yamadashy/repomix · error · RepomixError

--watch cannot be used with --skill-generate. Watch mode doe

Error message

--watch cannot be used with --skill-generate. Watch mode does not support skill generation.

What it means

Skill generation (`--skill-generate`) is a one-shot output artifact not supported while watching. `runWatchAction` rejects `--watch` combined with `config.skillGenerate` being set.

Source

Thrown at src/cli/actions/watchAction.ts:93

  const config = await buildMergedConfig(cwd, cliOptions);

  // Watch-specific incompatibilities. Each of these is independently incompatible with
  // --watch and can also be set via the config file (which validateWatchOptions in cliRun,
  // CLI-flags-only, does not see), so re-check them on the merged config here. They are
  // checked individually rather than via the shared validateConflictingOptions so the error
  // always names --watch instead of a (potentially confusing) pairwise conflict.
  if (config.output.splitOutput !== undefined) {
    // Split output would create numbered files that the watcher then picks up, looping.
    throw new RepomixError(
      '--watch cannot be used with split output. Watch mode does not yet support split output files.',
    );
  }
  // `output: "-"` resolves to stdout mode via filePath === '-', the same as --stdout.
  if (config.output.stdout || config.output.filePath === '-') {
    throw new RepomixError('--watch cannot be used with stdout output. Watch mode writes to a file.');
  }
  if (config.skillGenerate !== undefined) {
    throw new RepomixError(
      '--watch cannot be used with --skill-generate. Watch mode does not support skill generation.',
    );
  }
  if (config.output.copyToClipboard) {
    throw new RepomixError(
      '--watch cannot be used with --copy. Watch mode re-packs on every change, which would repeatedly overwrite the clipboard.',
    );
  }

  const targetPaths = directories.map((directory) => path.resolve(cwd, directory));

  // Run initial pack
  const packResult = await runPack(targetPaths, config, cliOptions);
  reportResults(cwd, packResult, config, cliOptions);
  logger.log(pc.dim(`\nWatching ${packResult.safeFilePaths.length} files for changes... (Ctrl+C to stop)\n`));

  // Watch target directories instead of individual files so new files are detected.
  // The ignore predicate mirrors the packer so chokidar stays out of node_modules/.git

View on GitHub (pinned to f465ad9093)

Solutions

  1. Run `--skill-generate` without `--watch`
  2. Re-run the skill generation command manually when the repo changes
  3. Use a script/cron to periodically run skill generation instead of watch mode

Example fix

// before
repomix --watch --skill-generate my-skill
// after
repomix --skill-generate my-skill   # one-shot, no --watch
Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

if (watch && (argv.includes('--skill-generate') || cfg.skillGenerate != null)) {
  throw new Error('Run --skill-generate as a one-shot command without --watch');
}

Type guard

null

Try / catch

try {
  await runRepomix({ watch: true });
} catch (e) {
  if (e instanceof RepomixError && e.message.includes('--skill-generate')) {
    console.error('Run skill generation separately, without --watch.');
  }
  throw e;
}

Prevention

When it happens

Trigger: Running `repomix --watch --skill-generate <name>`, or `--watch` with `skillGenerate` set in the config file.

Common situations: A user generating an AI skill file from a repo then tries to keep it updated automatically with watch mode.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of yamadashy/repomix@f465ad9093 (2026-08-29). Data as JSON: /api/errors/d96e1ac01b970ed5. Report an issue: GitHub.