EC
UnhandledMatchError
PHPERRORCommonType

No match arm matched the value (PHP 8.0+)

Quick Answer

Always add a default arm to match expressions that handle external or dynamic values.

What this means

Thrown (PHP 8.0+) when a match expression has no matching arm and no default arm. Unlike switch, match is strict (===) and raises UnhandledMatchError rather than silently falling through.

Why it happens
  1. 1match() receives a value not covered by any arm and no default arm is present
  2. 2Strict type mismatch — e.g. match("1") with arms for 1 (int) not "1" (string)

Fix

Add a default arm

Add a default arm
$result = match($status) {
    'active'   => 'green',
    'inactive' => 'grey',
    'banned'   => 'red',
    default    => throw new \InvalidArgumentException("Unknown status: $status"),
};

Why this works

default catches all unmatched values. Throwing an exception in default makes unexpected values immediately visible rather than silently ignored.

Code examples
Triggerphp
$x = 4;
match($x) {
    1 => 'one',
    2 => 'two',
};  // UnhandledMatchError: Unhandled match case
match vs switch — strict comparisonphp
match("1") {
    1 => 'int one',  // 1 !== "1" — does not match
    default => 'no match',
};
Sources

Content generated with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy. Found an error? hello@errcodes.dev

← All PHP errors