Cline error
Cline: Invalid API Response: The provider returned an empty or unparsable...
Invalid API Response: The provider returned an empty or unparsable response. This is a provider-side issue where the model failed to generate valid output or returned tool calls that Cline cannot process. Retrying the request may help resolve this issue.Status: OpenLast verified 3 documented fixes3 sources
What it means
The model stream ended with no usable output or with tool calls Cline could not parse. Cline classifies this as a provider-side failure.
Causes
- Provider or model failing to produce valid output or valid tool calls, as the message states.
- Reported when writing large files (~500+ lines) or parsing large files, and with specific provider/model combinations (for example claude-code with claude-sonnet-4-5 on 3.56.2 / 3.57.1).
- For SAP AI Core Deployments mode, the thread links a stream-processing regression addressed by PR #7675.
How to fix it
- Fix 1.
Retry the request, as the error message advises.
- Fix 2.
Update Cline. 4.1.4: "Retry empty model responses on every provider rather than only Ollama". 4.1.25: "When a provider error interrupts a response mid-stream, Cline retries it up to 3 times before failing the turn."
- Fix 3.
SAP AI Core users: the fix for Deployments mode stream handling is PR #7675 ("Fixed SAP AI Core Deployments Mode").
More Cline errors
All 17 Cline errorsShell Integration Unavailable. Cline may have trouble viewing the command's output. Please update VSCode (CMD/CTRL + Shift + P → "Update") and make sure you're using a supported shell: zsh, bash, fish, or PowerShell (CMD/CTRL + Shift + P → "Terminal: Select Default Profile").Status: WorkaroundError executing command: The command ran successfully, but we couldn't capture its output. Please proceed accordingly.Status: Fixed in releaseCommand failed with exit code 1: powershell (Get-CimInstance -ClassName Win32_OperatingSystem).caption 'powershell' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file.Status: WorkaroundUnexpected API Response: The language model did not provide any assistant messages. This may indicate an issue with the API or the model's output.Status: WorkaroundModel returned empty responseStatus: OpenFunction call is missing a thought_signature in functionCall parts. This is required for tools to work correctly, and missing thought_signature may lead to degraded model performance.Status: Fixed in release429 {"type":"error","error":{"type":"rate_limit_error","message":"Number of request tokens has exceeded your per-minute rate limit (https://docs.anthropic.com/en/api/rate-limits); see the response headers for current usage. Please reduce the prompt length or the maximum tokens requested, or try again later. You may also contact sales at https://www.anthropic.com/contact-sales to discuss your options for a rate limit increase."}}Status: WorkaroundInvalid MCP settings format. Please ensure your settings follow the correct JSON format.Status: Workaround
Related reading
- What Is Cline? The Open-Source AI Coding Agent for VS CodeCline is a free, open-source VS Code extension for agentic AI coding. Bring your own model, a cloud API or a local one via Ollama, with no vendor lock-in.
- Every AI Coding Tool Compared: The 2026 MatrixEvery AI coding tool compared: 15 terminal, IDE, cloud and browser tools side by side on pricing, model surface, strengths, weaknesses and best use cases.
FAQ
What does "Invalid API Response: The provider returned an empty or unparsable..." mean in Cline?
The model stream ended with no usable output or with tool calls Cline could not parse. Cline classifies this as a provider-side failure.
How do I fix "Invalid API Response: The provider returned an empty or unparsable..."?
There are 3 documented fixes. Start with the first: Retry the request, as the error message advises.
Is this Cline error fixed?
Status: Open. Still open upstream. Any documented fixes are workarounds so far. Affected versions: Reported from 3.34.1 through 3.57.1
Sources
Last verified against 3 sources: official docs, maintainer replies and release notes.
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