vxcontrol/pentagi · error

knowledge: compute embedding: %w

Error message

knowledge: compute embedding: %w

What it means

CreateDocument computes an embedding for the new document content (truncated to maxEmbeddingBytes) before insertion. Failure of embedder.EmbedDocuments — nil embedder, provider auth/network errors — is wrapped as 'knowledge: compute embedding'.

Source

Thrown at backend/pkg/database/knowledge/knowledge.go:497

	if input.AnswerType != nil {
		meta.AnswerType = string(*input.AnswerType)
	}
	if input.CodeLang != nil {
		meta.CodeLang = *input.CodeLang
	}

	content := strings.TrimSpace(input.Content)
	meta.PartSize = len(content)
	meta.TotalSize = len(content)

	// Truncate to embedding size limit for vector computation; full content goes to DB.
	embeddingText := content
	if len(embeddingText) > ks.maxEmbeddingBytes {
		embeddingText = embeddingText[:ks.maxEmbeddingBytes]
	}
	vecs, err := ks.embedder.EmbedDocuments(ctx, []string{embeddingText})
	if err != nil {
		return nil, fmt.Errorf("knowledge: compute embedding: %w", err)
	}
	if len(vecs) == 0 {
		return nil, fmt.Errorf("knowledge: embedder returned no vectors")
	}

	cmJSON, err := metaToJSON(meta)
	if err != nil {
		return nil, fmt.Errorf("knowledge: marshal cmetadata: %w", err)
	}

	id := uuid.New()
	docID, err := ks.db.InsertKnowledgeDocument(ctx, database.InsertKnowledgeDocumentParams{
		Uuid:      id,
		Document:  nsOf(content),
		Embedding: formatVector(vecs[0]),
		Cmetadata: cmJSON.RawMessage,
	})
	if err != nil {

View on GitHub (pinned to ea665308ba)

Solutions

1. If the wrapped error says the embedder is not configured, set the embedding provider env vars and restart.
2. Validate provider credentials with a direct API call to the embeddings endpoint.
3. Check network reachability from the backend to the provider (DNS, proxy, ollama service name).
4. For 429/timeout causes, retry with backoff; for bulk imports, throttle creation rate.

Example fix

// before
vecs, err := ks.embedder.EmbedDocuments(ctx, []string{embeddingText})
// after
if ks.embedder == nil {
    return nil, fmt.Errorf("knowledge: embedding provider not configured; set embedding env vars")
}
vecs, err := ks.embedder.EmbedDocuments(ctx, []string{embeddingText})

if embedder == nil {
    return errors.New("embedding provider not configured")
}
if strings.TrimSpace(content) == "" {
    return errors.New("document content must not be empty")
}
if len(content) > maxEmbeddingBytes*100 { // absurd input guard
    return errors.New("document content too large")
}

func isEmbedderConfigErr(err error) bool {
    return strings.Contains(err.Error(), "not configured")
}

doc, err := store.CreateDocument(ctx, userID, input)
if err != nil {
    if strings.Contains(err.Error(), "compute embedding") {
        // check provider status/key before surfacing to user
        return fmt.Errorf("document indexing temporarily unavailable: %w", err)
    }
    return err
}

When it happens

Trigger: CreateDocument called when no embedding provider is configured, the provider API key is wrong/expired, the endpoint is unreachable, or the request is rate-limited.

Common situations: Deploying without embedding env vars (nil embedder by design); Ollama not running in the compose network; provider outage or 429 under bulk document creation.

Related errors

• knowledge: embed query: %w
• knowledge: embedding provider is not configured
• failed to load document: %w
• token validation disabled with default salt
• Token.CreationDisabled

AI-assisted analysis of vxcontrol/pentagi@ea665308ba (2026-09-01). Data as JSON: /api/errors/50cfae61685f083d. Report an issue: GitHub.