Courier Subtable Configurator messages and troubleshooting

This article lists the messages you can see while opening, editing, and sending Courier subtables, grouped by where they appear. For each message you get the cause and what to do. Messages are quoted exactly as they appear on screen, so you can search this page for the text you see. Answers to common questions, such as an empty table or a missing column, are in Frequently asked questions at the end.

Available to: all roles with the QB Courier extension.

How messages appear

In the Courier Subtable Configurator, messages appear at the bottom of the screen: green for success, blue for information, and red for errors. Some show a 15-second countdown bar. Click a message to close it.
Serious errors open a window titled Oops! Something went wrong. with the error and Please close this window. Close the configurator window with its X, open the subtable again from the Email Subtable list, and try again.
When the Extensions Portal can't open the Courier Configurator, the portal shows the message on the QB Courier extension page.
When Courier can't build a table while sending, the error appears in the Courier configuration's activities, not in the configurator. See When Courier sends.
The Email Subtable list shows no messages of its own. If it's empty when you expect subtables, close the Email Message SubTables window and open it again.

Opening the configurator

Message	Cause	What to do
Invalid response from server.	The Extensions Portal couldn't open the Courier Configurator from the Email Message SubTables button.	Refresh the page and select the button again. If it keeps happening, submit a technical support case.
Unable to send token to Courier app.	The portal opened the Courier Configurator but couldn't sign you in to it.	Close the window, refresh the page, and try again.
We were unable to determine which company you are working with. There was a problem showing the Courier configurations.	Your portal session has no company selected.	Select your company from the COMPANY dropdown at the top of the portal, then select the button again.
There was a problem showing the Courier configurations. (on its own)	The portal couldn't get the Courier Configurator ready.	Close the window and select the button again. If it keeps happening, sign out of the Extensions Portal, sign back in, and try again.
Parameters were invalid.	The configurator opened without the information it needs about your company, app, or master table.	Open the subtable again from the Email Subtable list. Don't open it from a saved or copied link.
An authorization error	The app isn't authorized for QB Courier, or your company isn't set up for the Courier Subtable Configurator.	Authorize the app for QB Courier (see Set up Courier with the installation wizard). If it's already authorized, submit a technical support case.
Your session has timed out. Any unsaved progress may have been lost. Please refresh the page to continue.	The configurator was left open without activity for too long.	Close the configurator window and open the subtable again from the Email Subtable list. Re-enter any changes you hadn't saved.
Invalid record ID.	The link that opened the configurator, or the version you picked to restore, has an ID that isn't valid.	Open the subtable again with its pencil icon in the Email Subtable list. If you were restoring a version, pick it again in Subtable History.
The Oops! Something went wrong. window when you open a subtable	The subtable couldn't be loaded, for example because it no longer exists.	Close the window and open the Email Subtable list again. If the subtable is gone, create it again, and replace its old token in the emails that used it.

Select a Courier Configuration

Message	Cause	What to do
Please select a Courier Configuration to continue.	You selected Continue without picking a configuration.	Pick a configuration from the dropdown, then select Continue.
Please select a Courier Configuration before saving. / Please select a master config before saving.	A new or older subtable must be attached to a Courier configuration before it can be saved.	Reopen the subtable and choose a configuration in the Select a Courier Configuration window.
Unable to load Courier Configurations. Please contact your app admin.	The list of your Courier configurations couldn't be loaded.	Close the configurator and try again. If it keeps happening, submit a technical support case.

