Fixing “Invalid Enum” & Unsupported Value Errors
Enums and picklists represent fields with a predefined, rigid list of acceptable values. When a CSV contains status codes, role names, or categories that do not exactly match the destination allowlist, the importer rejects the row.
1. What is an Enum / Constrained Field?
In relational databases and business software (such as HubSpot, Salesforce, Stripe, or Jira), fields like status, role, country_code, and tier are restricted by database ENUM types or validation schemas.
While free-text fields accept any string, an enum field will fail validation if a value deviates by even a single character or case difference.
2. Common Causes of Enum Rejections
| Problem Cause | Value in CSV | Allowed Destination Enum | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unsupported Variant | deleted | archived or inactive | The source system uses “deleted”, but the destination system only recognizes “archived” or “inactive”. |
| Case Sensitivity | Active or ACTIVE | active | Many SQL database enums are case-sensitive. Capitalized input fails strict equality checks. |
| Invisible Trailing Whitespace | "active " | active | A trailing space inside the quotes makes the string 7 characters long instead of 6, failing the match. |
| Abbreviation vs Full Name | CA | California | State, country, or department codes must match whether the destination expects ISO codes or full names. |
| Boolean Representations | yes or 1 | true | Boolean flag fields often require lowercase true / false strings. |
| Typos and Spelling Errors | Actve or pedning | active or pending | Manual data entry or OCR scanning frequently introduces subtle misspellings. |
3. How to Discover the Destination’s Allowed Values
Before modifying your file, verify the exact allowlist expected by your destination:
- API Documentation / Data Dictionary: Check the platform's API reference for the endpoint or table you are targeting.
- Database Schema Inspection: In PostgreSQL, query
\dT+ enum_nameor inspectpg_enumto view valid enum labels. - UI Picklist / Dropdown Settings: In CRMs like Salesforce or HubSpot, check the field configuration under Object Manager to see active picklist values.
4. Systematic Normalization Workflow
- Extract all unique values in the failing column: Identify all distinct values present in that column across the entire dataset.
- Build a mapping dictionary: Map each unsupported variant to its approved destination equivalent (e.g.
{"deleted": "archived", "pending_review": "pending"}). - Apply trimming and case standardization: Ensure leading/trailing spaces are removed and the case matches the destination schema exactly.
Diagnose Enum & Value Errors in Your CSV File
Upload your CSV and error log to our privacy-first triage tool. It isolates rejected values, maps them to the exact records, and groups identical enum failures together.
Triage Enum Errors Now5. How the CSV Failure Triage Tool Diagnoses Enum Errors
When you supply error messages such as Row 5: Invalid enum in field 'status' ... got 'deleted':
- It classifies the failure under the canonical type
INVALID_ENUM. - It identifies the failing column (
status) and extracts the rejected value (deleted). - It matches the exact CSV record (e.g., Diana at Row 5) and displays the cell in context.
- It provides recommendations on checking destination documentation for accepted variants.