errors / soap-web-services / soap-blank-reference-field-empty-id-invalid-id-values
Blanking a Reference Field in a SOAP Request With an Empty ID Element Fails Validation
The error <wd:Work_Space_Reference><wd:ID wd:type="Location_ID">""</wd:ID></wd:Work_Space_Reference> -- error: Invalid ID values
What it means
Sending an empty string inside a wd:ID element is an attempt to blank out a reference field (such as Work_Space_Reference) that already has a value on the worker. Workday rejects this because an ID element always has to resolve to a real, existing instance of that ID type; an empty ID value is not a valid way to clear a reference.
Troubleshooting
- Confirm the field is actually intended to be cleared rather than replaced with a new valid reference, since some reference fields cannot be blanked directly through this web service at all.
- Check whether the operation supports omitting the reference element entirely (rather than sending it with an empty ID) as the mechanism for clearing it; many Workday web services treat a missing element differently from an empty one.
- If omitting the element does not clear the existing value, check the corresponding business process or web service documentation for an explicit "clear" or "remove" flag for that reference, since Workday models blanking a field as a distinct action from setting one.
- Test the same blank-out attempt through the equivalent UI-driven business process to confirm whether clearing this field is supported at all before spending further time on the web service request shape.
⚡ Quick fix
Remove the reference element from the request entirely instead of sending it with an empty ID value, and confirm whether that alone clears the field.
✓ Permanent fix
Treat clearing a reference field as a different operation from setting one in every integration: check each field's documentation for a dedicated clear/remove indicator rather than assuming an empty wd:ID element will blank it out.
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