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INVALID_STATE — Resource can't accept this operation

Summary

Section titled “Summary”

The resource is in a state the requested operation doesn’t allow — for example, coding a question before generating a codebook, or refining a codebook on a question with no coded responses.

HTTP status

Section titled “HTTP status”

409 Conflict. Standard envelope.

Example response

Section titled “Example response”
{
  "success": false,
  "error": {
    "code": "INVALID_STATE",
    "message": "Question must have a codebook before coding. Generate one first with POST /v1/codebook/generate.",
    "request_id": "req_01HXJZK4ABCDEF",
    "doc_url": "https://docs.surveycoder.io/errors/invalid-state"
  }
}

Why this happens

Section titled “Why this happens”

Common state mismatches:

  • Trying to code a question before it has a codebook → generate one first.
  • Trying to refine before any responses are coded → run coding first.
  • Trying to clone a codebook from a question that has no codebook → use a different source.
  • Trying to finalize a refinement that’s already resolved.

How to fix it

Section titled “How to fix it”
  1. Read the message — it always names the required prior step.
  2. The lifecycle is: upload responses → generate codebook → code → refine → export. Skipping a step usually causes this error.
  3. Use GET /v1/projects/{id}/questions/{qid} to inspect the current state — fields like has_codebook, coded_count, and status tell you where you are in the pipeline.
Section titled “Related”