instructure/canvas-lms · error · ImportError

Improper status "# " for section # in course #

Error message

Improper status "#{status}" for section #{section_id} in course #{course_id}

What it means

Validation guard in SectionImporter::Work#add_section raised when the status argument is not one of the recognized workflow states (active/deleted etc.). The CSV supplied a status string the importer cannot act on, so the row is rejected as malformed.

Solutions

1. Use a supported status (active, deleted, completed) in the sections CSV
2. Fix and re-run the batch

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at lib/sis/section_importer.rb:84 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of instructure/canvas-lms@1c9f0bb801 (2026-09-15). Data as JSON: /api/errors/4bfc74b4344313fa. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at lib/sis/section_importer.rb:84

        :roll_back_data
      )

      def initialize(batch, root_account, logger)
        @batch = batch
        @root_account = root_account
        @logger = logger
        @success_count = 0
        @sections_to_update_sis_batch_ids = []
        @roll_back_data = []
        @course_ids_to_update_associations = Set.new
        @deleted_section_ids = Set.new
      end

      def add_section(section_id, course_id, name, status, start_date = nil, end_date = nil, integration_id = nil)
        raise ImportError, "No section_id given for a section in course #{course_id}" if section_id.blank?
        raise ImportError, "No course_id given for a section #{section_id}" if course_id.blank?
        raise ImportError, "No name given for section #{section_id} in course #{course_id}" if name.blank? && status =~ /\Aactive/i
        raise ImportError, "Improper status \"#{status}\" for section #{section_id} in course #{course_id}" unless /\Aactive|\Adeleted/i.match?(status)
        return if @batch.skip_deletes? && status =~ /deleted/i

        course = @root_account.all_courses.find_by(sis_source_id: course_id)
        raise ImportError, "Section #{section_id} references course #{course_id} which doesn't exist" unless course

        section = @root_account.course_sections.find_by(sis_source_id: section_id)
        section ||= course.course_sections.where(sis_source_id: section_id).first_or_initialize
        section.root_account = @root_account
        # this is an easy way to load up the cache with data we already have
        section.course = course if course.id == section.course_id

        # only update the name on new records, and ones that haven't been changed since the last sis import
        raise ImportError, "No name given for section #{section_id} in course #{course_id}" if name.blank? && section.new_record?

        section.name = name if section.new_record? || (!section.stuck_sis_fields.include?(:name) && name.present?)

        # update the course id if necessary
        if section.course_id != course.id

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