KiCad "Missing connection between items": find and fix unrouted nets
KiCad design rule check (PCB) message: Missing connection between items (unconnected_items in kicad-cli reports).
What it means
This is KiCad telling you a net is not fully connected in copper: there is still a ratsnest line between two items. The DRC dialog lists them on the Unconnected Items tab. Route the connection, or, when the pads should connect through a copper pour, refill zones and make sure the zone has the right net and reaches every pad.
Common causes
- A net that was never routed, or a track that stops just short of a pad.
- Pads meant to connect through a ground or power pour that was not refilled, has the wrong net, or is cut off by other copper.
- Zone islands removed by the "Remove islands" setting, leaving a pad with no path back to the rest of the net.
- A thermal relief that cannot form because spokes are blocked, which usually shows up with a starved thermal warning too.
How to fix it
- Click an entry on the Unconnected Items tab to jump to it, then route it.
- Refill zones (B) and run DRC again.
- Check the zone's net in its properties and look for obstacles splitting the pour.
- Add a stitching via or a short track where a pour cannot reach a pad.
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Checked against KiCad 10's source and documentation. Last reviewed 2026-11-07.
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