instructure/canvas-lms · error · ImportError

account.errors.first.message

Error message

account.errors.first.message

What it means

After building/updating the Account record, add_account calls account.save; if ActiveRecord validation fails, ImportError is raised with the first validation error message from account.errors. The message text is dynamic — whatever Rails validation rejected the save (e.g. 'Name can't be blank', name length, circular parent chains enforced by custom validations).

Solutions

1. Read the raised message — it is the Rails validation error and names the offending field.
2. Fix the field cited (typically name or parent_account_id) in the SIS CSV row.
3. Check for cycles: ensure the parent_account_id doesn't reference one of the account's own descendants.
4. Run the account through Account.new(...).valid? in the Rails console to see all errors.

Example fix

// before
add_account('acct9', 'acct9_child', 'active', 'Cycle Account', nil) # circular parent
// after
add_account('acct9', 'root_parent', 'active', 'Cycle Account', nil)

candidate = root_account.all_accounts.new(sis_source_id: id, parent_account_id: parent&.id, name: name)
raise "invalid account: #{candidate.errors.full_messages.join(', ')}" unless candidate.valid?

begin
  importer.add_account(id, parent_id, status, name, integration_id)
rescue SIS::BaseImporter::ImportError => e
  # e.message is the Rails validation error, e.g. "Name can't be blank"
  logger.error("account #{id} failed validation: #{e.message}")
end

When it happens

Trigger: add_account produces an account that fails Account model validation on save — e.g. invalid name, parent chain creating a cycle, or a validation added by a plugin/patch.

Common situations: Empty names slipping through on updates of existing accounts; parent_account_id pointing at the account's own descendant creating a cycle; corrupted account data from earlier failed imports.

Understand the failure class

Background: Schema validation failed / invalid input schema: payload rejected because its shape doesn't match the expected schema — this error's family across 28 libraries.

Related errors

• A course did not pass validation
• A # user did not pass validation (user: # , # : # , error…
• A # did not pass validation (# : # , error: # )
• A # did not pass validation (# : # , error: # )
• An institutional tag category did not pass validation

AI-assisted analysis of instructure/canvas-lms@1c9f0bb801 (2026-09-15). Data as JSON: /api/errors/32c78839402e120d. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at lib/sis/account_importer.rb:118

          @success_count += 1
          accounts_to_set_sis_batch_ids << account.id unless account.sis_batch_id == @batch.try(:id)
          return
        end

        account.sis_batch_id = @batch.id

        update_account_associations = account.root_account_id_changed? || account.parent_account_id_changed?
        if account.save
          data = SisBatchRollBackData.build_data(sis_batch: @batch, context: account)
          @roll_back_data << data if data
          if update_account_associations
            account.update_account_associations
            account.clear_downstream_caches(:account_chain)
          end

          @success_count += 1
        else
          raise ImportError, account.errors.first.message
        end
      end
    end
  end
end

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