Editing and saving

Message	Cause	What to do
Successfully saved settings. (green)	Your settings on every tab were saved, and the previous settings were kept in Subtable History.	Nothing.
No new settings detected - nothing saved. (blue)	You selected Save, but nothing had changed.	Nothing.
Please save or cancel changes before proceeding. (blue, red if repeated)	You tried to leave a tab, or open Simulate or History, with unsaved changes.	Select Save to keep the changes, or Cancel to discard them.
Please enter a configuration name.	Configuration Name on the Table tab is empty.	Enter a name.
Please select a subtable.	Selected Subtable on the Table tab isn't set.	Pick the table the rows come from.
Query cannot be empty - please build a query.	The Filter tab has no conditions.	Add at least one condition, usually the child's reference field is equal to the value in the field (parent) Record ID#.
At least one field must be selected.	No fields are checked on the Fields tab.	Check at least one field.
You cannot sort by the same field twice.	You added a field to Sort Fields that's already there (in either direction).	Keep one entry per field. To change direction, remove it and add the other one.
We ran into an error while retrieving the details from the requested Subtable. Please contact your app admin.	The fields of the table you picked in Selected Subtable couldn't be loaded.	Check that the table still exists and you have access to it, then pick it again.
Unable to save settings. Please contact your app admin.	The settings couldn't be saved, for example because no table is selected.	Check the Table tab, then save again. This message stays until you click it.
Unable to retrieve configuration credentials. Please contact your app admin.	The configurator couldn't connect to load or save your subtable.	Try again in a few minutes. If it keeps happening, submit a technical support case.
Invalid subtable record ID.	The subtable you're saving couldn't be found.	Close the configurator and open the subtable again from the Email Subtable list.

Warnings when opening a saved subtable

When the configurator reads a subtable's saved settings, it can warn you about settings it couldn't use:

Message	Cause	What to do
Subtable did not contain any field with ID N specified in grouping/sorting/totaling/columns - field may have been deleted.	A field the subtable used was deleted from the table.	Check the Fields, Totaling, and Sorting and Grouping tabs, then save.
Could not understand color X for Header background/font color. Please select the desired color in the color-picker.	A saved header color isn't in a format the color picker can read.	Pick the header colors again on the Column Order tab, then save.
Tried to sort N fields, but ran into an error. Please check your sort list and group field.	The saved sort or group settings don't match each other.	Check Sort Fields and Field to Group By, then save.
Could not find dbid in settings - malformed settings string.	The saved settings don't name a table (common with hand-typed older subtables).	Pick the table on the Table tab and rebuild the settings, or restore a working version from Subtable History.

Subtable History

Message	Cause	What to do
You are currently on the first and only revision.	The subtable hasn't been changed since it was created, so there are no earlier versions.	Nothing.
We were unable to restore to the requested history.	The version you picked couldn't be restored.	Reopen the subtable and try again. If it keeps happening, submit a technical support case.

When Courier sends

Courier builds each subtable when it sends, separately for each record. If it can't build a table for a record, it doesn't send that record's email. The other records' emails still go out.

Where to see the error: open the Courier configuration's activities (the Activities icon on its row in the Courier Configurations list), find the run, and open its Processing Details. The record is listed under Records Not Processed. When you send a test, the sample email isn't sent. See Configuration activities.

Message	Cause	What to do
Unable to include HTML table in your email body message. You have not configured the subtable string correctly in the email message body. Check the format of the clist.	The column settings can't be read. The usual cause is a column label override containing `:` `.` `,` or `~`, or a typo in a hand-typed settings string.	On the Fields tab, open Advanced Settings for each column and remove those characters from Override Column Label. Save, then send a test.
Unable to include HTML table in your email body message. One of the html fields(groupfid) in your embedded subtable is not valid.	The grouping settings can't be read, for example because the group field was deleted.	On Sorting and Grouping, pick Field to Group By again (or Select a Field for none). Pick a field that's also one of your columns. Save, then send a test.
An error in Processing Details for every record whose message contains a `~strid=N~` token	The token doesn't match any of your company's subtables: it was mistyped, or the subtable was deleted.	Copy the right token from the Subtable Reference column of the Email Subtable list, or drag the subtable in again from the Sub Table panel. If the subtable was deleted, remove its `~strid=N~` from every message that uses it; otherwise Courier doesn't send those emails.

Frequently asked questions

Where do I find a subtable's ~strid=N~ token?

In the Subtable Reference column of the Email Subtable list, which opens from Email Message SubTables on the QB Courier extension page. It shows the whole token, for example ~strid=12~. You don't need to type it: drag the subtable from the Sub Table panel on the configuration's Email Message tab. See What gets inserted: the subtable token.

How do I delete or copy a subtable?

The configurator has no delete or copy.

To stop using a subtable, remove its token from the messages that use it. The subtable stays in the list.
To copy a subtable, create a new one with Create Email Subtable and set it up the same way. The Settings column in Subtable History shows the original's settings in one line, which helps you compare.
To have a subtable removed from your list, submit a technical support case. Before it's removed, take its ~strid=N~ out of every message that uses it. Otherwise Courier doesn't send those emails.

