gohugoio/hugo · error

partial %q not found

Error message

partial %q not found

What it means

Raised by the partials namespace lookup (tpl/partials/partials.go:140) when `partial` or `partialCached` is called with a name that `TemplateStore.LookupPartial` cannot resolve. Hugo looks partials up relative to `layouts/_partials/` (formerly `layouts/partials/`); if no template exists under that name, rendering fails with this error.

Source

Thrown at tpl/partials/partials.go:140

}

func (ns *Namespace) include(ctx context.Context, name string, dataList ...any) includeResult {
	v, err := ns.lookup(name)
	if err != nil {
		return includeResult{err: err}
	}
	return ns.doInclude(ctx, "", v, dataList...)
}

func (ns *Namespace) lookup(name string) (*tplimpl.TemplInfo, error) {
	if strings.HasPrefix(name, "partials/") {
		// This is most likely not what the user intended.
		// This worked before Hugo 0.146.0.
		ns.deps.Log.Warnidf(constants.WarnPartialSuperfluousPrefix, "Doubtful use of partial function in {{ partial \"%s\"}}), this is most likely not what you want. Consider removing superfluous prefix \"partials/\" from template name given as first function argument.", name)
	}
	v := ns.deps.TemplateStore.LookupPartial(name)
	if v == nil {
		return nil, fmt.Errorf("partial %q not found", name)
	}
	return v, nil
}

// include is a helper function that lookups and executes the named partial.
// Returns the final template name and the rendered output.
func (ns *Namespace) doInclude(ctx context.Context, key string, templ *tplimpl.TemplInfo, dataList ...any) includeResult {
	if templ.ParseInfo.HasPartialInner {
		stack := tpl.Context.PartialDecoratorIDStack.Get(ctx)
		if stack != nil {
			if id, ok := stack.Peek(); ok {
				// Signal that inner exists.
				id.Bool = true
			}
		}
	}
	var data any
	if len(dataList) > 0 {

View on GitHub ↗ (pinned to 8a468df065)

Solutions

1. Verify the file exists at `layouts/_partials/<name>` (or `layouts/partials/` in older setups), matching case exactly.
2. Remove any superfluous `partials/` prefix from the call: use `{{ partial "foo.html" . }}`, not `{{ partial "partials/foo.html" . }}`.
3. If the partial comes from a theme or module, confirm the theme/module is listed in your site config and vendored/fetched (`hugo mod get`).
4. Run `hugo --printPathWarnings` or check the site with `hugo server` to see lookup warnings.

Example fix

<!-- before -->
{{ partial "partials/head.html" . }}
<!-- after: file at layouts/_partials/head.html -->
{{ partial "head.html" . }}

{{ if templates.Exists (printf "partials/%s" $name) }}
  {{ partial $name . }}
{{ else }}
  {{ warnf "partial %q missing" $name }}
{{ end }}

When it happens

Trigger: `{{ partial "foo.html" . }}` or `{{ partialCached "foo.html" . }}` where `layouts/_partials/foo.html` (or a theme/module equivalent) does not exist; a typo in the name; wrong subdirectory path; or a missing file extension when one is required.

Common situations: Typos or case mismatches in the partial name (case matters on Linux/CI but not macOS), forgetting the theme or module that supplies the partial in `theme`/module imports, migrating to Hugo ≥ 0.146 where the layouts layout changed, or writing `partials/foo.html` as the argument — the code explicitly warns that the `partials/` prefix is superfluous and usually wrong.

Related errors

• circular call stack detected in partial %q
• inner cannot be used inside a with block that wraps a partia
• maximum template call stack size exceeded in %q
• template %q not found
• error building site: %w

AI-assisted analysis of gohugoio/hugo@8a468df065 (2026-07-31). Data as JSON: /data/errors/f559b9d373cd4280.json. Report an issue: GitHub ↗.