gohugoio/hugo · error

ErrNotExist

ErrNotExist

Error message

module does not exist

What it means

`ErrNotExist` (modules/collect.go:49) is the sentinel `errors.New("module does not exist")` used by the modules package to signal that a referenced module cannot be located anywhere — not in go.mod-resolved modules, the vendor dir, or the themes directory. It is wrapped (via `wrapModuleNotFound`) around more descriptive messages so callers can `errors.Is(err, modules.ErrNotExist)` and react, e.g. by suggesting `hugo mod init` or downloading.

Source

Thrown at modules/collect.go:49

	"github.com/gobwas/glob"
	"github.com/gohugoio/hugo/common/herrors"
	"github.com/gohugoio/hugo/common/hmaps"
	"github.com/gohugoio/hugo/common/loggers"
	"github.com/gohugoio/hugo/common/paths"
	"github.com/gohugoio/hugo/common/version"
	"golang.org/x/mod/module"

	"github.com/spf13/cast"

	"github.com/gohugoio/hugo/parser/metadecoders"

	"github.com/gohugoio/hugo/hugofs/files"

	"github.com/gohugoio/hugo/config"
	"github.com/spf13/afero"
)

var ErrNotExist = errors.New("module does not exist")

const vendorModulesFilename = "modules.txt"

func (h *Client) Collect() (ModulesConfig, error) {
	mc, coll := h.collect(true)
	if coll.err != nil {
		return mc, coll.err
	}

	if err := (&mc).setActiveMods(h.logger); err != nil {
		return mc, err
	}

	if h.ccfg.HookBeforeFinalize != nil {
		if err := h.ccfg.HookBeforeFinalize(&mc); err != nil {
			return mc, err
		}
	}

View on GitHub ↗ (pinned to 8a468df065)

Solutions

1. If importing remote modules, initialize the project as a module: `hugo mod init github.com/you/site`, then `hugo mod get`.
2. If using a classic theme, ensure the directory exists at themes/<name> (e.g. `git submodule update --init`).
3. Check the import path spelling in your Hugo configuration.
4. Run `hugo mod graph` to identify which import fails.

Example fix

# before: imports declared but no go.mod
hugo build  # -> module does not exist
# after
hugo mod init github.com/me/mysite
hugo mod get
hugo build

if _, err := os.Stat(filepath.Join(dir, "go.mod")); err != nil {
    // module dir not present — run `hugo mod get` first
}

func isModuleNotExist(err error) bool {
    return errors.Is(err, modules.ErrNotExist)
}

if err := collect(); err != nil {
    if errors.Is(err, modules.ErrNotExist) {
        // prompt: run `hugo mod get ./...` to populate the module cache
    }
    return err
}

When it happens

Trigger: Module collection (`Client.Collect`) fails to resolve an import: the path looks like a module but no go.mod project is initialized, the module isn't in the module cache, and there's no matching directory under themesDir. Also surfaced by `hugo mod` subcommands operating on a missing module.

Common situations: Adding `[[module.imports]]` for a remote theme without running `hugo mod init` first (no go.mod, so nothing can be fetched); referencing a theme name with no corresponding themes/<name> folder; cloned repo missing its themes submodule.

Related errors

• invalid module path %q; must be relative to themesDir when d
• go command failed: %s
• module %q not found
• %q not found
• failed to apply mounts for project: %w

AI-assisted analysis of gohugoio/hugo@8a468df065 (2026-07-31). Data as JSON: /data/errors/637043ed99d816a0.json. Report an issue: GitHub ↗.