Troubleshooting

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When Exact Forms Plus can't create a document, the window shows NO Document(s) were generated! and an error message in red underneath. Find the message on this page to see what it means and how to fix it. Messages are quoted as Exact Forms Plus shows them; the exact wording can differ slightly between buttons. Parts in italics change from one run to the next.

Most fixes are changes to the button's formula. See Exact Forms Plus formula URL parameters. Problems with the EFP Configurator, the Batch Processor, and specific features are covered on their own pages; see More troubleshooting.

Access and authorization

Message

What it means

What to do

Quickbase Application - app ID is not authorized to use Exact Forms Plus. There is no valid authorization record for client id: …

This app isn't set up for Exact Forms Plus on your account. This usually happens when you copy the app, or copy a button's formula into a different app.

Set up the app with the installation wizard (Authorize New Application on the Exact Forms Plus tile), or submit a support case.

… The table passed in ( table ID ) does not belong to the application passed in ( app ID ).

The msdb table isn't in the app in appid.

Use Dbid() for msdb and AppID() for appid in the formula.

A user token is required to execute Exact Forms Plus. We currently do not have a user token on file for your account.

… User token ending with xxxx on the client profile is invalid. Please provide the valid user token.

The Quickbase user token saved for your account is missing, expired, or deactivated.

A Client Admin updates the token in the Extensions Portal under Client Credentials.

We do not have sufficient permission to execute this add-on with the user token that we have on file ending with xxxx …

There may be an issue with the User Token we have on file. Please make sure that the application is assigned to the user token we have on file.

User token is invalid (Quickbase error 83)

The user token works, but it can't access this app or one of its tables, or its user's role can't see or edit what Exact Forms Plus needs.

In Quickbase, assign the app to the user token. Check that the token user's role can view the master table, the template and subtable tables, and every field the template uses, and can edit the fields the button updates (for example EFP Document and EFP Date).

Insufficient permissions - You don't have permission to access that page.

Quickbase refused a request made with the user token saved for your account, for example because the token's user can't read the template record.

Give the token's user access to the Document Templates table, or have a Client Admin replace the token under Client Credentials with one whose user has access.

Unable to get authorization details. Quickbase Rate Limit Error Code : 429

Quickbase is limiting the number of requests for the moment.

Wait a minute, then select the button again.

ERROR Validating TEMP TOKEN. Error Message: …

Your account requires Quickbase temporary tokens, and the request didn't send a valid one for this record.

Run Exact Forms Plus from the button on the record, not from a copied or bookmarked URL. Keep POSTTempToken and data-tempTokenDBID in the button's formula. With msqry, the query must read records from the msdb table.

Your temporary authorization token is not authorized to run this tool. If you believe you should be able to, try again from Quickbase or contact your app administrator.

Your temporary authorization token has expired. Please try again or contact an App Administrator.

Quickbase didn't accept the temporary token. Common causes:

  • the button was opened in a new tab or window (right-click, middle-click, or a long press on a tablet);

  • Exact Forms Plus was called from Quickbase Pipelines, the API, or a page that doesn't send a temporary token;

  • your realm's IP filtering blocks the Quickbase Extensions servers.

Select or tap the button normally, and keep POSTTempToken inside the link's class attribute. Pipelines and API calls aren't supported; to create documents automatically, use the Batch Processor. If your realm uses IP filtering, see the next row.

Unauthorized IP address - Your request requires a trusted source, but your computer's IP address isn't authorized.

Your realm only accepts requests from approved IP addresses, and the Quickbase Extensions servers aren't on the list.

A realm admin adds the Quickbase Extensions server addresses to the realm's IP filtering. Submit a support case for the current list.

UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS - Access Must be initiated from your realm Not other site

Your account only accepts requests that start in your Quickbase realm.

Select the button in Quickbase. Don't open the link from another site, an email, or a bookmark.

Your account for Exact Forms Plus has been cancelled. Your application is no longer authorized to use Exact Forms Plus.

Your account for Exact Forms Plus was never activated. …

Other messages about your trial or subscription, for example that a trial expired or a subscription hasn't started

The Exact Forms Plus subscription on your account isn't active in our records. If you've paid, our records may be out of date.

Submit a support case with the full message. Don't run the installation wizard again or copy the app to work around it.

