# Troubleshooting The TACo SDK validates conditions with [Zod](https://zod.dev/), and Zod's error messages are precise but terse. This page maps the errors you will actually see to what they mean and how to fix them. The fastest workflow: run the [validator script](/for-developers/taco-sdk/references/conditions/validating-conditions.md), copy the error, look it up here (or paste it into an LLM with the [building-with-llms guide](/for-developers/taco-sdk/references/conditions/building-with-llms.md)). ## Schema-shape errors ### `Invalid literal value, expected "and"` (or `"or"`, `"not"`) You wrote `"operator": "AND"` or `"operator": "&&"`. Operators are lowercase strings. Allowed: `"and"`, `"or"`, `"not"`. ### `Invalid literal value, expected "compound"` (or any other `conditionType`) `conditionType` is wrong or missing. Each condition type has an exact required string — see the [schema reference](https://github.com/nucypher/taco-web/blob/signing-epic/packages/taco/schema-docs/condition-schemas.md). Common typos: `"contractCondition"` (should be `"contract"`), `"jsonApi"` (should be `"json-api"`), `"ifThenElse"` (should be `"if-then-else"`), `"signingAttribute"` (should be `"signing-attribute"`). ### `Required` on a field you thought was optional The schema reference marks required fields with `(*)`. Common surprises: * `ContractCondition.parameters` is **required** (use `[]` if the function takes none) * `ContractCondition.contractAddress` is **required** * `JsonApiCondition.endpoint` is **required** * `EcdsaCondition.verifyingKey` and `curve` are **required** * `TimeCondition.chain` is **required** (`method` defaults to `"blocktime"`) ### `Array must contain at least 2 element(s)` on a SequentialCondition `SequentialCondition.conditionVariables` requires 2–20 entries. If you only need one variable, you do not need a SequentialCondition — just use the inner condition directly. ### `Array must contain at most 5 element(s)` on a CompoundCondition `CompoundCondition.operands` is capped at 5. To express more, embed a `SequentialCondition` (or nest another MultiCondition, within the shared depth limit — see next). ### `MultiCondition nesting depth exceeded` Nesting is limited to **4 levels**, counted across **all** MultiConditions collectively: `CompoundCondition`, `IfThenElseCondition`, and `SequentialCondition`. A compound → if-then-else → sequential chain is three levels, even though no single type is nested within itself. If you hit the limit, flatten the policy — often a `SequentialCondition` with early-exit logic replaces several nested compounds. ### `String must match pattern /^:[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]*$/` A context variable name is malformed. They must start with `:`, followed by a letter or underscore, then letters/digits/underscores. No dots, dashes, spaces, or leading digits. See [Context Variables](/for-developers/taco-sdk/references/conditions/context-variables.md). ### `Invalid url` on `JsonApiCondition.endpoint` `endpoint` must be a literal HTTPS URL. You cannot pass a context variable here. If you need a dynamic endpoint, you must commit to a specific service at encryption time. ### `Invalid hex string` on `verifyingKey`, `contractAddress`, etc. Hex strings must contain only `0-9a-fA-F`. `verifyingKey` (Ed25519/SECP256k1 raw bytes) does **not** include a `0x` prefix; addresses **do**. Check the schema for which is which. ## Logical errors that pass validation but fail at runtime These do not produce a Zod error — they fail when the network actually evaluates the condition. Symptoms: decryption requests are rejected by Porter or by individual nodes. ### "Decryption denied" but the condition looks right * **Wrong chain ID.** A condition that calls Base USDC with `"chain": 1` (Ethereum) will hit a contract that does not exist there. Sanity-check every chain ID. * **Stale block tag.** `RpcCondition` defaults its block tag to `"latest"`, but you can pass `"finalized"` or `"safe"`. If you used `"earliest"`, you are reading genesis state. * **Comparator inverted.** `<` vs `>=` typos are surprisingly common. Re-read the test out loud: "the value must be greater than or equal to X." ### "Cannot decode result" from a `ContractCondition` The function exists but the `outputs` array in your `functionAbi` does not match what the contract actually returns. Double-check against the source contract or a block explorer's verified ABI. ### `JsonCondition` test always fails Your JSONPath probably does not match. JSONPath is picky: * Filter expressions need parens: `[?(@.name == "amount")]`, not `[@.name == "amount"]`. * Array element access uses `[0]`, not `.0`. * Test your path against the actual JSON in [jsonpath.com](https://jsonpath.com/) before deploying. ### `SigningObjectAbiAttributeCondition` rejects valid calldata * Function signature must be **exact**, including parameter types — `transfer(address,uint256)` not `transfer(address, uint256)` (no spaces) and not `transfer(address,uint)` (`uint` is invalid; use `uint256`). * For tuple parameters, use `(type1,type2,...)`. Example from the [Discord tipping bot deep-dive](/for-developers/taco-sdk/references/conditions/discord-tipping-bot-deep-dive.md): `execute((address,uint256,bytes))`. * `subIndices` walk into nested structures one level at a time. For a tuple `(address, uint256, bytes)`, `subIndices: [2]` selects the `bytes` field. ### `SequentialCondition` variable not found You wrote `:varname` but the bound `varName` was `varName` (no leading colon, case-sensitive). The binding uses the bare name; the reference uses `:` + name. ## When all else fails 1. Run [`validate-conditions.ts`](/for-developers/taco-sdk/references/conditions/validating-conditions.md) and read the full error in `validation-error.txt`. 2. Compare against the closest example in the [cookbook](/for-developers/taco-sdk/references/conditions/cookbook.md). 3. Paste the error + your condition + the [schema reference URL](https://github.com/nucypher/taco-web/blob/signing-epic/packages/taco/schema-docs/condition-schemas.md) into an LLM. See [Building Conditions with an LLM](/for-developers/taco-sdk/references/conditions/building-with-llms.md). 4. Test end-to-end against a local testnet (see [Quickstart](/for-developers/access-control/quickstart-testnet.md)) or your own integration. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.taco.build/for-developers/taco-sdk/references/conditions/troubleshooting.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.