How to fix Invalid parameter value in PostgreSQL

PostgreSQLINTERMEDIATEMEDIUMUpdated Dec 26, 2025· 310 views

PostgreSQL error 22023 occurs when a parameter passed to a function or SQL command has an invalid value, incorrect data type, or is outside the expected range. Common causes include malformed timezone settings, wrong character encoding parameters, and type mismatches in function arguments.

Quick fix

Fixes Invalid parameter value

# Invalid - standard timezone abbreviations don't work in PostgreSQL
SET timezone = 'PST';

# Valid - use IANA timezone names
SET timezone = 'America/Los_Angeles';
SET timezone = 'UTC';
SET timezone = 'PST8PDT';
  1. Check connection parameters for invalid values
  2. Verify character encoding is PostgreSQL-compatible
  3. Validate function arguments and data types
  4. Update application database configuration
postgresql — error
# Invalid - standard timezone abbreviations don't work in PostgreSQL
SET timezone = 'PST';
# Valid - use IANA timezone names
SET timezone = 'America/Los_Angeles';
SET timezone = 'UTC';
SET timezone = 'PST8PDT';
Invalid parameter value

What this error means

The "Invalid parameter value" error (SQLSTATE 22023) is a Data Exception that occurs when PostgreSQL receives a parameter that doesn't meet the requirements for a specific function or operation. This can happen at different levels: during connection initialization when setting parameters like timezone or client_encoding, or during query execution when passing arguments to functions or operations. PostgreSQL validates parameter values strictly to ensure data integrity and prevent unexpected behavior.

Typical symptoms

  • Application fails to connect with "Invalid parameter value" in the error message
  • Specific SQL function calls fail with error code 22023
  • Date or time functions return invalid parameter errors
  • Character encoding or locale settings cause connection failures
  • Connection string contains unsupported parameter values

Common causes

  1. Timezone name is invalid or uses an unsupported format (e.g., "PST" instead of "PST8PDT" or "America/Los_Angeles")
  2. Client encoding is set to an unsupported value (e.g., "utf8mb4" which is MySQL-specific)
  3. Function arguments are of the wrong data type or outside acceptable range
  4. Connection parameters contain invalid or deprecated values
  5. Database driver configuration specifies incompatible parameter values

How to fix "Invalid parameter value"

1Check connection parameters for invalid values

Review your connection string and client configuration. Look for parameters like timezone, client_encoding, application_name, or database-specific settings. Ensure they match PostgreSQL's expected format.

Example of invalid vs. valid timezone values:

bash
# Invalid - standard timezone abbreviations don't work in PostgreSQL
SET timezone = 'PST';

# Valid - use IANA timezone names
SET timezone = 'America/Los_Angeles';
SET timezone = 'UTC';
SET timezone = 'PST8PDT';
2Verify character encoding is PostgreSQL-compatible

If the error mentions client_encoding, ensure you're not using MySQL-specific values. PostgreSQL supports standard encodings like UTF8, LATIN1, etc., but not MySQL's "utf8mb4".

sql
-- Check current encoding
SHOW client_encoding;

-- Valid PostgreSQL encodings
SET client_encoding TO 'UTF8';
SET client_encoding TO 'LATIN1';
SET client_encoding TO 'SQL_ASCII';
3Validate function arguments and data types

If the error occurs during query execution, check that all function arguments match expected types and ranges. For example, date functions expect specific formats.

sql
-- Verify parameter types
SELECT version();

-- Test with known-valid values
SELECT CAST('2024-01-01' AS DATE);
SELECT CAST('12:30:45' AS TIME);
4Update application database configuration

Ensure your application driver uses correct PostgreSQL connection parameters:

javascript
// Node.js example - correct PostgreSQL setup
const client = new Client({
  user: 'postgres',
  password: 'password',
  host: 'localhost',
  port: 5432,
  database: 'mydb',
  timezone: 'UTC', // Valid IANA timezone
  // Do NOT use utf8mb4 - that's MySQL
});
python
# Python example
import psycopg2
conn = psycopg2.connect(
    host="localhost",
    database="mydb",
    user="postgres",
    password="password",
    options="-c timezone=UTC"  # Valid format
)
5Check PostgreSQL server configuration

If the error occurs at startup or connection time, verify server-level settings in postgresql.conf:

bash
# View current parameter settings
SHOW ALL;

# Check specific problematic parameters
SHOW timezone;
SHOW client_encoding;
SHOW timezone_abbreviations;

# Restart PostgreSQL after modifying postgresql.conf
sudo systemctl restart postgresql

Advanced notes

Error 22023 is part of PostgreSQL's SQL error code system (SQLSTATE). The first two digits (22) indicate a "Data Exception" class, while 023 specifies the particular condition. Different PostgreSQL versions may have slightly different parameter constraints - always consult the documentation for your specific version. When using third-party tools or ORMs (Django ORM, SQLAlchemy, Prisma), they may hide parameter conversion issues, so check both application logs and PostgreSQL server logs for the full context. The timezone_abbreviations parameter is particularly problematic across versions and may require careful configuration when upgrading.

Frequently asked questions

What does "Invalid parameter value" mean?
The "Invalid parameter value" error (SQLSTATE 22023) is a Data Exception that occurs when PostgreSQL receives a parameter that doesn't meet the requirements for a specific function or operation. This can happen at different levels: during connection initialization when setting parameters like timezone or client_encoding, or during query execution when passing arguments to functions or operations. PostgreSQL validates parameter values strictly to ensure data integrity and prevent unexpected behavior.
How do I fix "Invalid parameter value"?
PostgreSQL error 22023 occurs when a parameter passed to a function or SQL command has an invalid value, incorrect data type, or is outside the expected range. Common causes include malformed timezone settings, wrong character encoding parameters, and type mismatches in function arguments.
What causes "Invalid parameter value"?
Timezone name is invalid or uses an unsupported format (e.g., "PST" instead of "PST8PDT" or "America/Los_Angeles") Client encoding is set to an unsupported value (e.g., "utf8mb4" which is MySQL-specific) Function arguments are of the wrong data type or outside acceptable range
Is the "Invalid parameter value" error serious?
It is a medium-severity error — more of a blocker than a risk. The steps above resolve it.

Official resources & further reading