Button and parameters

Message

What it means

What to do

Exact Forms Plus Error: Input Parameters are Invalid. … THERE ARE NO RECORDS TO PROCESS! … CHECK THAT YOU ARE NOT EXECUTING EF+ WHEN ADDING A RECORD

A required parameter is missing. Most often msid is blank because the button was selected on a record that isn't saved yet.

Save the record first. Hide the button on the form while adding a record. Otherwise, check that clientid, appid, msdb, tpid, and one of msid, msqry, or msqid are in the formula. With repository=y, rpdbid is required too.

Exact Forms Plus Error: One or more Input Parameters are NOT numeric.

One of msid, tpid, faid, efpdte, docsize, or mrgdocsize has a value that isn't a number. The message lists the values it got.

Use field IDs, not field names, for these parameters.

File Name Error. ERROR - FILE NAME - include exactly 2 ~ in the fn url paramater

The fn value uses field values, but doesn't have exactly two tildes.

Use the format ~7.11:-~, optionally followed by | and fixed text. Don't put text before the first tilde.

File Name Error. ERROR - FILE NAME - column not found: field ID … This column must be included in the clist on the document template record

A field ID between the tildes in fn isn't in the template's clist.

Add the field ID to the clist on the template record.

Exact Forms Plus Error: Too Many ADDFILES (or PREFILES, or MRGFILES) You are attempting to merge n files with the generated file. The limit is n

The button adds more files than your account allows.

Reduce the number of files in addfiles, prefiles, or mrgfiles.

Exact Forms Plus Error: UID parameter is invalid. Format should be uid=fieldid:emailaddress

(or RPUID)

The uid or rpuid value isn't a field ID, a colon, and an email address.

Use "&uid=99:" & UserToEmail(User()).

Monthly TEST transaction limit exceeded. Allowable limit is n … Change test=y to test=n and try again.

Your account used all its test runs (test=y) for this month.

Remove test=y from the formula, or wait until next month.

Direct Call's URL does not start with your realm

The preqbaction call points to an address outside your Quickbase realm.

Build the call with URLRoot(). See Update the record.

No message, but a parameter seems to be ignored, for example upmap or uid has no effect

The parameter isn't separated from the one before it, or its name is misspelled. Exact Forms Plus ignores parameters it doesn't recognize.

Check that every parameter starts with &, for example "&upmap=…", and that its name is spelled as on Formula URL parameters.

The run fails, or text comes out garbled, when a file name or other value has accented letters or symbols

The button's parameters are read as plain ASCII text.

Use plain letters, numbers, and common punctuation in fn and other parameter values.

Template

Message

What it means

What to do

The template table was not found.

tpdbid isn't a table in this app.

Use the table alias, for example [_DBID_DOCUMENT_TEMPLATES]. For a Quickbase Document Creation template, add native=y.

The template record was not found.

No record in the Document Templates table has the Record ID# in tpid. The template may have been deleted.

Set tpid to the Record ID# of an existing template. For a Quickbase Document Creation template, add native=y.

The template record exists but there is no file associated to it.

The template record has no Word file in Template File.

Upload the template to the template record.

Document could not be downloaded at this time.

Exact Forms Plus couldn't read the template file.

Try again in a moment. See Document templates.

This version of Exact Forms Plus only supports .doc or .docx template files.

The template file isn't a Word document, or its extension isn't a lowercase .docx or .doc (for example .DOCX).

Save the template in Word as .docx, with a lowercase extension, and upload it again.

A clist is required.

The template record's clist is empty, and the button doesn't pass one.

Choose the fields with the EFP Configurator.

INVALID CLIST … Correct it and try again.

ERROR: The first and the last character of the clist must be numeric. clist=…

ERROR: Invalid character(s) found in clist. Fields id's must be numeric. clist=…

The clist on the template record, or the clist in the formula, isn't a list of field IDs separated by periods.

Use only field IDs and single periods, with no spaces and no period at the start or end, for example 3.6.10.11. The EFP Configurator builds the clist for you.

Error: The Document Subtable DBID field is blank.

The template uses an embedded report (~strid=N~), but the template record doesn't say which table holds the subtable settings.

Run the installation wizard for the app again, or add a Formula - Text field named Document Subtable DBID to the Document Templates table that returns the ID of the Document Subtables table. See Messages in the created document. For a Quickbase Document Creation template, add stdbid to the button.

ERROR: STRID = N - The subtable record was not found.

ERROR: ~strid~ format error. Must be ~strid=99~

These appear inside the document. A ~strid=N~ in the template points to a Document Subtables record that doesn't exist, or is mistyped.

