nodejs/node · error · Error

Unknown token id or value "${id}".

Error message

Unknown token id or value "${id}".

What it means

Thrown by `npm token rm` when the id neither prefixes any token key nor is prefixed by any token value. The id simply does not correspond to any current auth token.

Source

Thrown at deps/npm/lib/commands/token.js:132

    }

    const json = this.npm.config.get('json')
    const parseable = this.npm.config.get('parseable')
    const toRemove = []
    log.info('token', `removing ${toRemove.length} tokens`)
    const tokens = await paginate('/-/npm/v1/tokens', this.npm.flatOptions)
    for (const id of args) {
      const matches = tokens.filter(token => token.key.indexOf(id) === 0)
      if (matches.length === 1) {
        toRemove.push(matches[0].key)
      } else if (matches.length > 1) {
        throw new Error(
          `Token ID "${id}" was ambiguous, a new token may have been created since you last ran \`npm token list\`.`
        )
      } else {
        const tokenMatches = tokens.some(t => id.indexOf(t.token) === 0)
        if (!tokenMatches) {
          throw new Error(`Unknown token id or value "${id}".`)
        }

        toRemove.push(id)
      }
    }
    for (const tokenKey of toRemove) {
      await otplease(this.npm, this.npm.flatOptions, opts =>
        fetch(`/-/npm/v1/tokens/token/${tokenKey}`, {
          ...opts,
          method: 'DELETE',
          ignoreBody: true,
        })
      )
    }
    if (json) {
      output.buffer(toRemove)
    } else if (parseable) {
      output.standard(toRemove.join('\t'))

View on GitHub (pinned to 1b2de5e052)

Solutions

1. Re-run `npm token list` to see current valid token ids and copy the exact one.
2. Confirm you are authenticated as the token owner and against the correct registry.
3. Check for typos and stray whitespace in the id argument.

Example fix

// before
npm token rm 00000000-0000-0000   // wrong/expired id
// after
npm token list   // copy exact id, then:
npm token rm <exact-id>

function findToken(id, tokens) {
  const byKey = tokens.filter(t => t.key.indexOf(id) === 0)
  if (byKey.length === 1) return byKey[0].key
  const byValue = tokens.find(t => id.indexOf(t.token) === 0)
  if (byValue) return id
  throw new Error(`Unknown token id or value "${id}". Run \`npm token list\` for valid ids.`)
}

When it happens

Trigger: After `matches.length === 0`, the check `tokens.some(t => id.indexOf(t.token) === 0)` is also false — the id is not a known token key prefix nor a known token value prefix.

Common situations: Token already revoked/expired; typo in the id; token belongs to a different account/registry; stale id copied from an old `npm token list`.

Related errors

• Token ID "${id}" was ambiguous, a new token may have been cr
• ${argv[2]} not recognized
• The ${key} option is protected, and cannot be retrieved in t
• You must specify a tag using --tag when publishing a prerele
• You cannot publish over the previously published versions: $

AI-assisted analysis of nodejs/node@1b2de5e052 (2026-08-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/9b1b663c594743c9. Report an issue: GitHub.