agent can't parse prefect flow run states, parser failed

Not specified by the original author.

TL;DR

Prefect's state model has more states than agents expect: Scheduled, Pending, Running, plus Crashed, Cancelled, and Paused variants. Parse states against the full enum and classify terminal versus non-terminal explicitly. A parser with a hardcoded short list breaks on the first state it did not anticipate.

agent can't parse prefect flow run states, parser failed

Use this when

• An agent's parser fails on a Prefect flow run state.
• A new state appears that the parser did not know.
• Terminal versus non-terminal classification is wrong.

Not for this skill when

• The run is stuck in a state. That is a run problem.
• States parse but the agent misjudges them. That is logic, not parsing.

Steps

1. Capture the unparsable state value verbatim. Note the value. Verify: the gap is named
2. Read Prefect's state enum for the full list in your version. Note the complete set. Verify: the enum is on the table
3. Rewrite the parser to accept the full enum and classify terminal states explicitly. Note the new logic. Verify: the parser is complete
4. Add every state as a regression case. Note the tests. Verify: the enum is pinned
5. Verify against a live run history with varied states. Note the clean parse. Verify: the fix is verified

Variant phrasings

prefect flow run states list

The enum-shaped search.

prefect terminal states

The classification phrasing.

Compatibility: Prefect 2.x state model. New states can appear in minor versions; parse defensively.

Why it happens

Prefect models run lifecycle richly: the difference between Crashed and Failed matters, and Paused, Suspended, and Cancelling exist for real workflows. Agents written against a mental model of pending, running, done break on the richer reality. Worse, misclassifying a non-terminal state as terminal makes the agent stop watching a run that is still alive. Parsing the full enum and classifying explicitly turns the state model from a trap into a tool.

Edge cases / pitfalls

• Prefect 2.x added states across minor versions. A parser pinned to one version's enum rots; fetch or vendor the current enum.
• State names are strings in the API. Compare case-sensitively against the enum; do not lowercase and hope.
• Subflow and task runs share the state model but transition differently. The same parser works; the expectations differ.
• A state the parser has never seen should raise loudly, not default to something. Unknown is a bug signal.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_j53ZoUFPn2ThosqpX6NIOA

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_j53ZoUFPn2ThosqpX6NIOA

Thread query: agent can't parse prefect flow run states, parser failed

TL;DR: Prefect's state model has more states than agents expect: Scheduled, Pending, Running, plus Crashed, Cancelled, and Paused variants. Parse states against the full enum and classify terminal versus non-terminal explicitly. A parser with a hardcoded short list breaks on the first state it did not anticipate.

Not specified by the original author.

TL;DR

Fix this in Help center audit agent by acting on the exact symptom first: inspect the first twenty lines of the search query log, detect its real delimiter and quoting, handle multi line queries as single records, and parse one day of log successfully before running the full audit. Do not repeat the same edit, search or run unchanged, because the same inputs produce the same failure. Prove the fix on one article, collection or query first, then apply it across the affected scope and confirm as a reader.

Parser failed on ticket search query log during stale article audit

Use this when

• Work in Help center audit agent shows this exact symptom: Parser failed on ticket search query log during stale article audit.
• The same symptom repeats after a retry with unchanged inputs.
• Readers or support agents are blocked until this item is corrected.

Not for this skill when

• The help center platform itself is down or returning outage notices. Resolve that first, then return here if this symptom remains.
• The content is correct and you only want a style or tone rewrite. That is an editorial pass, not this fix.

Steps

1. Reproduce the symptom with the smallest scope that still shows it in Help center audit agent, and record the article, collection or query involved plus the exact wording from the code block above. Verify: the symptom is reproduced on demand with a named scope, not only reported second hand.
2. Apply the specific fix for this symptom: inspect the first twenty lines of the search query log, detect its real delimiter and quoting, handle multi line queries as single records, and parse one day of log successfully before running the full audit. Verify: the smallest failing scope now behaves as the fix predicts, checked in the published view rather than only in the editor.
3. Check neighbouring articles, collections or locales that share the same template, category or workflow, because this class of problem rarely affects only one item. Verify: the neighbouring items are listed and each is marked affected or clear.
4. Repeat the original reader or agent action in Help center audit agent that exposed the symptom, using the same query, link or workflow as the first attempt. Verify: the action completes and the original symptom does not appear.
5. Compare the result against the source of truth for this item, the current product behaviour, price list, release notes or ticket evidence named in the fix. Verify: the published result matches the source or every difference is named and explained.
6. Record the fix, the scope it covered and the verification result where the content team works, so the next occurrence is recognised immediately. Verify: the record names the symptom, the fix applied and the evidence of success.

Variant phrasings

Parser failed on ticket search query log during stale article audit

The verbatim form readers and agents paste from the help center or console. Treat it identically: same fix, same single scope proof, then the wider rollout.

How to fix - parser failed on ticket search query log for audit stale help center articles error parsing failure

The how to phrasing for the same problem in Help center audit agent. The steps above apply unchanged; start at the reproduction step rather than skipping to the final check.

Help center audit agent troubleshooting for this symptom

The symptom first phrasing used when the full message is hidden. Surface the full symptom first, confirm it matches the code block above, then follow the steps.

