Hallucinated Paths

Reply cites file paths, directories, or module locations that do not exist in the current project.

The reply references files or directories that aren't on disk. The agent invented a plausible-sounding location (e.g., src/utils/helpers.ts) because similar paths usually exist in projects like this one.

Symptoms

• A quoted path doesn't exist when you check the filesystem.
• The reply uses a path structure that matches convention but the specific file is absent (e.g., src/components/Button.tsx in a project that actually puts components elsewhere).
• Imports reference modules that cannot be resolved.
• "Edit X file at path Y" instructions fail because Y is not there.

What to do

• Before quoting a path, verify it with a real file-existence check (ls, stat, a glob search). Do not rely on memory or convention.
• When unsure where something lives, search first: grep for the symbol, glob for the filename, read the repo layout.
• If the answer requires a path that doesn't exist, say so explicitly — don't fabricate. "I couldn't find a file for X" is correct; inventing one is not.
• When proposing to create a new file, state clearly that it is new, and justify why it belongs at that path given the repo's actual conventions.
• After editing, verify the edited file is the one that exists, not a hallucinated sibling.