vitest-dev/vitest · error · FilesNotFoundError

VITEST_FILES_NOT_FOUND

VITEST_FILES_NOT_FOUND

Error message

No test files found

What it means

FilesNotFoundError (code VITEST_FILES_NOT_FOUND) is thrown when no test specifications are produced and the run is not a watch-with-changed/related trigger. It is Vitest's canonical 'no test files found' error: nothing matched the include/glob/filter inputs. Suppressed only in watch mode when --changed or --related is also set.

Solutions

1. Check config.include actually matches files: list the resolved globs.
2. Verify --root / current working directory is the project root.
3. Remove overly restrictive CLI filters (e.g. a misspelled path).
4. Pass --pass-with-no-tests (or set passWithNoTests: true) if an empty run is acceptable.
5. If using --watch with --changed/--related, that path suppresses the throw legitimately.

Example fix

// before - config with overly narrow include
export default defineConfig({ test: { include: ['src/**/*.spec.ts'] } })

// after
export default defineConfig({
  test: { include: ['test/**/*.test.ts', 'src/**/*.spec.ts'] }
})

import { glob } from 'tinyglobby'
async function hasMatchedTests(config) {
  const files = await glob(config.include, { cwd: config.root, ignore: config.exclude })
  return files.length > 0
}
// before run: if (!await hasMatchedTests(config)) set passWithNoTests or fix globs

try {
  await vitest.start()
} catch (e) {
  if (e.code === 'VITEST_FILES_NOT_FOUND') {
    // log, fix include/root, or set passWithNoTests and retry
  } else throw e
}

When it happens

Trigger: Running Vitest where specifications.length === 0 AND not (config.watch && (config.changed || config.related?.length)). Caused by include globs matching zero files, wrong --root/cwd, or CLI file filters that match nothing.

Common situations: Wrong working directory; glob excludes everything; renamed test files; a typo'd filter arg; fresh repo with no tests; CI running in a subdirectory.

Related errors

• The projects glob matched a file

AI-assisted analysis of vitest-dev/vitest@1fa9837ec2 (2026-08-11). Data as JSON: /api/errors/8650131dd6757c04. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at packages/vitest/src/node/core.ts:866

        specifications = specifications.filter(({ testModule }) => {
          return !testModule || testModule.task.mode !== 'skip'
        })
      }

      // if run with --changed, don't exit if no tests are found
      if (!specifications.length) {
        await this._traces.$('vitest.test_run', async () => {
          await this._testRun.start([])
          await this.coverageProvider?.onTestRunStart?.()
          const coverage = await this.coverageProvider?.generateCoverage?.({ allTestsRun: true })

          await this._testRun.end([], [], coverage)
          // Report coverage for uncovered files
          await this.reportCoverage(coverage, true)
        })

        if (!this.config.watch || !(this.config.changed || this.config.related?.length)) {
          throw new FilesNotFoundError()
        }
      }

      let testModules: TestRunResult = {
        testModules: [],
        unhandledErrors: [],
      }

      if (specifications.length) {
        // populate once, update cache on watch
        await this.cache.stats.populateStats(this.config.root, specifications)

        testModules = await this.runFiles(specifications, true)
      }

      if (this.config.watch) {
        await this.report('onWatcherStart')
      }

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