This error means Acenda couldn't save an item because one of its measurement fields, such as a package weight, dimension or volume, was sent with a unit but no number.
It isn't caused by curly quotes, em dashes or other characters pasted from Word. Acenda accepts those in product text. The fix is to give the measurement a number, or to clear it properly, and then save again.
The error you'll see: Update failed! - key: "value", values: "", type: string: invalid value
Older versions of the admin showed the same text after Create failed! - instead.
What it means
Some custom fields are measurement fields. In Creating Custom Fields in Acenda these are the Weight, Volume and Dimension validation types. Each one stores two parts: a number and a unit, such as 13 and in.
The error message reads like this:
key: "value" means the problem is the number part of a measurement field.
values: "" means the number was empty.
type: string: invalid value means Acenda received text where it needs a number.
In short, the unit was still set but the number had been deleted, so Acenda rejected the whole save. Nothing on the item changed.
Where you'll see it in Acenda
The error appears as a red pop-up message in the admin when you save an item. It doesn't appear in CHANNELS > Item Issues, and it isn't an error from a marketplace.
The most common way to trigger it today:
On an item's Details tab, you click Edit on a measurement field in Additional Attributes (for example a package depth or weight) and delete the number.
Without saving or discarding that field, you save a different part of the page, such as the images in the Media section.
That save includes the half-edited measurement field, so Acenda rejects it and shows the error.
Good to know: This error is rare. It affects one item at a time, while you're editing it in the admin. A blank measurement cell in an import file is skipped rather than causing this error.
How to resolve it
Any edit you were trying to save wasn't saved. Fix the measurement field first, then make your other change again.
Open the item. In the sidebar, under CATALOG, click Items, then click the eye icon next to the item.
Find the open measurement field. On the Details tab, scroll to Additional Attributes and look for a weight, dimension or volume field that is still open for editing with an empty number box.
Give it a number, or discard the edit. Type the correct number (numbers only, for example 12.5), pick the unit and click Save Changes on that field. If you didn't mean to change it, click Discard Changes instead. If you're not sure which field it is, refresh the page. This clears all unsaved edits.
Clear a value on purpose, if you need to. To remove a measurement completely, delete the number and click Save Changes on that field right away. Acenda removes the measurement from the item.
Redo your other change. Now save the images or other section you were working on. It should save with the message Updated.
For a walkthrough of the item page, see Creating New Products Using the Admin Panel.
Updating many items
This error can't come from an import, so there's no spreadsheet clean-up to do for it. If you need to set or correct measurement values on many items, an import is the faster route. See Using the Import Feature: How to Import Product Data into Acenda.
Put only the number in the value column, such as 12.5, and the unit in its own unit column.
Text in a measurement column, such as 12 in or N/A, isn't accepted. Check the import's results for errors when it finishes.
Save CSV files as UTF-8 so special characters come through correctly. See How do I save my import file as a CSV in UTF-8 format?
Troubleshooting & FAQ
Do curly quotes, em dashes or text pasted from Word cause this error? No. Acenda accepts curly quotes, apostrophes, em dashes, accented letters and symbols like ™ and ® in product text. You don't need to strip them out.
I see "invalid value key: single_line_text_field" instead. That's a different error. It means a single-line text field contains a line break, often from pasting text that spans several lines. Remove the line break so the value is on one line, then save. If the text really needs several lines, use a field with the Multi Line Text Field type.
I see "invalid value for field" followed by a field name. That's the same kind of problem: a measurement, number or yes/no field has text or nothing in it where Acenda needs a number or yes/no value. Fix it the same way, by entering a number or clearing the field and saving it on its own.
The error came back after I refreshed. Check whether a measurement field opens with an empty number box. Enter a number or clear it with Save Changes on that field before saving anything else.
We update items through the Acenda API. For a weight, dimension or volume field, send the number as a number, not as text, and leave the field out (or send no value) when you have no measurement. An empty text value with a unit returns this error.
None of this fixed it. Contact Acenda Support with the item's SKU, the section you were saving and the full error text.
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Still stuck? Contact Acenda Support and we'll help you work through it.