Error in your pipeline. Step is empty, null or missing

[warmannj]

I have the following error when running my pipeline: 

Configuration error

There is an error in your bitbucket-pipelines.yml at [pipelines > branches > develop > 1]. To be precise: Step is empty, null, or missing.

Another user reported a similar issue earlier. The answer given there does not work for me as the issue was with indentation. My file does not have that error.

Here's my file: 

definitions:
  steps:
    - step: &deployToECS
      name: Deploy to ECS
      services:
        - docker
      script: # Modify the commands below to build your repository.
        - pipe: atlassian/aws-ecs-deploy:1.0.4
          variables:
            AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID: $AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID
            AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY: $AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY
            AWS_DEFAULT_REGION: $AWS_REGION
            CLUSTER_NAME: '$ECS_CLUSTER_NAME'
            SERVICE_NAME: '$ECS_SERVICE_NAME'
            TASK_DEFINITION: '$ECS_TASK_DEFINITION_FILE'
            DEBUG: 'true'
pipelines:
  branches:
    develop:
      - step: 
        <<: *deployToECS
        deployment: development

 PS: The question editor here removes spacing when I paste my file contents so indentation might not be correct here.

However, the pipeline works if I change the step to reuse the anchor inline:

pipelines:
  branches:
    develop:
      - step: *deployToECS
        deployment: development

This "works" but I can not override variables with the deployment specific variables in this case. 

Any suggestions would be helpful.

[lephleg]

Same issue here. When using overrides the pipeline reports "Step is empty, null or missing"

[lephleg]

@warmannj Solved it. It was a matter of indentation indeed.

Notice the extra indent inside - step:

pipelines:
  branches:
    develop:
      - step: 
          <<: *deployToECS
          deployment: development

[Matt Hudson]

Same for me.

[Simone Scardoni]

Thanks you!

[Pawel]

Thanks, that was that. It's incredible that Bitbucket Pipelines - Validator (atlassian.io) is so bad it doesn't catch absolutely any errors; Every time I reconfigure my pipeline mu spend around 10 commits till I get it right :/

[John Peterson]

I have the same problem anyone find a way to do this?  i have tried the <<: *deployToECS way it validates but then when pipelines build says its invalid...

[Matt Hudson]

Me too.