paperclipai/paperclip · error · Error

Selector ' ' is ambiguous (matches both an ID and a…

Error message

Selector '${selector}' is ambiguous (matches both an ID and a shortname). Re-run with --by id or --by prefix.

What it means

In auto mode the selector matched both a company ID and a different company's issue prefix, so the deletion target is ambiguous and the guard demands an explicit --by mode.

Solutions

1. Disambiguate with --by id or --by prefix.

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at cli/src/commands/client/company.ts:1300 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of paperclipai/paperclip@120ae5428f (2026-08-18). Data as JSON: /api/errors/aa0a95dae133e4e5. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at cli/src/commands/client/company.ts:1300

  const idMatch = companies.find((company) => company.id === selector);
  const prefixMatch = companies.find((company) => matchesPrefix(company, selector));

  if (by === "id") {
    if (!idMatch) {
      throw new Error(`No company found by ID '${selector}'.`);
    }
    return idMatch;
  }

  if (by === "prefix") {
    if (!prefixMatch) {
      throw new Error(`No company found by shortname/prefix '${selector}'.`);
    }
    return prefixMatch;
  }

  if (idMatch && prefixMatch && idMatch.id !== prefixMatch.id) {
    throw new Error(
      `Selector '${selector}' is ambiguous (matches both an ID and a shortname). Re-run with --by id or --by prefix.`,
    );
  }

  if (idMatch) return idMatch;
  if (prefixMatch) return prefixMatch;

  throw new Error(
    `No company found for selector '${selector}'. Use company ID or issue prefix (for example PAP).`,
  );
}

export function assertDeleteConfirmation(company: Company, opts: CompanyDeleteOptions): void {
  if (!opts.yes) {
    throw new Error("Deletion requires --yes.");
  }

  const confirm = opts.confirm?.trim();

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