Issue

If you are using the Iterable Actions Destination in Segment you may encounter errors such as:

400 Bad Request (invalid userId (empty)), 409 Conflict (ExternalKeyConflict)

And payload validation errors like

Email Address must be a valid email address string but it was not. 

These errors can prevent successful event delivery to Iterable.

Product

Twilio Segment

Environment

Segment Console

Cause

• 400 Bad Request (invalid userId (empty)):
  This occurs when the Iterable project is configured to require a userId, but the Segment mapping does not provide one. Even if the mapping UI marks userId as optional, Iterable may still require it based on project settings.
• 409 Conflict (ExternalKeyConflict):
  This error appears when a userId sent from Segment already exists in Iterable, causing a conflict during user creation or update.
• Payload Validation Failed (Email Address):
  This happens when the event payload does not include a valid email address string, or the mapped field is empty or incorrectly formatted.

Resolution

1. Map the userId Field:
   • In your Segment destination mapping for Iterable, ensure that userId (or a unique identifier such as context.traits.userId) is mapped to the User ID field for both Identify and Track actions.
   • If your Iterable project is intended to be Email-based only, update the project settings in Iterable to reflect this.
2. Resolve 409 Conflict Errors:
   • Check your Iterable instance for duplicate profiles with the same userId.
   • Clean up or merge duplicate user profiles as needed.
   • Ensure your mapping logic does not attempt to create users with an existing userId.
3. Validate Email Address in Payload:
   • Confirm that all incoming events include a valid email address string.
   • Update your mapping formula (e.g., coalesce(properties.email, context.traits.email)) to ensure it always resolves to a valid email address.

Additional Information 

• Even if the Segment UI marks userId as optional, Iterable’s project settings may override this and require the field.
• For more details, see the Segment documentation for Iterable Actions Destinations.
• If you continue to experience issues, review your source event structure and mapping configuration, or contact support for further assistance.