sequelize/sequelize · error · TypeError

Invalid validator function: ${validatorType}

Error message

Invalid validator function: ${validatorType}

What it means

In `_invokeBuiltinValidator` (instance-validator.js:348), Sequelize resolves each attribute validator by name against the validator.js `Validator` object. If `typeof Validator[validatorType] !== 'function'` (instance-validator.js:352), the declared key is neither a recognized built-in validator nor a custom function (custom functions are handled earlier in `_singleAttrValidate`), so it throws a TypeError. This catches misspelled validator names and non-function values placed under an attribute's `validate` object.

Source

Thrown at packages/core/src/instance-validator.js:353

  /**
   * Prepare and invoke a build-in validator.
   *
   * @private
   *
   * @param {*} value Anything.
   * @param {*} test The test case.
   * @param {string} validatorType One of known to Sequelize validators.
   * @param {string} field The field that is being validated
   *
   * @returns {object} An object with specific keys to invoke the validator.
   */
  async _invokeBuiltinValidator(value, test, validatorType, field) {
    // Cast value as string to pass new Validator.js string requirement
    const valueString = String(value);
    // check if Validator knows that kind of validation test
    if (typeof Validator[validatorType] !== 'function') {
      throw new TypeError(`Invalid validator function: ${validatorType}`);
    }

    const validatorArgs = this._extractValidatorArgs(test, validatorType, field);

    if (!Validator[validatorType](valueString, ...validatorArgs)) {
      throw Object.assign(new Error(test.msg || `Validation ${validatorType} on ${field} failed`), {
        validatorName: validatorType,
        validatorArgs,
      });
    }
  }

  /**
   * Will extract arguments for the validator.
   *
   * @param {*} test The test case.
   * @param {string} validatorType One of known to Sequelize validators.
   * @param {string} field The field that is being validated.

View on GitHub (pinned to 7e1deec499)

Solutions

1. Check the validator name spelling against the validator.js method list (isEmail, isUrl, notEmpty, isInt, len, etc.).
2. If the validator is custom, make its value a function: `validate: { myRule(value) { ... } }`.
3. Confirm the validator.js version bundled with your Sequelize release still exposes that method.

Example fix

// before
email: { type: DataTypes.STRING, validate: { isEmial: true } }

// after
email: { type: DataTypes.STRING, validate: { isEmail: true } }

import validator from 'validator';

function assertValidAttributeValidators(validateObj) {
  for (const [name, spec] of Object.entries(validateObj || {})) {
    if (typeof spec === 'function') continue; // custom validator ok
    if (typeof validator[name] !== 'function') {
      throw new Error(`Unknown built-in validator '${name}'. Fix the name or make it a function.`);
    }
  }
}

// run before Model.init
assertValidAttributeValidators(attrDef.validate);

function isKnownValidator(key, val) {
  return typeof val === 'function' || typeof validator[key] === 'function';
}

When it happens

Trigger: Defining an attribute with `validate: { isEmial: true }` (typo), `validate: { myRule: 'yes' }` (string value with a key that is not a validator.js method), or any non-function value whose key does not exist on validator.js's Validator.

Common situations: Typos in built-in validator names (isEmial vs isEmail, notEmpty vs notempty); copy-pasting a custom validator name but forgetting to make the value a function; mismatched validator.js version that renamed/removed a method.

Related errors

• Members of the validate option must be functions. Model: ${t
• The following index field has no name: ${field}
• Default value must be specified for DEFAULT CONSTRAINT
• Invalid foreign key constraint options. `references` object
• Constraint type ${options.type} is not supported by ${this.d

AI-assisted analysis of sequelize/sequelize@7e1deec499 (2026-08-03). Data as JSON: /data/errors/07e0717b38b5f659.json. Report an issue: GitHub.