siyuan-note/siyuan · error

template requires a template field; use renderTemplate for…

Error message

template requires a template field; use renderTemplate for other fields

What it means

The "template" setting is only valid for fields of type KeyTypeTemplate; other field types must use "renderTemplate" to set their rendered template. Passing "template" for a non-template field is rejected to keep template-type configuration separate from display-render templates.

Solutions

1. Use {"renderTemplate": "..."} for non-template fields
2. Create the field as a template type first if a computed formula column is wanted
3. Branch on key.Type in client code: template -> "template", anything else -> "renderTemplate"

Example fix

// before
updateKeyConfig(avID, textKeyID, {"template": "{name}"})
// after
updateKeyConfig(avID, textKeyID, {"renderTemplate": "{name}"})

function assertTemplateSetting(key, setting) { if (setting === 'template' && key.type !== 'template') throw new Error('use renderTemplate for non-template fields'); if (setting === 'renderTemplate' && key.type === 'template') throw new Error('use template for a template field'); }

const isTemplateField = (key) => key?.type === 'template';

try { await updateKeyConfig(avID, keyID, { template: value }); } catch (e) { if (/template requires a template field/.test(e.message)) { return updateKeyConfig(avID, keyID, { renderTemplate: value }); } throw e; }

When it happens

Trigger: Calling UpdateAttributeViewKeyConfig with {"template": ".foo"} on a text, number, or date field instead of {"renderTemplate": ...}.

Common situations: Plugin authors confusing the template field formula with the render template of regular columns; API payloads copied from template-field examples and reused for other column types.

Understand the failure class

Background: UnsupportedOperationException and "is not supported" errors: when a library deliberately refuses a call — this error's family across 30 libraries.

Related errors

• numberFormat requires a number field and a supported format
• config must contain exactly one setting; use separate calls…
• Field [keyIDs] is required
• field name must not be empty
• Field [ ] is required

AI-assisted analysis of siyuan-note/siyuan@9f775e8a12 (2026-09-19). Data as JSON: /api/errors/dd5f0850928c0d7a. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at kernel/model/attribute_view_key_config.go:75

				if _, err = newAttributeViewKey(keyID, key.Name, text, key.Icon, key.DateFormat); nil != err {
					return err
				}
				op.Typ = text
				return updateAttributeViewColumn(op)
			case "icon":
				return setAttributeViewColIcon(op)
			case "desc":
				return setAttributeViewColDesc(op)
			case "numberFormat":
				if av.KeyTypeNumber != key.Type || !slices.Contains(AttributeViewKeyNumberFormats, text) {
					return errors.New("numberFormat requires a number field and a supported format")
				}
				return updateAttributeViewColNumberFormat(op)
			case "dateFormat":
				return setAttributeViewColDateFormat(op)
			case "template":
				if av.KeyTypeTemplate != key.Type {
					return errors.New("template requires a template field; use renderTemplate for other fields")
				}
				return updateAttributeViewColTemplate(op)
			case "renderTemplate":
				if av.KeyTypeTemplate == key.Type {
					return errors.New("use template for a template field")
				}
				return updateAttributeViewColTemplate(op)
			}
		case "autoFillNow", "fillSpecificTime", "includeTime":
			flag, ok := value.(bool)
			if !ok {
				return fmt.Errorf("%s must be a boolean", setting)
			}
			op.Data = flag
			if "includeTime" == setting {
				switch key.Type {
				case av.KeyTypeCreated:
					return setAttrViewCreatedIncludeTime(op)

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