Use the Template Reference value from the Document Subtables record.

Format Function Error: … is not numeric, it cannot be reformatted

A FormatN or FormatO function in the template uses a field that isn't a number.

Use a numeric field. See Numbers in words.

Records and embedded reports

Message

What it means

What to do

There were NO Master records returned to process.

The msqry or msqid found no records, or the record in msid doesn't exist.

Check the query or report in Quickbase. Check that the token user's role can see the records.

ERROR: Maximium # of records to be processed for a subtable exceeded. The limit is n and n subtable records were returned.

An embedded report returned more records than your account allows in one document.

Narrow the embedded report's query, or create the document with the Exact Forms Plus Batch Processor.

**ERROR: # of fields in Summary Report does not match Subtable Configuration. Report may have changed without changing the subtable configuration.**

The summary report used by an embedded report was changed after the embedded report was set up.

Open the embedded report in the EFP Configurator and save it again so it matches the report.

The Summary Report is a Crosstab report, Crosstab reports are not supported in EF+

The embedded report uses a summary report with crosstabs.

Choose a summary report without crosstabs.

** ERROR - dbid parameter is missing **, ** ERROR - clist parameter is missing **, or ** ERROR - Invalid Format in clist parameter …

The embedded report's settings are incomplete or were edited by hand.

Open the report in the EFP Configurator and save it again. See If the embedded report doesn't appear or looks wrong.

Error Creating Subtable …

An embedded report couldn't be built. The rest of the message says why.

Check the embedded report's settings in the EFP Configurator.

***Your Request Exceeded the Document Limit. Not all of your documents were created!***

Shown in the progress bar window. The query returned more records than the limit for one run (50 by default). The documents up to the limit were created.

Use a narrower query, or the Exact Forms Plus Batch Processor.

Quickbase Document Creation templates

Message

What it means

What to do

Native Quickbase Document Templates must be used since you do not have a full subscription to Exact Forms Plus. …

Your account can only use Quickbase Document Creation templates.

Use a Quickbase Document Creation template and add native=y to the button.

One of the parameters passed into Exact Forms Plus is not allowed when using a Native Document Template, unless you have a full subscription to Exact Forms Plus.

The button uses a parameter your account can't use with these templates.

Remove the parameter, or upgrade your subscription.

Monthly Native Document Template transaction limit exceeded. …

Your account used all its documents from these templates for this month.

Wait until the limit resets on the 1st of next month, or upgrade your subscription.

Error Creating Document using QB Native Doc Gen Document Templates API. …

Quickbase couldn't create the document from the template. The rest of the message is Quickbase's reason.

Check tpid, and that the template belongs to the msdb table.

For everything else about these templates, see Use Exact Forms Plus with Quickbase Document Creation templates.

Saving the document

Message

What it means

What to do

… Sorry, you have exceeded the limit for file uploads

Quickbase returned this because your account is out of file attachment storage, so the document can't be saved to the record.

Free up or add file attachment storage in Quickbase. Or save the documents to cloud storage instead, and leave faid blank.

You have requested to run an action that you do not have permission to. If you believe you should be able to use this tool, please contact your App Admin.

The preqbaction edit was refused by Quickbase.

Check that the user who selected the button can edit the fields in the preqbaction call.

… ERROR CREATING WATERMARK IN DOCUMENT …

The wm value isn't in the right format, or, in test mode, the template already has a watermark.

Write wm as TEXT|COLOR|SIZE. In test mode, remove the watermark from the template. See Protection, watermark, and PDF options.

… error occurred saving the file to Amazon S3 …

Amazon S3 refused the file.

Check that your account's S3 setup still works, and that the bucket in s3bkt, if you set it, exists. See Cloud storage.

ERROR Saving the file to dropbox. Error Message: …

Error occured saving the file to Egnyte. Error Message: …

(or the same message with MERGED file)

The cloud service refused the file.

Check that the cloud connection saved for your account still works and that the folder exists. Submit a support case if it keeps happening.

We're sorry but something went wrong! The following error occurred in ADDFILES: …

A PDF to add is damaged or password-protected, or the button also sets docpw.

Remove the password or the file. See Add and merge PDF files.

ERROR - Get Additional Files: …

An addfiles, prefiles, or mrgfiles entry is empty or malformed, for example an empty FID field or two periods in a row.

Fix the parameter or the field value. See Add and merge PDF files.

