nextcloud / nextcloud/activity
[Bug]: v34 - Activity - Failed to format activity notification | Value provided for subject is not valid
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Nobody has claimed this yet.
0. Needs triage
bug
- Dominant language
- JavaScript
- Stars
- 145
- Forks
- 72
- Avg merge
- 6d 9h
- Merged PRs (30d)
- 42
Description
⚠️ This issue respects the following points: ⚠️
- This is a bug, not a question or a configuration/webserver/proxy issue.
- This issue is not already reported on Github OR Nextcloud Community Forum (I've searched it).
- Nextcloud Server is up to date. See Maintenance and Release Schedule for supported versions.
- I agree to follow Nextcloud's Code of Conduct.
Bug description
Log gets clogged every scheduler cycle with:
{
"reqId": "53F66PXRKyUIMuEba42d",
"level": 3,
"time": "2026-06-09T12:53:51+00:00",
"remoteAddr": "redacted",
"user": "Nadine",
"app": "activity",
"method": "GET",
"url": "/ocs/v2.php/apps/notifications/api/v2/notifications?format=json",
"scriptName": "/ocs/v2.php",
"message": "Failed to format activity notification",
"userAgent": "Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh) mirall/33.0.5 (Nextcloud, macos-25.4.0 ClientArchitecture: x86_64 OsArchitecture: x86_64)",
"version": "34.0.0.12",
"clientReqId": "fa7b0a43-0c4e-4149-9978-1cd0812529f0",
"exception": {
"Exception": "OCP\\Notification\\InvalidValueException",
"Message": "Value provided for subject is not valid",
"Code": 0,
"Trace": [
{
"file": "/usr/local/www/apache24/noexec/sys/domain.de/cloud/apps/activity/lib/NotificationGenerator.php",
"line": 57,
"function": "setSubject",
"class": "OC\\Notification\\Notification",
"type": "->"
},
{
"file": "/usr/local/www/apache24/noexec/sys/domain.de/cloud/apps/activity/lib/NotificationGenerator.php",
"line": 130,
"function": "getNotificationForEvent",
"class": "OCA\\Activity\\NotificationGenerator",
"type": "->"
},
{
"file": "/usr/local/www/apache24/noexec/sys/domain.de/cloud/apps/activity/lib/NotificationGenerator.php",
"line": 122,
"function": "getDisplayNotificationForEvent",
"class": "OCA\\Activity\\NotificationGenerator",
"type": "->"
},
{
"file": "/usr/local/www/apache24/noexec/sys/domain.de/cloud/lib/private/Notification/Manager.php",
"line": 351,
"function": "prepare",
"class": "OCA\\Activity\\NotificationGenerator",
"type": "->"
},
{
"file": "/usr/local/www/apache24/noexec/sys/domain.de/cloud/apps/notifications/lib/Controller/EndpointController.php",
"line": 105,
"function": "prepare",
"class": "OC\\Notification\\Manager",
"type": "->"
},
{
"file": "/usr/local/www/apache24/noexec/sys/domain.de/cloud/lib/private/AppFramework/Http/Dispatcher.php",
"line": 165,
"function": "listNotifications",
"class": "OCA\\Notifications\\Controller\\EndpointController",
"type": "->"
},
{
"file": "/usr/local/www/apache24/noexec/sys/domain.de/cloud/lib/private/AppFramework/Http/Dispatcher.php",
"line": 78,
"function": "executeController",
"class": "OC\\AppFramework\\Http\\Dispatcher",
"type": "->"
},
{
"file": "/usr/local/www/apache24/noexec/sys/domain.de/cloud/lib/private/AppFramework/App.php",
"line": 137,
"function": "dispatch",
