{
  "id": "file.id_missing",
  "category": "request_validation",
  "summary": "The file_id argument is missing or empty.",
  "match_any": [
    {
      "error_code": 400,
      "description_exact": "Bad Request: file_id not specified"
    }
  ],
  "scope": {
    "method_examples": [
      "getFile"
    ],
    "exhaustive": false
  },
  "possible_causes": [
    "The remote-file lookup received an empty file_id."
  ],
  "diagnostic_limits": "This response concerns a missing file identifier; it does not validate an upload or a nonempty identifier.",
  "evidence": [
    {
      "source": "live-2026-09-16",
      "note": "getFile with an empty file_id returned this description."
    },
    {
      "source": "server-10.3",
      "path": "telegram-bot-api/Client.cpp",
      "lines": [
        9034,
        9041
      ],
      "note": "The remote-file helper directly rejects an empty file_id."
    },
    {
      "source": "server-10.3",
      "path": "telegram-bot-api/Client.cpp",
      "lines": [
        17032,
        17035
      ],
      "note": "getFile passes its file_id argument to the helper."
    }
  ],
  "example": {
    "method": "getFile",
    "response": {
      "ok": false,
      "error_code": 400,
      "description": "Bad Request: file_id not specified"
    }
  },
  "evidence_level": "observed",
  "guidance": {
    "action": "supply_file_identifier",
    "repeat_request": "after_relevant_change",
    "preconditions": [
      "Use the file_id supplied for this bot by Telegram, rather than file_unique_id."
    ]
  }
}