python-telegram-bot/python-telegram-bot · error · ValueError

current_offset and auto_pagination are mutually exclusive!

Error message

current_offset and auto_pagination are mutually exclusive!

What it means

InlineQuery.answer raises ValueError when both `current_offset` and `auto_pagination` are supplied. auto_pagination derives the offset automatically from self.offset, so an explicit current_offset would conflict. Only one pagination strategy may be active per answer call.

Source

Thrown at src/telegram/_inline/inlinequery.py:179

        For the documentation of the arguments, please see
        :meth:`telegram.Bot.answer_inline_query`.

        .. versionchanged:: 20.0
            Raises :class:`ValueError` instead of :class:`TypeError`.

        Keyword Args:
            auto_pagination (:obj:`bool`, optional): If set to :obj:`True`, :attr:`offset` will be
                passed as
                :paramref:`current_offset <telegram.Bot.answer_inline_query.current_offset>` to
                :meth:`telegram.Bot.answer_inline_query`.
                Defaults to :obj:`False`.

        Raises:
            ValueError: If both :paramref:`~telegram.Bot.answer_inline_query.current_offset` and
                :paramref:`auto_pagination` are supplied.
        """
        if current_offset and auto_pagination:
            raise ValueError("current_offset and auto_pagination are mutually exclusive!")
        return await self.get_bot().answer_inline_query(
            inline_query_id=self.id,
            current_offset=self.offset if auto_pagination else current_offset,
            results=results,
            cache_time=cache_time,
            is_personal=is_personal,
            next_offset=next_offset,
            button=button,
            read_timeout=read_timeout,
            write_timeout=write_timeout,
            connect_timeout=connect_timeout,
            pool_timeout=pool_timeout,
            api_kwargs=api_kwargs,
        )

    MAX_RESULTS: Final[int] = constants.InlineQueryLimit.RESULTS
    """:const:`telegram.constants.InlineQueryLimit.RESULTS`

View on GitHub (pinned to d3b69d2e9f)

Solutions

1. Drop current_offset and let auto_pagination handle it
2. Or keep manual pagination and remove auto_pagination=True
3. Pick one pagination strategy per handler and delete the other's code path

Example fix

# before
inline_query.answer(results, current_offset=inline_query.offset, auto_pagination=True)

# after
inline_query.answer(results, auto_pagination=True)

if current_offset and auto_pagination:
    raise ValueError('pick one pagination strategy')
await inline_query.answer(results, current_offset=current_offset, auto_pagination=False)

try:
    await inline_query.answer(results, auto_pagination=True)
except ValueError:
    await inline_query.answer(results, current_offset=inline_query.offset)

When it happens

Trigger: Calling inline_query.answer(results, current_offset='50', auto_pagination=True); enabling auto_pagination in a handler that already tracks and forwards the offset manually.

Common situations: Migrating manual offset bookkeeping to auto_pagination without removing the old current_offset plumbing; copy-pasted pagination examples combined with the auto flag.

Related errors

• `current_offset` and `next_offset` are mutually exclusive!
• `allow_sending_without_reply` and `reply_parameters` are mut
• `reply_to_message_id` and `reply_parameters` are mutually ex
• `allow_sending_without_reply` and `dict`-value input for `do
• This Game has no 'text'.

AI-assisted analysis of python-telegram-bot/python-telegram-bot@d3b69d2e9f (2026-08-28). Data as JSON: /api/errors/759709a037b04eda. Report an issue: GitHub.