"class": "OC\\AppFramework\\Http\\Dispatcher",
"type": "->"
},
{
"file": "/usr/local/www/apache24/noexec/sys/domain.de/cloud/lib/private/Route/Router.php",
"line": 324,
"function": "main",
"class": "OC\\AppFramework\\App",
"type": "::"
},
{
"file": "/usr/local/www/apache24/noexec/sys/domain.de/cloud/ocs/v1.php",
"line": 63,
"function": "match",
"class": "OC\\Route\\Router",
"type": "->"
},
{
"file": "/usr/local/www/apache24/noexec/sys/domain.de/cloud/ocs/v2.php",
"line": 10,
"args": [
"/usr/local/www/apache24/noexec/sys/domain.de/cloud/ocs/v1.php"
],
"function": "require_once"
}
],
"File": "/usr/local/www/apache24/noexec/sys/domain.de/cloud/lib/private/Notification/Notification.php",
"Line": 157,
"message": "Failed to format activity notification",
"exception": "{\"class\":\"OCP\\\\Notification\\\\InvalidValueException\",\"message\":\"Value provided for subject is not valid\",\"code\":0,\"file\":\"/usr/local/www/apache24/noexec/sys/domain.de/cloud/lib/private/Notification/Notification.php:157\",\"trace\":\"#0 /usr/local/www/apache24/noexec/sys/domain.de/cloud/apps/activity/lib/NotificationGenerator.php(57): OC\\\\Notification\\\\Notification->setSubject()\\n#1 /usr/local/www/apache24/noexec/sys/domain.de/cloud/apps/activity/lib/NotificationGenerator.php(130): OCA\\\\Activity\\\\NotificationGenerator->getNotificationForEvent()\\n#2 /usr/local/www/apache24/noexec/sys/domain.de/cloud/apps/activity/lib/NotificationGenerator.php(122): OCA\\\\Activity\\\\NotificationGenerator->getDisplayNotificationForEvent()\\n#3 /usr/local/www/apache24/noexec/sys/domain.de/cloud/lib/private/Notification/Manager.php(351): OCA\\\\Activity\\\\NotificationGenerator->prepare()\\n#4 /usr/local/www/apache24/noexec/sys/domain.de/cloud/apps/notifications/lib/Controller/EndpointController.php(105): OC\\\\Notification\\\\Manager->prepare()\\n#5 /usr/local/www/apache24/noexec/sys/domain.de/cloud/lib/private/AppFramework/Http/Dispatcher.php(165): OCA\\\\Notifications\\\\Controller\\\\EndpointController->listNotifications()\\n#6 /usr/local/www/apache24/noexec/sys/domain.de/cloud/lib/private/AppFramework/Http/Dispatcher.php(78): OC\\\\AppFramework\\\\Http\\\\Dispatcher->executeController()\\n#7 /usr/local/www/apache24/noexec/sys/domain.de/cloud/lib/private/AppFramework/App.php(137): OC\\\\AppFramework\\\\Http\\\\Dispatcher->dispatch()\\n#8 /usr/local/www/apache24/noexec/sys/domain.de/cloud/lib/private/Route/Router.php(324): OC\\\\AppFramework\\\\App::main()\\n#9 /usr/local/www/apache24/noexec/sys/domain.de/cloud/ocs/v1.php(63): OC\\\\Route\\\\Router->match()\\n#10 /usr/local/www/apache24/noexec/sys/domain.de/cloud/ocs/v2.php(10): require_once('...')\\n#11 {main}\"}",
"CustomMessage": "Failed to format activity notification"
},
"id": "6a280d14048b6"
}
Steps to reproduce
- Open Log
- Wait for Cycle
Expected behavior
No error
Nextcloud Server version
34
Operating system
Other
PHP engine version
PHP 8.4
Web server
Apache (supported)
Database engine version
MySQL
Is this bug present after an update or on a fresh install?
Upgraded to a MAJOR version (ex. 31 to 32)
Are you using the Nextcloud Server Encryption module?
Encryption is Disabled
What user-backends are you using?
- Default user-backend (database)
- LDAP/ Active Directory
- SSO - SAML
- Other
Configuration report
Passwort:
{
"system": {
"instanceid": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
"passwordsalt": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
"secret": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
"trusted_domains": [
"cloud.domain.de"
],
"datadirectory": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
"overwrite.cli.url": "https:\/\/cloud.domain.de",
"dbtype": "mysql",
"version": "34.0.0.12",
"dbname": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
"dbhost": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
"dbtableprefix": "oc_",
"dbuser": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
"dbpassword": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
"memcache.local": "\\OC\\Memcache\\APCu",
"memcache.locking": "\\OC\\Memcache\\APCu",
"installed": true,
"maintenance": false,
"filelocking.enabled": true,
"log_type": "file",
"logfile": "\/usr\/local\/www\/apache24\/data\/sys\/cloud.domain.de\/nextclouddata\/nextcloud.log",
"loglevel": 3,
"logdateformat": "F d, Y H:i:s",
"tempdirectory": "\/usr\/local\/www\/apache24\/data\/sys\/cloud.domain.de/.temp",
"has_internet_connection": "true",
"updater.release.channel": "beta",
"mysql.utf8mb4": true,
"default_phone_region": "DE",
"maintenance_window_start": 1,
"mail_from_address": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
"mail_smtpmode": "smtp",
"mail_sendmailmode": "smtp",
"mail_domain": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
"mail_smtphost": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
"mail_smtpauth": true,
"mail_smtpname": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
"mail_smtppassword": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
"mail_smtpport": "465",
"versions_retention_obligation": "auto, 128",
"preview_concurrency_all": 4,
"preview_concurrency_new": 2,
"enable_previews": true,
"enabledPreviewProviders": [
"OC\\Preview\\PNG",
"OC\\Preview\\JPEG",
"OC\\Preview\\GIF",
"OC\\Preview\\BMP",
"OC\\Preview\\XBitmap",
"OC\\Preview\\Movie",
"OC\\Preview\\PDF",
"OC\\Preview\\MP3",
"OC\\Preview\\TXT",
"OC\\Preview\\MarkDown"
],
"preview_max_x": 1080,
"preview_max_y": 1920,
"jpeg_quality": 90,
"preview_max_filesize_image": 5,
"preview_max_memory": 256,
"metadata_max_filesize": 256,
"data-fingerprint": "c75a585b676b4deca4768adb852c686b",
"app_install_overwrite": [],
"theme": "",
"mail_smtpsecure": "ssl",
"updater.secret": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***"
}
}
List of activated Apps
occ app:list
Enabled:
- activity: 7.0.0
- admin_audit: 1.24.0
- appstore: 1.0.0
- bruteforcesettings: 7.0.0
- calendar: 6.4.2
- circles: 34.0.0
- cloud_federation_api: 1.18.0
- comments: 1.24.0
- contacts: 8.6.0-rc.1
- contactsinteraction: 1.15.0
- dashboard: 7.14.0
- dav: 1.39.0
- deck: 1.18.0
- federatedfilesharing: 1.24.0
- federation: 1.24.0
- files: 2.6.0
- files_downloadlimit: 5.2.0-dev.0
- files_lock: 34.0.0
- files_pdfviewer: 7.0.0-dev.0
- files_sharing: 1.26.0
- files_trashbin: 1.24.0
- files_versions: 1.27.0
- firstrunwizard: 7.0.0-dev.0
- forms: 5.3.0
- groupfolders: 22.0.0
- logreader: 7.0.0
- lookup_server_connector: 1.22.0
- mail: 5.9.1
- nextcloud_announcements: 6.0.0
- notifications: 7.0.0-dev.1
- oauth2: 1.22.0
- office: 1.0.0
- password_policy: 6.0.0-dev.0
- photos: 7.0.0
- privacy: 6.0.0-dev.1
- profile: 1.3.0
- provisioning_api: 1.24.0
- recommendations: 7.0.0-dev.0
- related_resources: 5.0.0-dev.0
- serverinfo: 6.0.0
- settings: 1.17.0
- sharebymail: 1.24.0
- support: 6.0.0
- survey_client: 6.0.0-dev.0
- suspicious_login: 12.0.0-dev.0
- systemtags: 1.24.0
- tables: 2.2.0
- text: 8.0.0
- theming: 2.9.0
- twofactor_backupcodes: 1.23.0
- twofactor_totp: 16.0.0
- updatenotification: 1.24.0
- user_status: 1.14.0
- viewer: 7.0.0-dev.0
- weather_status: 1.14.0
- webhook_listeners: 1.6.0
- workflowengine: 2.16.0
Disabled:
- app_api: 34.0.0 (installed 32.0.0)
- drawio: 4.2.3 (installed 4.2.3)
- encryption: 2.22.0
- files_external: 1.26.0 (installed 1.23.0)
- files_reminders: 1.7.0 (installed 1.4.0)
- tasks: 0.17.1 (installed 0.17.1)
- testing: 1.23.0
- twofactor_nextcloud_notification: 8.0.0
- user_ldap: 1.25.0
Nextcloud Signing status
Nextcloud Logs
see above
Additional info
No response
Contributor guide
First steps
- Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
- Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
- Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
- Open a pull request that references the issue number.
Research direction
Start with apps/activity/lib/NotificationGenerator.php at lines 57, 122, and 130, then inspect lib/private/Notification/Notification.php at line 157. Reproduce the notifications API request and identify which activity event produces the invalid subject value. Done means the scheduler cycle no longer logs “Failed to format activity notification”.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- php
- Domain
- backend
- Issue type
- Bug
- Difficulty
- 3/5
- Estimated time
- 1-2 days
- Activity status
- Active
- Clarity
- Needs clarification
- Newbie friendliness
- 45/100