nexu-io/open-design · error · RuntimeError

EXA_API_KEY is required when web_backend='exa'

Error message

EXA_API_KEY is required when web_backend='exa'

What it means

Same dispatcher guard as 532 but for the 'exa' branch: backend resolved to 'exa' (forced, or auto because EXA_API_KEY was the first truthy key) yet config.get('EXA_API_KEY') is falsy at the brave/exa/serper/parallel dispatch block. RuntimeError names the missing key and the backend that requires it.

Source

Thrown at design-templates/last30days/scripts/lib/grounding.py:216

        if config.get("BRAVE_API_KEY"):
            backend = "brave"
        elif config.get("EXA_API_KEY"):
            backend = "exa"
        elif config.get("SERPER_API_KEY"):
            backend = "serper"
        elif config.get("PARALLEL_API_KEY"):
            backend = "parallel"
        else:
            return [], {}
    if backend == "brave":
        key = config.get("BRAVE_API_KEY")
        if not key:
            raise RuntimeError("BRAVE_API_KEY is required when web_backend='brave'")
        return brave_search(query, date_range, key)
    if backend == "exa":
        key = config.get("EXA_API_KEY")
        if not key:
            raise RuntimeError("EXA_API_KEY is required when web_backend='exa'")
        return exa_search(query, date_range, key)
    if backend == "serper":
        key = config.get("SERPER_API_KEY")
        if not key:
            raise RuntimeError("SERPER_API_KEY is required when web_backend='serper'")
        return serper_search(query, date_range, key)
    if backend == "parallel":
        key = config.get("PARALLEL_API_KEY")
        if not key:
            raise RuntimeError("PARALLEL_API_KEY is required when web_backend='parallel'")
        return parallel_search(query, date_range, key)
    if backend != "none":
        raise ValueError(f"Unsupported web backend: {backend!r}")
    return [], {}


# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
# Helpers

View on GitHub (pinned to 5be4028344)

Solutions

1. Export EXA_API_KEY and rerun.
2. Switch to a backend you have a key for, or use `--web-backend auto` / `--web-backend none`.

Example fix

# before
python3.12 last30days.py --topic x --web-backend exa   # EXA_API_KEY unset
# after
export EXA_API_KEY=...
python3.12 last30days.py --topic x --web-backend exa

if web_backend == 'exa' and not config.get('EXA_API_KEY'):
    raise RuntimeError("EXA_API_KEY is required when web_backend='exa'")

When it happens

Trigger: `--web-backend exa` (or LAST30DAYS_WEB_BACKEND=exa) with no EXA_API_KEY in the resolved config.

Common situations: Forcing exa without the key; .env not loaded; CI secret missing; key renamed.

Related errors

• BRAVE_API_KEY is required when web_backend='brave'
• SERPER_API_KEY is required when web_backend='serper'
• PARALLEL_API_KEY is required when web_backend='parallel'
• Unsupported web backend: {backend!r}
• No sources are available for this run.

AI-assisted analysis of nexu-io/open-design@5be4028344 (2026-08-12). Data as JSON: /api/errors/f9e54d905daa6d43. Report an issue: GitHub.