Why it happens

Search logs contain queries with commas, quotes and line breaks typed by users, so a naive split breaks rows and the parser fails on reader text rather than on log structure.

Edge cases

• The symptom appears in one locale, collection or audience view only. Fix that scope, then check the same item in the other views before closing.
• A cached or indexed copy keeps showing the old state after the fix. Allow for the platform reindex or cache window, recheck in a fresh reader session, and only then escalate.
• Two items have near identical titles. Confirm the identifier of the item you edited, not just its title, before declaring the fix verified.

Compatibility: Help center audit agent at current versions, plus the help center admin, search or API surface the query names; no extra tooling beyond reader level access to verify the published result.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_bIEu52vPzgms42i0CZl9xA

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_bIEu52vPzgms42i0CZl9xA

Thread query: parser failed on ticket search query log for audit stale help center articles error parsing failure

TL;DR: Fix this in Help center audit agent by acting on the exact symptom first: inspect the first twenty lines of the search query log, detect its real delimiter and quoting, handle multi line queries as single records, and parse one day of log successfully before running the full audit. Do not repeat the same edit, search or run unchanged, because the same inputs produce the same failure. Prove the fix on one article, collection or query first, then apply it across the affected scope and confirm as a reader.

Not specified by the original author.

TL;DR

Fix this in Search check agent by acting on the exact symptom first: strip scripts and navigation from the article HTML before parsing, extract title and body text with a tolerant HTML parser, and fall back to the article text export for any page whose markup still defeats parsing. Do not repeat the same edit, search or run unchanged, because the same inputs produce the same failure. Prove the fix on one article, collection or query first, then apply it across the affected scope and confirm as a reader.

Parser failed on help center article HTML while checking search results

Use this when

• Work in Search check agent shows this exact symptom: Parser failed on help center article HTML while checking search results.
• The same symptom repeats after a retry with unchanged inputs.
• Readers or support agents are blocked until this item is corrected.

Not for this skill when

• The help center platform itself is down or returning outage notices. Resolve that first, then return here if this symptom remains.
• The content is correct and you only want a style or tone rewrite. That is an editorial pass, not this fix.

Steps

1. Reproduce the symptom with the smallest scope that still shows it in Search check agent, and record the article, collection or query involved plus the exact wording from the code block above. Verify: the symptom is reproduced on demand with a named scope, not only reported second hand.
2. Apply the specific fix for this symptom: strip scripts and navigation from the article HTML before parsing, extract title and body text with a tolerant HTML parser, and fall back to the article text export for any page whose markup still defeats parsing. Verify: the smallest failing scope now behaves as the fix predicts, checked in the published view rather than only in the editor.
3. Check neighbouring articles, collections or locales that share the same template, category or workflow, because this class of problem rarely affects only one item. Verify: the neighbouring items are listed and each is marked affected or clear.
4. Repeat the original reader or agent action in Search check agent that exposed the symptom, using the same query, link or workflow as the first attempt. Verify: the action completes and the original symptom does not appear.
5. Compare the result against the source of truth for this item, the current product behaviour, price list, release notes or ticket evidence named in the fix. Verify: the published result matches the source or every difference is named and explained.
6. Record the fix, the scope it covered and the verification result where the content team works, so the next occurrence is recognised immediately. Verify: the record names the symptom, the fix applied and the evidence of success.

Variant phrasings

Parser failed on help center article HTML while checking search results

The verbatim form readers and agents paste from the help center or console. Treat it identically: same fix, same single scope proof, then the wider rollout.

How to fix - parser failed on help center article HTML for check help center search results for an error query error parsing failure

The how to phrasing for the same problem in Search check agent. The steps above apply unchanged; start at the reproduction step rather than skipping to the final check.

Search check agent troubleshooting for this symptom

The symptom first phrasing used when the full message is hidden. Surface the full symptom first, confirm it matches the code block above, then follow the steps.

Why it happens

Help center pages carry theme markup, scripts and nested templates around the article body, and a strict parser fails on the chrome rather than on the article content being checked.

Edge cases

• The symptom appears in one locale, collection or audience view only. Fix that scope, then check the same item in the other views before closing.
• A cached or indexed copy keeps showing the old state after the fix. Allow for the platform reindex or cache window, recheck in a fresh reader session, and only then escalate.
• Two items have near identical titles. Confirm the identifier of the item you edited, not just its title, before declaring the fix verified.

Compatibility: Search check agent at current versions, plus the help center admin, search or API surface the query names; no extra tooling beyond reader level access to verify the published result.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_iPxtdGwSyH-dpYQxxM7n9Q

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_iPxtdGwSyH-dpYQxxM7n9Q

Thread query: parser failed on help center article HTML for check help center search results for an error query error parsing failure

TL;DR: Fix this in Search check agent by acting on the exact symptom first: strip scripts and navigation from the article HTML before parsing, extract title and body text with a tolerant HTML parser, and fall back to the article text export for any page whose markup still defeats parsing. Do not repeat the same edit, search or run unchanged, because the same inputs produce the same failure. Prove the fix on one article, collection or query first, then apply it across the affected scope and confirm as a reader.