react/create-react-app · error · Error

You specified ${type} in your env, but the file "${file}" ca

Error message

You specified ${type} in your env, but the file "${file}" can't be found.

What it means

getHttpsConfig.readEnvFile is called with the value of an HTTPS-related env var (SSL_CRT_FILE or SSL_KEY_FILE) and a human label. If the path does not exist on disk (fs.existsSync returns false), it throws, telling the user which variable type they set and which file path could not be found.

Source

Thrown at packages/react-scripts/config/getHttpsConfig.js:45

    );
  }

  try {
    // privateDecrypt will throw an error with an invalid key
    crypto.privateDecrypt(key, encrypted);
  } catch (err) {
    throw new Error(
      `The certificate key "${chalk.yellow(keyFile)}" is invalid.\n${
        err.message
      }`
    );
  }
}

// Read file and throw an error if it doesn't exist
function readEnvFile(file, type) {
  if (!fs.existsSync(file)) {
    throw new Error(
      `You specified ${chalk.cyan(
        type
      )} in your env, but the file "${chalk.yellow(file)}" can't be found.`
    );
  }
  return fs.readFileSync(file);
}

// Get the https config
// Return cert files if provided in env, otherwise just true or false
function getHttpsConfig() {
  const { SSL_CRT_FILE, SSL_KEY_FILE, HTTPS } = process.env;
  const isHttps = HTTPS === 'true';

  if (isHttps && SSL_CRT_FILE && SSL_KEY_FILE) {
    const crtFile = path.resolve(paths.appPath, SSL_CRT_FILE);
    const keyFile = path.resolve(paths.appPath, SSL_KEY_FILE);
    const config = {

View on GitHub (pinned to 6254386531)

Solutions

1. Confirm the file exists at the exact path: `ls -la $SSL_CRT_FILE $SSL_KEY_FILE`.
2. Use paths relative to the project root (where react-scripts runs) or absolute paths that exist on this machine.
3. Place cert/key in the project folder and reference them as `./cert.pem` / `./key.pem`.
4. If you no longer need custom certs, unset SSL_CRT_FILE/SSL_KEY_FILE (and HTTPS) to let CRA generate one with selfsigned certs.

Example fix

# before
SSL_CRT_FILE=/home/olduser/certs/localhost.crt   # missing
SSL_KEY_FILE=/home/olduser/certs/localhost.key
# after
SSL_CRT_FILE=./localhost.crt   # exists in project root
SSL_KEY_FILE=./localhost.key

const fs = require('fs');
const path = require('path');
function ensureSslFiles() {
  for (const [type, file] of [
    ['SSL_CRT_FILE', process.env.SSL_CRT_FILE],
    ['SSL_KEY_FILE', process.env.SSL_KEY_FILE],
  ]) {
    if (file && !fs.existsSync(path.resolve(process.cwd(), file))) {
      throw new Error(`${type} '${file}' does not exist`);
    }
  }
}
ensureSslFiles();

const sslFileExists = (file) =>
  !file || fs.existsSync(path.resolve(process.cwd(), file));

try {
  require('react-scripts/config/getHttpsConfig');
} catch (e) {
  if (new RegExp("can't be found").test(e.message)) {
    console.error('SSL_CRT_FILE/SSL_KEY_FILE path missing. Check .env paths.');
    process.exit(1);
  }
  throw e;
}

When it happens

Trigger: Setting SSL_CRT_FILE or SSL_KEY_FILE (and HTTPS=true) in .env to a path that does not resolve from the project root. readEnvFile runs, fs.existsSync returns false, and the error is thrown.

Common situations: Typo in the path. Using a relative path that doesn't resolve from CWD. Moving the project without moving the cert files. Forgetting to commit/copy cert files in a fresh checkout. Absolute paths from another machine.

Related errors

• The certificate "${crtFile}" is invalid.\n${err.message}
• The certificate key "${keyFile}" is invalid.\n${err.message}
• Preset react-app: '${name}' option must be a boolean.
• Preset react-app: '${name}' option must be a boolean.
• The NODE_ENV environment variable is required but was not sp

AI-assisted analysis of react/create-react-app@6254386531 (2026-08-12). Data as JSON: /api/errors/5abc5cf41214b9ab. Report an issue: GitHub.