# SERIES_FORMAT_NUMBER_TOO_LONG

The number this series generates can reach ‹value› characters and the AEAT accepts at most ‹value› (series and number together). Shorten the code or the fixed text of the format

<Callout type="info">
**Category:** [Account settings](/errors/category/configuracion)
</Callout>

| | |
|---|---|
| HTTP status | `422` Unprocessable Content |
| Retry | After fixing the cause |

## When it happens

The longest number the series can generate — the format with the code, the year, the month and the counter substituted — exceeds the 60 characters characters the AEAT accepts for the invoice number. The counter counts as at least 9 digits.

## How to fix it

Shorten the `code` or the literal parts of the `format`.

## Retry

Not as is: the same request fails the same way. Fix the cause described above, then send the request again, under a new `Idempotency-Key` if the body changed.

## Returned by

The operations where this code is most likely. The list is not exhaustive.

- [`POST /v1/companies/{company_id}/series`](/invoice-series/createCompanySeries)
- [`PATCH /v1/companies/{company_id}/series/{series_id}`](/invoice-series/patchCompanySeries)

## Rules that cite this code

- [NUM-008 · An invoice number fits AEAT's length and character set](/rules/numbering#num-008)

## Example response

When this error occurs, the API answers `422` Unprocessable Content with a JSON body of this shape:

```json
{
  "type": "https://docs.beel.es/errors/SERIES_FORMAT_NUMBER_TOO_LONG",
  "title": "SERIES_FORMAT_NUMBER_TOO_LONG",
  "detail": "The number this series generates can reach ‹value› characters and the AEAT accepts at most ‹value› (series and number together). Shorten the code or the fixed text of the format",
  "instance": "/v1/<resource>",
  "errors": [],
  "success": false,
  "error": {
    "code": "SERIES_FORMAT_NUMBER_TOO_LONG",
    "message": "The number this series generates can reach ‹value› characters and the AEAT accepts at most ‹value› (series and number together). Shorten the code or the fixed text of the format",
    "details": {}
  },
  "meta": {
    "timestamp": "2026-05-21T10:00:00Z",
    "request_id": "4bf92f3577b34da6a3ce929d0e0e4736"
  }
}
```

The `type` URI is stable and always resolves to this page.

## Message

<Tabs items={["English", "Spanish", "Catalan"]}>
  <Tab value="English">{"The number this series generates can reach ‹value› characters and the AEAT accepts at most ‹value› (series and number together). Shorten the code or the fixed text of the format"}</Tab>
  <Tab value="Spanish">{"El número que genera esta serie puede llegar a ‹value› caracteres y la AEAT solo admite ‹value› (serie y número juntos). Acorta el código o el texto fijo del formato"}</Tab>
  <Tab value="Catalan">{"El número que genera aquesta sèrie pot arribar a ‹value› caràcters i l'AEAT només n'admet ‹value› (sèrie i número junts). Escurça el codi o el text fix del format"}</Tab>
</Tabs>

Send the request with `Accept-Language: <es|en|ca>` to receive the message in your preferred language.

> Placeholders like `‹value›` are filled in at runtime with the actual values of your request.

## Other errors in this category

<div className="grid grid-cols-2 gap-3 not-prose">
  <Card title="ACTIVE_CANNOT_DELETE" description="Cannot delete an active series. Deactivate it first" href="/errors/ACTIVE_CANNOT_DELETE" />
  <Card title="DEFAULT_CANNOT_BE_UNMARKED" description="Cannot unmark the default series. Set another series as default first" href="/errors/DEFAULT_CANNOT_BE_UNMARKED" />
  <Card title="DEFAULT_CANNOT_DEACTIVATE" description="Cannot deactivate the default series. Set another series as default first" href="/errors/DEFAULT_CANNOT_DEACTIVATE" />
  <Card title="DEFAULT_CANNOT_DELETE" description="Cannot delete the default series. Set another series as default first" href="/errors/DEFAULT_CANNOT_DELETE" />
  <Card title="ENTITY_TYPE_INCONSISTENT_WITH_NIF" description="The entity type ‹value› does not match the NIF ‹value›: an individual is identified by a DNI or NIE, and a company or entity by a NIF that starts with a legal-form letter" href="/errors/ENTITY_TYPE_INCONSISTENT_WITH_NIF" />
</div>

## Keep exploring

<div className="grid grid-cols-2 gap-3 not-prose">
  <Card title="All Account settings errors" description="Every code in this category in one table." href="/errors/category/configuracion" />
  <Card title="Error reference home" description="Browse every category or jump to the handling guide." href="/errors" />
</div>

---

Full OpenAPI spec: https://docs.beel.es/api/openapi