If you sell on Target+, you may see a DATA_VALIDATION error saying a variation child with a Variation Theme of size must have a size value and must not have a color value. This guide explains what Target is checking, why it happens in Acenda, and how to fix it.

The error message

DATA_VALIDATION: If a variation child has a Variation Theme of 'size', then variation size must contain a value and variation color must NOT contain a value.

Target also sends the reverse version for color-only groups. The fix works the same way, with size and color swapped:

DATA_VALIDATION: If a variation child has a Variation Theme of 'color', then variation color must contain a value and variation size must NOT contain a value.

You'll find these under CHANNELS > Item Issues (Source Channel, Attribute Path unknown) and on the variant's Channel Status tab. They come from Target's own review, appear on the variants (not the parent), and block the listing until corrected.

Why this happens

Target groups variants under a parent using a Variation Theme: the attribute, or attributes, that make each variant different. The common themes are Size, Color, or Size & Color. Target is strict about matching the theme:

Size theme: every variant must have a size value, and the variation color must be blank.
Color theme: every variant must have a color value, and the variation size must be blank.
Size & Color theme: every variant must have both.

In Acenda, you don't type the Variation Theme in directly. Acenda works it out from the parent product's Product Options (for example size, color, or both) and from which values actually differ between the variants. If every variant in the group is the same color, the theme is Size, even when each variant has a color filled in.

That leftover color is what triggers the error. Acenda already holds back Target's Color variation field when the theme is Size only, but by default the variant's color value is also sent to Target as Color Specific Description, and Target counts that as a variation color. So a Size-themed group whose variants still carry a color value gets rejected.

The most common causes are:

All variants share one color (for example, every variant is "Blue"), so the theme is Size, but the color field is still filled in on the variants.
One or more variants are missing a size value.
For the reverse message: a Color-themed group where the variants also carry a size value.

How to fix it

First decide which situation you're in: do the variants really differ only by size, or by size and color?

Option 1: Variants differ only by size (most common). Clear the color value on each variant and make sure each has a size.

In the sidebar, under CATALOG, click Items.
Search for the parent product by SKU (for example YOUR-SKU-123) and click the eye icon to open it.
Open the Variants tab, then open the first variant.
On the variant's Additional Attributes tab, clear the color field so it's completely blank.
Check that the size field has a value (for example Large), then save.
Repeat for every variant in the group. Target checks each one.

Option 2: Variants differ by size and color. Tell Acenda that color is also a variation so the theme becomes Size & Color.

Open the parent product from CATALOG > Items (eye icon).
On the Details tab, scroll to Product Options and click Edit.
Make sure both size and color are listed as tags. Type each in lowercase and press Enter, then click Save.
Open each variant and confirm both its size and color fields are filled in on the Additional Attributes tab. The field names should match the Product Options tags exactly.

Good to know: Product Options only appears when the parent's Group is set to product. See How to Use the Group Attribute to Set Products and Variants if you don't see it. Acenda only sends a Size & Color theme when the variants actually differ in both. If every variant is the same color, the theme stays Size, so use Option 1 instead.

Reverse message (Color theme): follow Option 1 with the fields swapped. Clear the size field on each variant and make sure each has a color. Or, if the sizes really do differ, follow Option 2.

Fixing many variants at once? You can clear the field with a catalog import instead of editing each variant. Export the variants, blank out the color column, and import it under DATA TRANSFERS > Imports with Overwrite any current records that have the same ID. Existing values will be used for any missing columns. checked (this is what lets the blank value replace the current color). We also recommend checking Only update existing records., so a mistyped SKU is skipped instead of creating a new item. See Using the Import Feature: How to Import Product Data into Acenda for the full steps.

Careful with imports: a blank cell in any column you include will clear that field on the item. Only include the columns you mean to change (for example SKU and color), so you don't wipe out other data.

Correct vs. incorrect setup

Here's a Size-themed group, using one variant as the example:

Attribute	Incorrect setup	Correct setup
Variation Theme (set by Acenda)	Size	Size
Size on each variant	Large	Large
Color on each variant	Blue (causes the error)	[blank]

What happens after you fix it

There's no resync button to press. Acenda re-sends the corrected group to Target automatically with the next scheduled update, usually within about 15 to 30 minutes, as long as the item's Target+ listing action is Full or Zero. The error clears once Target accepts the corrected data.

Saving a variant without actually changing a value won't trigger a new send, because Acenda only re-sends when the outgoing data changes.

Acenda sends a parent and all its variants to Target together, so an error on one variant can hold back the whole group (you may see "Related SKUs have Error" on the parent). Fix every flagged variant, not just the first one.

Item Issues (AI) doesn't offer a suggested fix for this error. It isn't tied to a single mapped field (the Attribute Path is unknown), so there's no value for AI to suggest. Use the steps above.

Troubleshooting

I cleared the color field, but the error came back: your Target+ posting template may send Color Specific Description from a different field, or a fixed value. Open the variant's Channel Status tab, find Color Specific Description under the Target+ listing, and hover over it to see which field it's Mapped from. Clear that field as well.
My variants really do come in different colors, but the theme stays Size: check that the parent's Product Options includes color and that each variant's color field holds a different value. Acenda only includes Color in the theme when the values vary.
Target rejected my size or color value itself: that's a separate error about allowed values. See How do I find the allowed values for a marketplace field?.
Only some variants show the error: fix those variants. But because the whole group is sent together, the others won't update on Target until every flagged variant is corrected.

Still stuck? Contact Acenda Support with the affected SKU and the exact error text.

Troubleshooting: "DATA_VALIDATION" Error for Size Variation Themes