hasura/graphql-engine · error · OrderByExpressionError

The data type {data_type} has not been defined

Error message

The data type {data_type} has not been defined

What it means

The order-by expression uses or produces a data type that has not been defined in the metadata's type collection. Ordering requires the type to be a defined (typically scalar) type so the resolver can determine valid sort directions.

Source

Thrown at v3/crates/metadata-resolve/src/stages/order_by_expressions/error.rs:28

#[derive(Debug, thiserror::Error)]
#[error("Error in order by expression {order_by_expression_name}: {error}")]
pub struct NamedOrderByExpressionError {
    pub order_by_expression_name: Qualified<OrderByExpressionName>,
    pub error: OrderByExpressionError,
}

impl ContextualError for NamedOrderByExpressionError {
    fn create_error_context(&self) -> Option<error_context::Context> {
        None
    }
}

#[derive(Debug, thiserror::Error)]
pub enum OrderByExpressionError {
    #[error("unknown field {field_name} in orderable fields")]
    UnknownFieldInOrderByExpression { field_name: FieldName },
    #[error("The data type {data_type} has not been defined")]
    UnknownOrderableType {
        data_type: Qualified<CustomTypeName>,
    },
    #[error(
        "The relationship {relationship_name} on object type {object_type_name} could not be found"
    )]
    UnknownRelationship {
        relationship_name: RelationshipName,
        object_type_name: Qualified<CustomTypeName>,
    },
    #[error(
        "Invalid orderable field {field_name}. Exactly one of `enable_order_by_directions` or `order_by_expression_name` must be specified."
    )]
    InvalidOrderByExpressionOrderableField { field_name: FieldName },
    #[error(
        "The order by expression {order_by_expression_name} referenced in field {field_name} has not been defined"
    )]
    UnknownOrderByExpressionNameInOrderableField {

View on GitHub (pinned to 724551b9ae)

Solutions

1. Verify the type name in the order-by expression exists in the CustomTypes metadata
2. Define the missing type or correct its name in the expression
3. Remove orphaned order-by expressions referencing deleted types

const definedTypes = new Set(allTypeNames);
if (!definedTypes.has(expression.type_name)) throw new Error(`Undefined type in order-by expression: ${expression.type_name}`);

When it happens

Trigger: An order-by expression's target type name does not match any defined scalar/object type — typo, or the type was removed/renamed while the expression remained.

Common situations: Deleting a scalar type still referenced by order-by expressions; renaming types; misspelled type names in hand-written metadata.

Related errors

• the argument '{argument_name}' in command '{command_name}' h
• unknown type {custom_type_name}
• Error in order by expression {order_by_expression_name}: {er
• unknown field {field_name} in orderable fields
• The relationship {relationship_name} on object type {object_

AI-assisted analysis of hasura/graphql-engine@724551b9ae (2026-08-28). Data as JSON: /api/errors/0224be6684ed2c43. Report an issue: GitHub.