---
title: "vakna: \"<id>\" matches more than one box"
description: "Use the box's name or its full id; vakna list shows both."
code: "ambiguous"
generated: scripts/generate.ts
verified:
  cli: "0.0.0-mock"
  date: "2026-10-20"
---

Use the box's name or its full id; `vakna list` shows both.

## Why does a part of an id match more than one box?

A part of an id addresses a box only while it matches one. Vakna never picks the first of several.

## What it looks like

```sh
$ vakna shell sbx_eu1a_01JB -- ls
```

```prints
vakna: "sbx_eu1a_01JB" matches 7 boxes: api, worker, web, docs, prove-hypothesis-42-0137, prove-hypothesis-42-0588, prove-hypothesis-42-0412
hint: vakna list  # use a name, or the full id
```

Exit code 255.

## As JSON

With `--format json` the error is one JSON line. Branch on its `code`, not on the message or the exit code.

```prints
{"v":1,"event":"error","code":"ambiguous","message":"\"sbx_eu1a_01JB\" matches 7 boxes: api, worker, web, docs, prove-hypothesis-42-0137, prove-hypothesis-42-0588, prove-hypothesis-42-0412","hint":"vakna list  # use a name, or the full id","docs":"https://vakna.com/docs/errors/ambiguous","mocked":true}
```

## Commands that print it

[`vakna shell`](https://vakna.com/docs/commands/shell), [`vakna delete`](https://vakna.com/docs/commands/delete), [`vakna fork`](https://vakna.com/docs/commands/fork), [`vakna snapshot`](https://vakna.com/docs/commands/snapshot), [`vakna suspend`](https://vakna.com/docs/commands/suspend), [`vakna resume`](https://vakna.com/docs/commands/resume), [`vakna attach`](https://vakna.com/docs/commands/attach), [`vakna receipt`](https://vakna.com/docs/commands/receipt), [`vakna status`](https://vakna.com/docs/commands/status), [`vakna claim`](https://vakna.com/docs/commands/claim).