Skip to content
Latchkey

Go "too many errors" during build - Fix in CI

The Go compiler prints up to a fixed number of errors per package, then stops with too many errors. The remaining failures are hidden, and they almost always cascade from the first one.

What this error means

A build ends with a list of compile errors followed by too many errors. The cascade usually starts from a single root cause - a missing import, a renamed type, or a broken signature - that triggers many downstream errors.

go
./handlers.go:12:9: undefined: Request
./handlers.go:19:14: undefined: Request
./handlers.go:27:21: undefined: Request
too many errors

Common causes

A single root cause cascades

An undefined type or missing import is referenced many times, producing one error per use until the cap is hit.

A broken signature breaks every caller

A changed function signature fails at every call site, flooding the error list.

How to fix it

Fix the first error first

  1. Address the topmost error; the cascade usually disappears with it.
  2. Rebuild and repeat until clean.
Terminal
go build ./...

Raise the error limit to see more

  1. Pass -e to gcflags so the compiler prints all errors, not just the first batch.
Terminal
go build -gcflags=-e ./...

How to prevent it

  • Build locally and fix errors top-down before pushing.
  • Keep signatures and shared types stable across a change.
  • Use -gcflags=-e when you need the full error list.

Related guides

Tired of flaky CI? Latchkey auto-heals failed jobs and retries them for you. Start free →