zeroclaw-labs/zeroclaw · warning

embedding route "{}" uses invalid model_provider "{}": {}

Error message

embedding route "{}" uses invalid model_provider "{}": {}

What it means

Doctor validates each `embedding_routes.model_provider` against a closed set: `none`, `openai`, or `custom:<url>` where the URL must parse as http/https and be non-empty (embedding_provider_validation_error). Anything else produces this warning with the concrete reason string.

Source

Thrown at crates/zeroclaw-runtime/src/doctor/mod.rs:1270

                    route.hint, route.model_provider, reason
                ),
            ));
        }
        if route.model.is_empty() {
            items.push(DiagItem::warn(
                cat,
                format!("model route \"{}\" has empty model", route.hint),
            ));
        }
    }

    // Embedding routes validation
    for route in &config.embedding_routes {
        if route.hint.trim().is_empty() {
            items.push(DiagItem::warn(cat, "embedding route with empty hint"));
        }
        if let Some(reason) = embedding_provider_validation_error(&route.model_provider) {
            items.push(DiagItem::warn(
                cat,
                format!(
                    "embedding route \"{}\" uses invalid model_provider \"{}\": {}",
                    route.hint, route.model_provider, reason
                ),
            ));
        }
        if route.model.trim().is_empty() {
            items.push(DiagItem::warn(
                cat,
                format!("embedding route \"{}\" has empty model", route.hint),
            ));
        }
        if route.dimensions.is_some_and(|value| value == 0) {
            items.push(DiagItem::warn(
                cat,
                format!(
                    "embedding route \"{}\" has invalid dimensions=0",

View on GitHub (pinned to 88bb9c8533)

Solutions

1. Use one of the accepted forms: `none`, `openai`, or `custom:https://your-endpoint/v1`
2. For self-hosted embeddings, keep the full http/https URL after `custom:` with no spaces
3. Re-run `zeroclaw doctor` to confirm the embedding route validates

Example fix

# before
[[embedding_routes]]
hint = "docs"
model_provider = "custom:"   # empty URL

# after
[[embedding_routes]]
hint = "docs"
model_provider = "custom:https://embed.example.com/v1"

fn embedding_provider_is_valid(name: &str) -> bool {
    let n = name.trim();
    n.eq_ignore_ascii_case("none")
        || n.eq_ignore_ascii_case("openai")
        || n.strip_prefix("custom:")
            .map(|u| {
                matches!(reqwest::Url::parse(u.trim()), Ok(url)
                    if matches!(url.scheme(), "http" | "https"))
            })
            .unwrap_or(false)
}

When it happens

Trigger: Setting an embedding route's model_provider to a bare name like `openai-large`, an empty `custom:`, `custom:ftp://host`, a custom URL that fails Url::parse, or a provider-table key — none of these are valid embedding provider forms.

Common situations: Copy-pasting model-route style provider refs into embedding routes; truncated URLs during templating; scheme typos in custom embedding endpoints.

Related errors

• model route "{}" uses invalid model_provider "{}": {}
• agent "{name}" uses invalid model_provider "{provider_ref}":
• embedding route with empty hint
• config section `{$path}` is malformed and was reset to defau
• {label}: no api_key set (may rely on env vars or model_provi

AI-assisted analysis of zeroclaw-labs/zeroclaw@88bb9c8533 (2026-08-23). Data as JSON: /api/errors/eede2a5c49034c46. Report an issue: GitHub.