OneRoster API Error Messages

Michael Conan

Hello! I've developed an app that uses OneRoster to post assignments and grades from an LMS to Blackbaud using the OneRoster API.

When there is any issue with the assignment or grade to be posted, the API provides a generic error message: {"statusInfoSet":[{"imsx_codeMajor":"failure","imsx_severity":"error"}]}

From my experience thus far, this could mean:

Data incompatibility:

• lineItem assignDate is not between gradingPeriod.beginDate and gradingPeriod.endDate
• gradingPeriod provided is not child of lineItem.class
• result.student is not enrolled in lineItem.class
• result.scoreDate (or date of request) is before lineItem.assignDate
• result.score is less than result.resultValueMin or greater than result.resultValueMax

Functional incompatibility:

• Result has already been posted for the student and lineItem within the UI. As this isn't an “external” line item, there is no way to confirm this with the API

The OneRoster specification for error payloads provides for an optional human-readable description of the error that occurred - could this be provided based on the reason for the failure? This lack of information has caused many hours of headache trying to identify the issue, and also confusion with teachers and admins who do not know why their data failed to sync.

Michael Conan

@Stephen Boyle @Todd DeSchuiteneer

Bryna Gleich

@Michael Conan
I recommend you also post your enhancement suggestion to the “ideas” section of the user community at

There, other users can vote and add additional comments. Product managers review and update the ideas from this “idea bank” when they plan product roadmaps and more. You can post a link to the idea here in this discussion thread to drive more traffic to your idea.

Michael Conan

@Bryna Gleich Thank you.

Idea posted here: