OSError
huggingface_hub.utils._errors.HfHubHTTPError: Model not found
Stack trace
OSError: Model 'username/model-name' not found in Huggingface Hub. During handling of the above exception, another exception occurred: huggingface_hub.utils._errors.HfHubHTTPError: 404 Client Error: Not Found for url: https://huggingface.co/api/models/username/model-name
Why it happens
This error occurs when the model identifier passed to the Huggingface Hub client does not exist or is misspelled. It can also happen if the model repository is private and the user lacks authentication or permission to access it.
Detection
Catch OSError or HfHubHTTPError exceptions when calling model loading functions and log the model ID and authentication status to detect missing or inaccessible models early.
Causes & fixes
Incorrect or misspelled model ID passed to the Huggingface Hub client
Verify the exact model repository name on huggingface.co and correct the model ID string in your code.
Model repository is private and no authentication token is provided
Set the environment variable HUGGINGFACE_HUB_TOKEN with a valid access token that has permission to access the private model.
Network issues or proxy blocking access to huggingface.co API
Ensure your network allows HTTPS requests to huggingface.co and configure proxies if necessary.
Code: broken vs fixed
from transformers import AutoModel
model = AutoModel.from_pretrained('username/model-name') # triggers OSError if model not foundimport os
from transformers import AutoModel
os.environ['HUGGINGFACE_HUB_TOKEN'] = os.environ.get('HUGGINGFACE_HUB_TOKEN', 'your_token_here') # Added auth token for private models
model = AutoModel.from_pretrained('username/model-name') # fixed model loadingWorkaround
Wrap model loading in try/except OSError, catch the error, and fallback to a local cached model or a default model to keep the app running.
Prevention
Always verify model IDs against huggingface.co, use authentication tokens for private repos, and implement error handling to detect missing models before deployment.