Fix: INVALID_FLD_VALUE — NetSuite Field Validation Error

INVALID_FLD_VALUE: You have entered an invalid field value. Please try again.

Why This Happens

• Setting a List/Record field to a text value instead of the internal ID (e.g., setting 'entity' to 'Acme Corp' instead of the customer internal ID)
• Passing a string to a numeric field or a number to a date field
• Referencing an internal ID that doesn't exist (e.g., setting department to 99 when department 99 was deleted)
• Setting a field that depends on another field being set first (e.g., setting 'item' on a line before setting 'location' when location-based inventory is enabled)
• Date format mismatch — passing 'MM/DD/YYYY' when the account expects 'DD/MM/YYYY'

How to Fix It

1. Step 1: Identify which field is failing

   The error message doesn't always say which field. Add a try/catch around each setValue call, or set fields one at a time with a log.debug before each. The field that throws is your culprit. For CSV imports, check the error column in the import results.

2. Step 2: Verify the value type matches the field type

   Use the Records Browser (Help > SuiteScript Records Browser) to check the field type. List/Record fields need internal IDs (numbers), not text. Date fields need Date objects in SuiteScript 2.x, not strings. Checkbox fields need true/false, not 'T'/'F' (SuiteScript 1.0 used 'T'/'F', 2.x uses booleans).

3. Step 3: Check for dependent field ordering

   Some fields depend on other fields being set first. For example, on a Sales Order line, 'item' must be set before 'price' or 'rate'. On an Employee record, 'subsidiary' must be set before 'department'. Set parent/controlling fields first, then dependent fields.

4. Step 4: Validate the internal ID exists

   If setting a List/Record field to an internal ID, verify that ID exists with search.lookupFields. Records can be deleted or inactivated, leaving stale references in your data source.

Code Example

/**
 * @NApiVersion 2.1
 *
 * Utility: safe field setter that catches INVALID_FLD_VALUE
 * per field and logs which field + value caused the error.
 */
define(['N/log'], (log) => {

  /**
   * Sets a field value with error isolation.
   * Returns true if successful, false if the value was rejected.
   */
  function safeSetValue(record, fieldId, value) {
    try {
      record.setValue({ fieldId, value });
      return true;
    } catch (e) {
      log.error('INVALID_FLD_VALUE', [
        `Field: ${fieldId}`,
        `Value: ${JSON.stringify(value)}`,
        `Type: ${typeof value}`,
        `Record: ${record.type} #${record.id || 'NEW'}`,
        `Error: ${e.message}`
      ].join(' | '));
      return false;
    }
  }

  /**
   * Sets a sublist field value with error isolation.
   */
  function safeSetSublistValue(record, sublistId, fieldId, line, value) {
    try {
      record.setSublistValue({ sublistId, fieldId, line, value });
      return true;
    } catch (e) {
      log.error('INVALID_FLD_VALUE (sublist)', [
        `Sublist: ${sublistId}`,
        `Field: ${fieldId}`,
        `Line: ${line}`,
        `Value: ${JSON.stringify(value)}`,
        `Error: ${e.message}`
      ].join(' | '));
      return false;
    }
  }

  return { safeSetValue, safeSetSublistValue };
});

Common Mistakes

• Using string '123' instead of number 123 for internal IDs — SuiteScript 2.x is stricter about types than 1.0
• Passing JavaScript Date objects formatted for your timezone instead of using format.parse with the account's date format
• Setting a 'select' field to a value not in its dropdown options — even if the internal ID exists, it must be a valid option for that field's source list
• Forgetting that some fields are read-only after record creation (e.g., 'subsidiary' on most transaction types)

Alternative Approaches

• Use record.setText() instead of record.setValue() when you have the display text rather than the internal ID
• For bulk operations, validate all values before starting the record update using search.lookupFields to confirm IDs exist
• Use the N/format module to convert between JavaScript types and NetSuite field-compatible formats

Related Errors