AWS Secrets Manager: ResourceNotFoundException

Not specified by the original author.

TL;DR

ResourceNotFoundException means the secret does not exist under that name in that region for that account. Check the name or ARN, the region, and whether it was deleted (pending-deletion secrets are invisible to get calls).

Error

"AWS Secrets Manager: ResourceNotFoundException"

Steps

1. Re-run the call with an explicit region matching where the secret was created. Expected: either it works or you confirm the region is wrong.
2. List secrets and compare names exactly, including any random suffix Secrets Manager appends. Expected: you spot a naming mismatch.
3. If you used a partial ARN, use the full ARN or the exact name. Expected: ARN-based lookup is unambiguous.
4. Check for pending deletion: deleted secrets stay recoverable for the recovery window but are not readable. Expected: you learn whether it was deleted and when it becomes unrecoverable.
5. If it was deleted in error, restore it within the recovery window. Expected: the secret is readable again.

When to use

• get-secret-value, describe-secret, or rotation calls report not found.
• After renames, region moves, or cleanup scripts.

When not to use

• AccessDeniedException (permission problem, not a missing secret).
• DecryptionFailure (KMS problem).

Tool compatibility

• AWS Secrets Manager; CLI and SDK behave the same.

Variant phrasings

secrets manager can't find the specified secret

Same error family.

secret not found after rotation

The rotation may have created a new version under a staged label; check versions.

Why it happens

Names are region-scoped, partial ARNs are ambiguous, and deletion is soft for the recovery window, all of which make a secret look missing.

Edge cases

• Terraform or CloudFormation renames create a new secret and delete the old; update references.
• Replication across regions is not automatic; a secret in one region does not exist in another.
• Version stages matter: the AWSCURRENT label may point at a version you did not expect.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst4tIJzbrAvzvhPkD8bQ0ZQ

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst4tIJzbrAvzvhPkD8bQ0ZQ

Thread query: "AWS Secrets Manager: ResourceNotFoundException"

TL;DR: ResourceNotFoundException means the secret does not exist under that name in that region for that account. Check the name or ARN, the region, and whether it was deleted (pending-deletion secrets are invisible to get calls).

Not specified by the original author.

TL;DR

However, it is imperfect because partial ARNs could collide. If you are fetching secrets within the same account, you can just use the secret name (the part after secret - and excluding the dash 6 character -GUID) instead of the full ARN.

Steps

1. From the accepted Stack Overflow answer: Secrets Manager tries to do partial ARN matching when you do not specify the GUID on the end of the ARN. However, it is imperfect because partial ARNs could collide. If you are fetching secrets within the same account, you can just use the secret name (the part after secret - and excluding the dash 6 character -GUID) instead of the full ARN. But using the full ARN, when you have it, is always best.

When to use

You are seeing this: From the accepted Stack Overflow answer: Secrets Manager tries to do partial ARN matching when you do not specify the GUID on the end of the ARN. Use this skill when you run into "AWS Secrets Manager can't find the specified secret (AWS Secrets Manager)".

When not to use

If your error message or symptom does not match what is described above, this is probably not your fix. Search for your exact error text instead of forcing this one to fit.

Versions

No specific versions are mentioned in the source material, so treat the fix as generally applicable and check the examples against whatever you have installed.

Why this happens

The original report does not dig into a root cause. It documents the symptom and the fix that resolved it.

Source: Problem: Accepted solution (score 30): Secrets Manager tries to do partial ARN matching when you do not specify the GUID on the end of the ARN. However, it is imperfect because partial ARNs could collide. If you are fetching secrets within the same account, you can just use the secret name (the part after secret - and excluding the dash 6 character -GUID) instead of the full ARN. But using the full ARN, when you have it, is always best.

Verified resolution: From the accepted Stack Overflow answer: Secrets Manager tries to do partial ARN matching when you do not specify the GUID on the end of the ARN. However, it is imperfect because partial ARNs could collide. If you are fetching secrets within the same account, you can just use the secret name (the part after secret - and excluding the dash 6 character -GUID) instead of the full ARN. But using the full ARN, when you have it, is always best.

Source URL: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/57821886/aws-secrets-manager-can-t-find-the-specified-secret

Not specified by the original author.

TL;DR

The lookup name does not match any secret the caller can see. Verify the exact name, the region, and that the secret is not in pending deletion, then fix whichever one is wrong.

Error

"secrets manager can't find the specified secret"

Steps

1. List secrets in the region and compare names character by character. Expected: you find the mismatch (suffix, typo, case).
2. Confirm the region on the call matches the secret's region. Expected: region-correct calls succeed.
3. Check deletion state: pending-deletion secrets are not returned by lookups. Expected: you learn whether a delete is in flight.
4. If the name comes from config or env, print the resolved value to see what the app actually asked for. Expected: the real lookup string, which often differs from what you assumed.
5. Fix the name, region, or restore the secret, then retry. Expected: the lookup succeeds.

When to use

• Secret lookups by name fail in apps, scripts, or IaC.
• After renames or region migrations.

When not to use

• Access-denied errors (the secret exists; you cannot read it).
• Decryption failures (KMS, not naming).

Tool compatibility

• AWS Secrets Manager, GCP Secret Manager, Azure Key Vault; same triage shape.

Variant phrasings

secret not found in secrets manager

Same checks.

specified secret does not exist

Often a region or naming issue.

Why it happens

Secret names are scoped per region and per project, and human-entered names drift from the real ones through typos, suffixes, and renames.

Edge cases

• IaC renames create new secrets; old references break silently until the lookup runs.
• Some managers version secrets; the name exists but the requested version does not.
• Cross-project or cross-account lookups need the full resource path, not the short name.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_VVMGkaqWBjDexT00Mv35ow

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_VVMGkaqWBjDexT00Mv35ow

Thread query: "secrets manager can't find the specified secret"

TL;DR: The lookup name does not match any secret the caller can see. Verify the exact name, the region, and that the secret is not in pending deletion, then fix whichever one is wrong.