siyuan-note/siyuan · error

cannot add an attribute view block key

Error message

cannot add an attribute view block key

What it means

newAttributeViewKey validates the requested key type before creating a column. The Block type is reserved for the built-in block column and cannot be user-added, so requesting it is rejected explicitly.

Solutions

1. Do not add a block key; it already exists in every attribute view
2. Choose a real type such as "text", "number", "select", "date", "relation", etc.
3. Filter av.KeyTypeBlock out of any type list offered to users in a plugin

Example fix

// before
addAttrViewKey(avID, keyID, name, "block", "", "")
// after
addAttrViewKey(avID, keyID, name, "text", "", "")

if (keyType === "block") throw new Error("block key already exists in every attribute view; pick another type");

const isAddableKeyType = (t: string): boolean =>
  ["text","number","date","select","mSelect","url","email","phone","mAsset","template","created","updated","checkbox","relation","rollup","lineNumber"].includes(t);

try { await addAttrViewKey(...); } catch (e) { if (String(e).includes("cannot add an attribute view block key")) { /* fall back to text or skip */ } else throw e; }

When it happens

Trigger: Calling the add-attribute-view-key API (attr view add field transaction) with type "block".

Common situations: Plugins enumerating key types without filtering out "block"; scripts cloning an existing view's fields including the block key; UI not disabling the Block option.

Related errors

• [/api/av/batchSetAttributeViewBlockAttrs] parameter [rowID]…
• attribute view item markdown is nil
• config must contain exactly one setting; use separate calls…
• Field [keyIDs] is required
• field name must not be empty

AI-assisted analysis of siyuan-note/siyuan@9f775e8a12 (2026-09-19). Data as JSON: /api/errors/8cdcabec341fa6a8. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at kernel/model/attribute_view.go:7473

	if nil != err {
		return
	}

	key, err := newAttributeViewKey(keyID, keyName, keyType, keyIcon, dateFormat)
	if nil != err {
		return err
	}
	addAttributeViewKey(attrView, currentView, key, previousKeyID)

	err = av.SaveAttributeView(attrView)
	return
}

func newAttributeViewKey(keyID, keyName, keyType, keyIcon string, dateFormat av.DateDisplayFormat) (ret *av.Key, err error) {
	keyTyp := av.KeyType(keyType)
	switch keyTyp {
	case av.KeyTypeBlock:
		return nil, errors.New("cannot add an attribute view block key")
	case av.KeyTypeText, av.KeyTypeNumber, av.KeyTypeDate, av.KeyTypeSelect, av.KeyTypeMSelect, av.KeyTypeURL, av.KeyTypeEmail,
		av.KeyTypePhone, av.KeyTypeMAsset, av.KeyTypeTemplate, av.KeyTypeCreated, av.KeyTypeUpdated, av.KeyTypeCheckbox,
		av.KeyTypeRelation, av.KeyTypeRollup, av.KeyTypeLineNumber:
	default:
		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unsupported attribute view key type [%s]", keyType)
	}

	ret = av.NewKey(keyID, keyName, filterAttrViewIconValue(keyIcon), keyTyp)
	if av.KeyTypeDate == keyTyp || av.KeyTypeCreated == keyTyp || av.KeyTypeUpdated == keyTyp {
		if !dateFormat.IsValid() {
			return nil, errors.New("invalid date display format")
		}
		ret.DateFormat = dateFormat
	}
	if av.KeyTypeRollup == keyTyp {
		ret.Rollup = &av.Rollup{Calc: &av.RollupCalc{Operator: av.CalcOperatorNone}}
	}
	return

View on GitHub (pinned to 9f775e8a12)