 5ac6606e81)

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at packages/@n8n/ai-workflow-builder.ee/evaluations/cli/argument-parser.ts:428 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of n8n-io/n8n@5ac6606e81 (2026-08-12). Data as JSON: /api/errors/8aea6e89a7bb97e7. Report an issue: GitHub.