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Quickbooks Online error: The app returned "Invalid Number"


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I’m having several issues with adding multiple line items into an invoice for Quickbooks Online. I read a couple of old forums from 2-3 years ago but it seems they’re extremely outdated and by following them I am receiving errors. 


I have attempted to “make” line items with the formatter function, write them with commas, etc, and I’m receiving extremely vague error codes every time talking about an “invalid number” - I have no idea what this is talking about as it doesn’t even match up with my combined product IDs.

Would be so appreciative of any insight. I only have 4 products that will be updated by price earlier in the zap, and then I want those 4 products to be the line items in the invoice. 

Best answer by Macc

Macc wrote:
Troy Tessalone wrote:

@Macc 

I do want to point out that I did attempt to “manually” add in the product ids with commas into the quickbooks step directly and received this same error code. 

That will not work because a comma separated text string is not a valid formatted array of items.

 

 

Understood, so how do I fix the line item issue with the formatter step? I included the Data In page above, appreciate your help.

Nevermind, switched over to the Utility function instead of text and used the line itemizer to fix the issue. Thanks for your help in putting me in the right direction!

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  • Author
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  • 33 replies
  • January 17, 2025

@Troy Tessalone you’ve been super helpful in the past, any insight here?


Troy Tessalone
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Hi ​@Macc 

For us to have more info about the error, post screenshots showing how your Zap steps are outlined and configured in EDIT mode with the field mappings visible.


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  • Author
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  • 33 replies
  • January 20, 2025
Troy Tessalone wrote:

Hi ​@Macc 

For us to have more info about the error, post screenshots showing how your Zap steps are outlined and configured in EDIT mode with the field mappings visible.

I have a response with screenshots under review that will be coming to you shortly. Thank you 


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  • 33 replies
  • January 21, 2025
Troy Tessalone wrote:

Hi ​@Macc 

For us to have more info about the error, post screenshots showing how your Zap steps are outlined and configured in EDIT mode with the field mappings visible.

 


Troy Tessalone
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@Macc 

Can you post screenshots showing how your Zap steps are outlined?

Need to see what Formatter option you are using in steps 10-12.

The QBO Zap step section expects the data to be formatted as line items.

 

Help:

https://help.zapier.com/hc/en-us/articles/8496277737997-Use-line-items-in-Zaps

 


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  • Beginner
  • 33 replies
  • January 21, 2025
Troy Tessalone wrote:

@Macc 

Can you post screenshots showing how your Zap steps are outlined?

Need to see what Formatter option you are using in steps 10-12.

The QBO Zap step section expects the data to be formatted as line items.

 

Help:

https://help.zapier.com/hc/en-us/articles/8496277737997-Use-line-items-in-Zaps

 

 


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  • 33 replies
  • January 21, 2025
Macc wrote:
Troy Tessalone wrote:

@Macc 

Can you post screenshots showing how your Zap steps are outlined?

Need to see what Formatter option you are using in steps 10-12.

The QBO Zap step section expects the data to be formatted as line items.

 

Help:

https://help.zapier.com/hc/en-us/articles/8496277737997-Use-line-items-in-Zaps

 

 

I had played around this morning and tried making the number values currency to see if that would help but I received the same error code. This is the same step you were seeing in my previous version 


Troy Tessalone
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@Macc 

Your previous screenshot for the QBO step, which we can’t tell which step #, has variables mapped from 3 different Formatter steps.

We need to see how those Formatter steps are configured to have more context.


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  • Author
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  • 33 replies
  • January 21, 2025
Troy Tessalone wrote:

@Macc 

Your previous screenshot for the QBO step, which we can’t tell which step #, has variables mapped from 3 different Formatter steps.

We need to see how those Formatter steps are configured to have more context.

 


Troy Tessalone
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@Macc 

Issue may be that you are not defining a Separator in the Formatter step.

Click the field label to see a tooltip with more info.

If you are trying to use a space, then set: [:space:]

 


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  • Author
  • Beginner
  • 33 replies
  • January 21, 2025
Troy Tessalone wrote:

@Macc 

Issue may be that you are not defining a Separator in the Formatter step.

Click the field label to see a tooltip with more info.

If you are trying to use a space, then set: [:space:]

 

Hi Troy, 

The default for that field is space, I’m having no issues with the formatter step. I went ahead and tried anyways as suggested and no change. My issue is with quickbooks and it not allowing multiple line items, it worked fine when I manually input values into the quickbooks field with only one line item. 


Troy Tessalone
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@Macc 

Error seems to indicate that QBO is seeing the values for Product/Service as a single comma separated string of text, rather than formatted as an array of items (aka line items).

Previous screenshots have not yet shown how the Formatter step is configured for Step 10 showing the setup as well as the DATA OUT after testing.

 


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  • Author
  • Beginner
  • 33 replies
  • January 21, 2025
Troy Tessalone wrote:

@Macc 

Error seems to indicate that QBO is seeing the values for Product/Service as a single comma separated string of text, rather than formatted as an array of items (aka line items).

