We’re integrating our external asset tracking system with CloudSuite Asset Lifecycle via REST API. When attempting to update asset locations through the API, we consistently get validation errors even though the location codes exist in the system.
The API call returns a 400 error with message “Invalid location reference” when we try to transfer assets between sites. We’re using the standard asset update endpoint with proper authentication. The same location codes work perfectly when entered manually through the UI.
Our integration needs to sync asset movements in real-time from our warehouse management system. We’ve verified the location IDs match exactly, including case sensitivity. Has anyone successfully implemented asset location updates via REST API and encountered similar validation issues?
We had this exact issue and it took us days to figure out. Here’s what you need to do:
Asset Update via REST API Structure:
The validation error occurs because the API requires complete object references with proper hierarchical context. Your payload needs to include the full location structure, not just the ID.
"location": {
"id": "LOC-001",
"site": {"id": "SITE-WEST"},
"facility": {"id": "FAC-WH01"}
}
Validation Error on Location:
The API validates against several criteria that the UI handles automatically:
- Location must be active and enabled for asset transfers
- User/API credentials must have access to both source and destination locations
- Asset type must be allowed at the destination location
- Site and facility context must match the location’s organizational hierarchy
Verify in Location Master that your target locations have “Allow Asset Transfers” enabled and check the asset type restrictions.
External Asset Tracking Integration:
For real-time sync from your warehouse system:
- Pre-validate locations by calling GET /locations endpoint with your target location IDs to retrieve the complete object structure
- Cache the full location references to avoid repeated lookups
- Include proper error handling for location validation failures
- Consider implementing a reconciliation process to handle sync failures
Also ensure your OAuth token has the AssetManagement.Write scope. The error message “Invalid location reference” is generic - enable debug logging on your API client to see the detailed validation failure reasons. In our case, it was missing the facility reference even though the location belonged to only one facility.
Test with a simple GET request first to see the expected structure, then mirror that in your PUT/PATCH requests. The API documentation for ICS 2023-1 has examples in section 4.3 of the Asset Management API guide.
The location object needs nested site and facility references. Something like location.site.id and location.facility.id in addition to location.id. Also check your API version - ICS 2023-1 changed some of the asset management endpoint structures compared to earlier versions.
Check if you’re passing the location as a full object reference versus just the ID. The REST API often requires the complete location structure with site and facility information, not just the location code.
Thanks for the suggestions. We are passing the location ID, but maybe not the full hierarchy. Could you provide an example of what the complete location reference structure should look like in the JSON payload?
I’ve seen this before. The validation error typically occurs when the location reference doesn’t include the proper hierarchy. You need to specify the site context in your request payload. Also verify that your API user has access rights to both the source and destination locations. The UI works because it automatically inherits context from your session, but the API requires explicit specification of the organizational hierarchy.