QuickBooks Desktop Sync Issue: The string "..." in the field "..." is too long.

During a QuickBooks Desktop sync step, QuickBooks can reject a value with a message like this:

QuickBooks error message: Send Invoices The string "ABCDEFG" in the field "RefNumber" is too long.

The field name in the message tells you which value QuickBooks Desktop rejected. RefNumber is the field QuickBooks Desktop uses for the Invoice Number, so this exact message appears during the Send Invoices sync step when an Invoice Number is too long. The same error can name a different field during a different sync step, always for the same underlying reason.

Why the field-length error happens

QuickBooks Desktop enforces a maximum number of characters for each field. Maxio does not check a value against QuickBooks Desktop's character limits before sending it, so the sync step passes the value through as entered. When that value is longer than QuickBooks Desktop allows for the field, QuickBooks Desktop rejects it and returns the error above, which Maxio records as a sync issue.

Shorten the flagged value and sync again

The fix is to edit the record in Maxio so the flagged value fits within QuickBooks Desktop's character limit, then run the sync step again.

To correct a value that is too long

1. Open the sync issue and note the field name QuickBooks Desktop rejected, such as RefNumber.
2. Find the record that holds that value. RefNumber is the field QuickBooks Desktop uses for the Invoice Number, so a RefNumber error points to that Invoice's Invoice Number field.
3. Edit the value so it fits within the field's character limit. Example: for a RefNumber error, change the Invoice Number to a smaller number with fewer characters.
4. Save the record and sync again.

Prevent the error by staying under QuickBooks Desktop's character limits

This sync issue does not occur if every field stays within QuickBooks Desktop's character limit. QuickBooks Desktop enforces the following limits itself:

Related information

To understand how Maxio assigns an Invoice Number in the first place, including when it adopts a number from QuickBooks, see How is the Invoice Number generated?.