How to fix Invalid input syntax for UUID in PostgreSQL

PostgreSQLINTERMEDIATEMEDIUM

This error occurs when you attempt to insert or query a UUID column with a malformed value. PostgreSQL expects UUIDs in the standard 8-4-4-4-12 hexadecimal format, and will reject any value that doesn't match valid UUID syntax.

What this error means

PostgreSQL uses the UUID data type to store Universally Unique Identifiers as defined by RFC 9562. When you try to insert a value into a UUID column or use it in a WHERE clause, PostgreSQL validates that the value conforms to strict formatting rules. The "Invalid input syntax for UUID" error indicates the provided value fails this validation check, typically due to malformed characters, incorrect hyphen placement, or values that aren't hexadecimal digits.

How to fix "Invalid input syntax for UUID"

1Verify the UUID format is correct

PostgreSQL accepts UUIDs in the standard format (8-4-4-4-12 hexadecimal digits):

bash

Valid: a0eebc99-9c0b-4ef8-bb6d-6bb9bd380a11
Valid: A0EEBC99-9C0B-4EF8-BB6D-6BB9BD380A11 (uppercase also accepted)
Valid: a0eebc999c0b4ef8bb6d6bb9bd380a11 (no hyphens)
Invalid: a0eebc99-9c0b-4ef8-bb6d (too short)
Invalid: a0eebc99-9c0b-4ef8-bb6d-6bb9bd380a11-extra (extra characters)

Check the value you're inserting against one of these formats.

2Remove any extra quotes or braces from the value

If you're building SQL manually, ensure you're not double-quoting the UUID:

sql

-- WRONG:
INSERT INTO users (id, name) VALUES ('"a0eebc99-9c0b-4ef8-bb6d-6bb9bd380a11"', 'John');

-- CORRECT:
INSERT INTO users (id, name) VALUES ('a0eebc99-9c0b-4ef8-bb6d-6bb9bd380a11', 'John');

If using an ORM, verify it's not wrapping the UUID in extra serialization.

3Cast the value explicitly to UUID type

If you're passing a string that might not parse automatically, use an explicit cast:

sql

SELECT * FROM users WHERE id = 'a0eebc99-9c0b-4ef8-bb6d-6bb9bd380a11'::uuid;

INSERT INTO users (id, name) VALUES ('a0eebc99-9c0b-4ef8-bb6d-6bb9bd380a11'::uuid, 'John');

The ::uuid cast tells PostgreSQL to validate and convert the string to UUID type.

4Validate UUIDs in your application before insertion

Use a UUID validation library in your application language:

Node.js/JavaScript:

javascript

import { validate as uuidValidate } from "uuid";

const userInput = req.body.id;
if (!uuidValidate(userInput)) {
  throw new Error('Invalid UUID format');
}
await prisma.user.create({ data: { id: userInput, name: 'John' } });

Python:

python

from uuid import UUID

try:
  UUID(user_input)
except ValueError:
  raise Exception('Invalid UUID format')

This catches format errors before they reach the database.

5Check for ORM serialization issues

If using TypeORM, Sequelize, or similar ORMs, ensure UUID columns are properly typed:

TypeORM:

typescript

import { Column, PrimaryGeneratedColumn } from 'typeorm';

@Entity()
export class User {
  @PrimaryGeneratedColumn('uuid')
  id: string;

  @Column()
  name: string;
}

Prisma:

prisma

model User {
  id    String  @id @default(cuid())
  name  String
}

Verify your ORM configuration matches your database schema.

6Generate UUIDs using PostgreSQL functions

Instead of generating UUIDs in your application, let PostgreSQL handle it:

sql

-- For UUID v4 (random):
CREATE TABLE users (
  id uuid PRIMARY KEY DEFAULT gen_random_uuid(),
  name text NOT NULL
);

-- Insert without specifying id:
INSERT INTO users (name) VALUES ('John');

-- For older PostgreSQL versions (< 13), use uuid-ossp extension:
CREATE EXTENSION IF NOT EXISTS "uuid-ossp";

CREATE TABLE users (
  id uuid PRIMARY KEY DEFAULT uuid_generate_v4(),
  name text NOT NULL
);

This eliminates manual UUID formatting errors.

How to fix Invalid input syntax for UUID in PostgreSQL

What this error means

Typical symptoms

Common causes

How to fix "Invalid input syntax for UUID"

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