ERROR Merging Additional Files! Parameters passed in for file attachment field on a separate table are invalid.

An addfiles, prefiles, or mrgfiles entry for another table isn't in the form table ID:Record ID#:field ID.

Correct the entry, for example bxxxxxxxx:1:7.

For problems saving to a repository table, see Save documents to a repository table.

Server and network problems

These usually aren't caused by your button or template.

What you see

What it means

What to do

Created with a trial version of Syncfusion PDF library or registered the wrong key in your application. on the document, or as a watermark

A problem on our side with the software Exact Forms Plus uses to create documents.

Submit a support case with the time you created the document. Create the affected documents again once it's fixed. Don't change your template.

Server Error in '/…/ExactFormsPlus' Application, HTTP 404, 405, or 500, Cannot POST …/doc_merge_ua.aspx, or an error page with no message

The button points to an address that doesn't exist, or a server, ours or Quickbase's, is having a problem.

Check that the start of the button's address matches the one the installation wizard created. A button copied from an old app may point to an old server. Check the Quickbase status page for an incident. If neither explains it, submit a support case.

The button's window is blocked, or shows a page saying the website is parked or not allowed

Your company's network filter or firewall blocks the Exact Forms Plus server.

Ask your IT team to allow the address at the start of the button's formula.

Documents created in the background take much longer than usual

Background runs wait in a queue. Many runs at once, or one run that starts another, add to the wait.

If the status still shows Batch Execution Requested_ after a long time, see If nothing happens. If runs are delayed for hours, submit a support case.

The document is created, but something's wrong

What you see

Why

What to do

Field names or IDs between tildes, such as ~First Name~, are left in the document.

  • The field name or ID in the template doesn't match the table.

  • The field ID isn't in the template's clist.

  • The token user's role can't view the field, or a field its formula uses.

  • Word replaced a hyphen in the field name with a dash.

Check the name or use the field ID (~7~). Add the ID to the clist. Give the role view access. Retype the hyphen, or use the field ID.

Nothing opens after the document is created

stream is missing or n, the button uses doc_merge.aspx (progress bar), or more than one document was created.

See stream in Output file. The documents are still saved.

No detail records found. where an embedded report should be

The embedded report's query found no records.

Check the query. To show different text, fill in MSG_DetailsNotFound on the template record.

Related records appear as one long value instead of a table

The template uses a summary or lookup field that combines the related records.

Show related records with an embedded report.

The embedded report table looks wrong, for example numbers lost their decimals, or groups and totals are missing

A column or table setting in the embedded report.

See If the embedded report doesn't appear or looks wrong.

An image is missing, an image token such as ~i:23:100~ is left in the document, or ERROR: or ERROR-Invalid format: appears with an image address

The image field is empty or not in the clist, or the image couldn't be downloaded.

See Including images.

ERROR FOUND IN THIS HTML-->: or HTML ERROR: in the document, or HTML tags such as <b> appear as text

The HTML in a field couldn't be converted, or the field doesn't allow HTML.

See Include HTML in documents.

Rich text comes out in a different font or size, or tables and formatting from a rich text field look wrong

Text without its own font uses the template's default style, and some HTML, such as tables from Quickbase's newer rich text editor, isn't fully supported.

See How the HTML looks in the document and Supported HTML.

A PDF uses a different font from the template

The font isn't embedded in the PDF.

Add embedfonts=y to the button that you use. See Protection, watermark, and PDF options.

ERROR: There is a comma in the barcode value, commas are not supported., ERROR: Barcode Type Not Supported:, or BARCODE ERROR in the document

The barcode value has a comma, the barcode type is misspelled, the size is wrong, or the value can't be encoded in that barcode type.

See Add barcodes and QR codes in documents.

A PDF that should be added before or after the document is missing

The file isn't found, isn't a PDF, or the field is empty. Exact Forms Plus leaves it out without an error.

See Add and merge PDF files.

The document in the file attachment field looks old.

The document is saved each time, but the browser or Quickbase may show a cached copy of a file with the same name.

Refresh the record. To avoid it, make the file name different each time, for example by including a field value in fn.

More troubleshooting

These pages cover problems in their own areas:

Contacting support

If the fix above doesn't work, submit a support case and include:

  • the full error message (a screenshot is fine);

  • the app, table, and Record ID# you ran it on;

  • the button you selected, and the date and time you selected it.

Don't send your user token or any passwords.