Previous screenshots have not yet shown how the Formatter step is configured for Step 10 showing the setup as well as the DATA OUT after testing.

 

Hi Troy,

I did include a screenshot of this formatter step. I will include again here. 
 

 


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  • Author
  • Beginner
  • 33 replies
  • January 21, 2025
Macc wrote:
Troy Tessalone wrote:

@Macc 

Error seems to indicate that QBO is seeing the values for Product/Service as a single comma separated string of text, rather than formatted as an array of items (aka line items).

Previous screenshots have not yet shown how the Formatter step is configured for Step 10 showing the setup as well as the DATA OUT after testing.

 

Hi Troy,

I did include a screenshot of this formatter step. I will include again here. 
 

 

 


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  • Author
  • Beginner
  • 33 replies
  • January 21, 2025
Macc wrote:
Macc wrote:
Troy Tessalone wrote:

@Macc 

Error seems to indicate that QBO is seeing the values for Product/Service as a single comma separated string of text, rather than formatted as an array of items (aka line items).

Previous screenshots have not yet shown how the Formatter step is configured for Step 10 showing the setup as well as the DATA OUT after testing.

 

Hi Troy,

I did include a screenshot of this formatter step. I will include again here. 
 

 

 

I also want to point out the number at the end of the error code does not match the ending product ID number. I don’t believe that is the case.


Troy Tessalone
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@Macc 

Here’s the issue, the Formatter step for the Products/Services is outputting and array of arrays.

Notice the level 1 has 1 item, and within that 1 item as 4 items in Level 2.

So since the arrays are nested, that causes the data to become flattened to a string when using the output variable in following Zap action steps, which is why the QBO step has an error.

Compare that to the difference in the output from your other Formatter steps.

Posting screenshots showing the DATA IN for Zap step 10 will give us more context.

 


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  • Author
  • Beginner
  • 33 replies
  • January 21, 2025
Troy Tessalone wrote:

@Macc 

Here’s the issue, the Formatter step for the Products/Services is outputting and array of arrays.

Notice the level 1 has 1 item, and within that 1 item as 4 items in Level 2.

So since the arrays are nested, that causes the data to become flattened to a string when using the output variable in following Zap action steps, which is why the QBO step has an error.

Compare that to the difference in the output from your other Formatter steps.

Posting screenshots showing the DATA IN for Zap step 10 will give us more context.

 

Hey Troy, see attached for Data In
 

 


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  • Author
  • Beginner
  • 33 replies
  • January 21, 2025
Macc wrote:
Troy Tessalone wrote:

@Macc 

Here’s the issue, the Formatter step for the Products/Services is outputting and array of arrays.

Notice the level 1 has 1 item, and within that 1 item as 4 items in Level 2.

So since the arrays are nested, that causes the data to become flattened to a string when using the output variable in following Zap action steps, which is why the QBO step has an error.

Compare that to the difference in the output from your other Formatter steps.

Posting screenshots showing the DATA IN for Zap step 10 will give us more context.

 

Hey Troy, see attached for Data In
 

 

I do want to point out that I did attempt to “manually” add in the product ids with commas into the quickbooks step directly and received this same error code. 


Troy Tessalone
Forum|alt.badge.img+14

@Macc 

I do want to point out that I did attempt to “manually” add in the product ids with commas into the quickbooks step directly and received this same error code. 

That will not work because a comma separated text string is not a valid formatted array of items.

 

 


Forum|alt.badge.img+1
  • Author
  • Beginner
  • 33 replies
  • January 21, 2025
Troy Tessalone wrote:

@Macc 

I do want to point out that I did attempt to “manually” add in the product ids with commas into the quickbooks step directly and received this same error code. 

That will not work because a comma separated text string is not a valid formatted array of items.

 

 

Understood, so how do I fix the line item issue with the formatter step? I included the Data In page above, appreciate your help.


Troy Tessalone
Forum|alt.badge.img+14

@Macc 

FYI: The CONFIGURE tab will show us how the Zap step is configured in EDIT mode with the field mappings visible.

Often that has more info/clues for us than the flat DATA IN/OUT tabs under the TEST tab.

 


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  • Author
  • Beginner
  • 33 replies
  • Answer
  • January 21, 2025
Macc wrote:
Troy Tessalone wrote:

@Macc 

I do want to point out that I did attempt to “manually” add in the product ids with commas into the quickbooks step directly and received this same error code. 

That will not work because a comma separated text string is not a valid formatted array of items.

 

 

Understood, so how do I fix the line item issue with the formatter step? I included the Data In page above, appreciate your help.

Nevermind, switched over to the Utility function instead of text and used the line itemizer to fix the issue. Thanks for your help in putting me in the right direction!


JammerS
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  • Zapier Staff
  • 2087 replies
  • January 24, 2025

Wow! Thank you for confirming that Troy’s resolution got the Zap running. This will significantly help our Community members to have as a reference for the same issue.