Parameterized job can only be used with %q or %q scheduler

Error message

Parameterized job can only be used with %q or %q scheduler

What it means

Job.Validate enforces that parameterized jobs (IsParameterized, i.e. a parameterized_job block is present) may only run under the batch or sysbatch scheduler. Otherwise the error 'Parameterized job can only be used with "batch" or "sysbatch" scheduler' is appended.

Source

Thrown at nomad/structs/structs.go:4869

		}
	}

	// Validate periodic is only used with batch or sysbatch jobs.
	if j.IsPeriodic() && j.Periodic.Enabled {
		if j.Type != JobTypeBatch && j.Type != JobTypeSysBatch {
			mErr.Errors = append(mErr.Errors, fmt.Errorf(
				"Periodic can only be used with %q or %q scheduler", JobTypeBatch, JobTypeSysBatch,
			))
		}

		if err := j.Periodic.Validate(); err != nil {
			mErr.Errors = append(mErr.Errors, err)
		}
	}

	if j.IsParameterized() {
		if j.Type != JobTypeBatch && j.Type != JobTypeSysBatch {
			mErr.Errors = append(mErr.Errors, fmt.Errorf(
				"Parameterized job can only be used with %q or %q scheduler", JobTypeBatch, JobTypeSysBatch,
			))
		}

		if err := j.ParameterizedJob.Validate(); err != nil {
			mErr.Errors = append(mErr.Errors, err)
		}
	}

	if j.IsMultiregion() {
		if err := j.Multiregion.Validate(j.Type, j.Datacenters); err != nil {
			mErr.Errors = append(mErr.Errors, err)
		}
	}

	return mErr.ErrorOrNil()
}

View on GitHub (pinned to 482b49bf1a)

Solutions

Set `type = "batch"` (or "sysbatch") on the parameterized job.
Or remove the `parameterized_job` block if dispatch semantics are not needed.
Validate with `nomad job validate` before submission.

Example fix

// before
job "dispatch-me" {
  type = "service"
  parameterized_job { payload = "required" }
}
// after
job "dispatch-me" {
  type = "batch"
  parameterized_job { payload = "required" }
}

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

if job.IsParameterized() &&
   job.Type != "batch" && job.Type != "sysbatch" {
    return fmt.Errorf("parameterized job must be type batch or sysbatch, got %q", job.Type)
}

Prevention

Pair every `parameterized_job` block with `type = "batch"`.
Use dispatch job templates that include the correct type.
Validate dispatch job specs as part of CI.

When it happens

Trigger: Submitting a job containing a `parameterized_job` stanza while job type is "service", "system", or unset/derived to a non-batch type.

Common situations: Adding dispatch capability to an existing service job; scaffolding a dispatch job from a template that omitted type = "batch"; API clients setting ParameterizedJob on a structs.Job without adjusting Type.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of hashicorp/nomad@482b49bf1a (2026-09-04). Data as JSON: /api/errors/882b704ae13689fd. Report an issue: GitHub.