How do I rename a subtable?

Open it, change Configuration Name on the Table tab, and select Save. The token doesn't change, so emails that use it keep working. The new name shows in the Email Subtable list after you open the list again.

Why does the table say "Detail Records not found", or not appear?

No child records matched the filter for that record. Check the Filter tab: the condition that links child to parent should compare the child's reference field with the value in the field (parent), usually Record ID# (or the master table's key field).
A parent field in the filter doesn't exist, by exactly that name, on the master table of the Courier configuration you're sending from. Courier matches parent fields by name, including capital letters and spaces. Rename the field or use a subtable built for that master table. If the configuration uses a report, include the parent field in the report.
Other conditions are too strict, or Only New Records, Skip Records, or Max Records are leaving records out.
If no table appears at all when there are no records, the Courier configuration has Do not display table selected on its Email Message tab.

Why does the table show records from other parents?

The filter is missing the child-to-parent condition, or it compares against the value (a fixed value) instead of the value in the field (parent). Fix the condition and save.
A parent field name in the filter doesn't exactly match a field name on the configuration's master table (check capital letters and spaces), or the field isn't in the configuration's report. Make the names match exactly, or add the field to the report.

Where do I find the error when an email didn't send?

In the Courier configuration's activities: open the run's Processing Details, and look for the record under Records Not Processed. Only that record's email is skipped. See When Courier sends.

Why are columns missing, extra, or out of order?

Only fields checked and saved on the Fields tab appear. Save the Fields tab, then check Column Order.
An email table shows at most 15 columns. If more are selected, only the first 15 in Column Order appear, with no warning. Select 15 fields or fewer.
Column widths are percentages of the table's width. If columns look squeezed, make the widths add up to about 100, or raise Width (%) on the Formatting tab.
A header shows the field name instead of your label: check Override Column Label in Advanced Settings and save.

Why is the total blank?

Only columns with Type Number, Currency, or Number with Decimal are totaled. Change the column's Type on the Fields tab and save.

Why doesn't the Image type show pictures?

Type only controls totals. Every value appears in the table as Quickbase returns it for the field, so an Image column doesn't show the picture, and HTML doesn't change how a value looks. See the Type row in Fields tab.

Which field can I group by?

Any field in the table, but pick one that's also one of your columns (selected on the Fields tab). You can group by one field per subtable.

Why does the formatting look different in the email than in Simulate?

Simulate Subtable uses sample data and doesn't account for date vs. date/time, currency type, or date formatting. Values in the email appear as Quickbase returns them.
Email clients display HTML differently. Send a Courier test email to yourself in the clients your recipients use. See Test Configuration tab.
Make sure you saved: Simulate and Courier both use the last saved settings.
Alternate Row Shading always uses the same light gray; it can't be changed.

Why do recipients see HTML code instead of a table?

The Courier configuration has Send email msg in text format selected on its Email Message tab, so the email is sent as plain text. Turn it off and save the configuration. See Email Message tab.

Why does the email show settings text instead of a table?

The subtable has no columns or no filter. Open it, complete the Fields and Filter tabs, and save. (A mistyped or deleted ~strid=N~ token doesn't show as text: it stops the email. See When Courier sends.)

Can I change a subtable's Courier configuration after I save it?

No. Once a subtable is saved, its Courier configuration can't be changed. Create a new subtable and pick the right configuration.

Can I use one subtable in several configurations?

Yes. A subtable belongs to your company, so you can add it to any of your Courier configurations, as long as each one's master table has fields with exactly the same names as the parent fields in the subtable's filter. See Use one subtable in several configurations.

Why isn't my new subtable in the list?

The Email Subtable list doesn't refresh when you close the configurator window. Close the Email Message SubTables window and open it again.

Why hasn't the Email Message SubTables count changed?

The Total on the QB Courier extension page can take a little while to update after you add a subtable. Your new subtable is already available in the Email Subtable list and in the Sub Table panel on the Email Message tab.

Who do I contact if the problem continues?

If a message says to contact your app admin, or a problem continues after these steps, submit a technical support case. Include the subtable's name, the Courier configuration's name, and the exact message.