paperclipai/paperclip · error · Error

Paperclip server entrypoint did not export startServer()

Error message

Paperclip server entrypoint did not export startServer(): ${label}

What it means

startServerFromModule inspected the imported server module and found no startServer export, so the loaded entrypoint is not a valid Paperclip server.

Solutions

1. Ensure the resolved server entrypoint exports startServer(); use a supported Paperclip server build.

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at cli/src/commands/run.ts:224 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of paperclipai/paperclip@01ad858492 (2026-08-18). Data as JSON: /api/errors/ea6c2dc6f14e7a62. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at cli/src/commands/run.ts:250

  // Production mode: import the published @paperclipai/server package
  try {
    const mod = await import("@paperclipai/server");
    return await startServerFromModule(mod, "@paperclipai/server");
  } catch (err) {
    const missingSpecifier = getMissingModuleSpecifier(err);
    const missingServerEntrypoint = !missingSpecifier || missingSpecifier === "@paperclipai/server";
    if (isModuleNotFoundError(err) && missingServerEntrypoint) {
      throw new Error(
        `Could not locate a Paperclip server entrypoint.\n` +
          `Tried: ${devEntry}, @paperclipai/server\n` +
          `${formatError(err)}`,
      );
    }
    throw new Error(
      `Paperclip server failed to start.\n` +
        `${formatError(err)}`,
    );
  }
}

function shouldGenerateBootstrapInviteAfterStart(config: PaperclipConfig): boolean {
  return config.server.deploymentMode === "authenticated" && config.database.mode === "embedded-postgres";
}

async function startServerFromModule(mod: unknown, label: string): Promise<StartedServer> {
  const startServer = (mod as { startServer?: () => Promise<StartedServer> }).startServer;
  if (typeof startServer !== "function") {
    throw new Error(`Paperclip server entrypoint did not export startServer(): ${label}`);
  }
  return await startServer();
}

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