# Ashby 422 "invalid stage" when the agent moves a candidate to a renamed pipeline stage

## TL;DR

The pipeline stage was renamed and the agent's hardcoded stage ID no longer exists. Resolve stages by name at runtime against the live pipeline, and fail with a clear message when the name is gone. Hardcoded stage IDs are a rename away from breaking.

```text
422 Unprocessable Entity: "invalid stage" (Ashby, stage renamed)
```

## Steps

1. List the job's current pipeline stages via the API.
   Expected: The renamed stage is visible with its new ID.

2. Update the agent to resolve stage names dynamically instead of hardcoding IDs.
   Expected: Renames stop breaking the workflow.

3. Re-run the failed moves against the resolved stage.
   Expected: Candidates move correctly.

4. Add a stage-resolution check that fails fast with the available stages when a name is missing.
   Expected: The error names the fix.

5. Subscribe to pipeline-change notifications if Ashby offers them, or re-resolve on a schedule.
   Expected: The mapping stays fresh.

## When to use

- Ashby 422s with "invalid stage"
- a pipeline was renamed
- stages are hardcoded

## When not to use

- the stage name is wrong (a typo, not a rename)
- the stage belongs to a different job's pipeline (check the job)
- the 422 is for a different field (read the message)

## Tool compatibility

- Ashby API
- pipeline stage workflows

## Variant phrasings

- "ashby 422 invalid stage"
- "ashby stage renamed"
- "ashby pipeline stage not found"

## Why it happens

Pipelines get renamed as hiring processes evolve, and hardcoded stage IDs fossilize the old names. The 422 is Ashby refusing to move a candidate to a stage that no longer exists. Dynamic resolution costs one API call and survives every rename.

## Edge cases

- stage names can collide across jobs; resolve per job, not globally
- renames sometimes split one stage into two; the mapping needs a human decision
- cache the resolution briefly; pipelines change rarely

## Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_WtuqMtGgXX6Qfhfvxyn1LQ