2026.7 - Unexpected error during intent recognition

Configuration Voice Assistant
1

Hello all - getting this error ever since updating to 2026.7.0 or 2026.7.1. I've tried searching around and found plenty of results, but not really any solutions to help point me in the right direction. I've attached the logs below when I attempt to use Voice Assistant using Home Assistant Cloud. Does anyone have any suggestions on where to look/what I need to adjust? Thanks!

Unexpected error during intent recognition
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/src/homeassistant/homeassistant/components/assist_pipeline/pipeline.py", line 1297, in recognize_intent
    conversation_result = await conversation.async_converse(
                          ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
    ...<9 lines>...
    )
    ^
  File "/usr/src/homeassistant/homeassistant/components/conversation/agent_manager.py", line 127, in async_converse
    result = await method(conversation_input)
             ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/usr/src/homeassistant/homeassistant/components/conversation/entity.py", line 57, in internal_async_process
    return await self.async_process(user_input)
           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/usr/src/homeassistant/homeassistant/components/conversation/entity.py", line 70, in async_process
    return await self._async_handle_message(user_input, chat_log)
           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/usr/src/homeassistant/homeassistant/components/conversation/default_agent.py", line 458, in _async_handle_message
    intent_result = await self.async_recognize_intent(user_input)
                    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/usr/src/homeassistant/homeassistant/components/conversation/default_agent.py", line 348, in async_recognize_intent
    result = await self.hass.async_add_executor_job(
             ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
    ...<7 lines>...
    )
    ^
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.14/concurrent/futures/thread.py", line 86, in run
    result = ctx.run(self.task)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.14/concurrent/futures/thread.py", line 73, in run
    return fn(*args, **kwargs)
  File "/usr/src/homeassistant/homeassistant/components/conversation/default_agent.py", line 664, in _recognize
    strict_result = self._recognize_strict(
        user_input, lang_intents, slot_lists, intent_context, language
    )
  File "/usr/src/homeassistant/homeassistant/components/conversation/default_agent.py", line 915, in _recognize_strict
    return recognize_best(
        user_input.text,
    ...<5 lines>...
        best_slot_name="name",
    )
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.14/site-packages/hassil/recognize.py", line 655, in recognize_best
    for result in recognize_all(
                  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~^
        text,
        ^^^^^
    ...<7 lines>...
        language=language,
        ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
    ):
    ^
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.14/site-packages/hassil/recognize.py", line 246, in recognize_all
    intent_sentence.compile(match_settings.expansion_rules)
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.14/site-packages/hassil/expression.py", line 208, in compile
    self._compile_expression(self.expression, pattern_chunks, expansion_rules)
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.14/site-packages/hassil/expression.py", line 225, in _compile_expression
    self._compile_expression(item, pattern_chunks, rules)
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.14/site-packages/hassil/expression.py", line 250, in _compile_expression
    raise ValueError(rule_ref)
ValueError: RuleReference(rule_name='name')
2

I am getting exactly the same error no matter what command I say. Debug in the voice assistants section just shows
Unexpected error during intent recognition (intent-failed)

I get the same error if I type commands to the assistant.
I just found out that if I change the assistant to French instead of English and type commands in French then it works OK, so only English is broken maybe.

3

Found the problem with mine. I had a "custom_sentences/en" directory with some custom responses and intents in. I used the File editor app to rename the en directory to something else, and it deleted it instead of renaming :man_shrugging:, but anyway now it's gone and since restarting HA the assistant is working again.

4

Had this error also, found the custom_sentences and deleted it all as I only use LLM now and not straight Assist. Restarted no luck, check my configuration.yaml and it had voice references to phrases so deleted all them and checked the yaml structure for errors with the VS Code integration and the Better YAML Formatter plugin for VS Code. Restarted still no luck. Found I also had the Speech to Phase app running, deleted that and restart, all fixed. The Error message could be much better as this was all a guess.

5

I was getting the same error today when using the Assist button on the web GUI. I'm pretty sure the Home Assistant Voice was working with my custom sentences, I used it last night and updated to 7.1 as soon as it came out several days ago.

All my assist pipelines were failing, Home Assistant Cloud and LLM, when using the Web GUI.

I had a custom_sentences folder with an EN folder that contained some specific sentences for media playback and HVAC control. I wasn't really using those lately, so I deleted all of it, restarted Home Assistant and Assist is working again.

I can't remember the last time I tried using this, so I can't pinpoint when this broke, but it seems it was with 2026.7 based on what others have mentioned here.

I still have the Speech-to-Phrase add-on/app installed, so it doesn't look like this is causing issues in my setup.

6

Forgot to reply, but this did the trick for me, thanks!