searxng/searxng · error · ValueError

Invalid settings.yml

Error message

Invalid settings.yml

What it means

Error "Invalid settings.yml" thrown in searxng/searxng.

Source

Thrown at searx/settings_defaults.py:178

                #     Expected `str`, got `int` - at `foo.bar.name`
                msg = str(e)
                msg = msg.replace("`$.", "`" + ".".join([*path_list, key]) + ".")
                logger.error(msg)
                error = True
        elif isinstance(value, SettingsValue):
            try:
                settings[key] = value(settings.get(key, _UNDEFINED))
            except Exception as e:  # pylint: disable=broad-except
                # don't stop now: check other values
                msg = ".".join([*path_list, key]) + f": {e}"
                logger.error(msg)
                error = True
        elif isinstance(value, dict):
            error = error or apply_schema(settings.setdefault(key, {}), schema[key], [*path_list, key])
        else:
            settings.setdefault(key, value)
    if len(path_list) == 0 and error:
        raise ValueError("Invalid settings.yml")
    return error


SCHEMA: dict[str, t.Any] = {
    'general': {
        'debug': SettingsValue(bool, False, 'SEARXNG_DEBUG'),
        'instance_name': SettingsValue(str, 'SearXNG'),
        'privacypolicy_url': SettingsValue((None, False, str), None),
        'contact_url': SettingsValue((None, False, str), None),
        'donation_url': SettingsValue((bool, str), "https://docs.searxng.org/donate.html"),
        'enable_metrics': SettingsValue(bool, True),
        'open_metrics': SettingsValue(str, ''),
    },
    'brand': SettingsBrand,
    'search': {
        'safe_search': SettingsValue((0, 1, 2), 0),
        'autocomplete': SettingsValue(str, 'duckduckgo'),
        'autocomplete_min': SettingsValue(int, 4),

View on GitHub (pinned to 9fea41204f)

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at searx/settings_defaults.py:178 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of searxng/searxng@9fea41204f (2026-08-27). Data as JSON: /api/errors/80067481d2f90c7e. Report an issue: GitHub.