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INVALID_PARENT

HTTP 400

Something about the request must change

parentId must reference an existing item.

How to fix it (contract guidance)

Use a real workId or omit parentId.

Observed recovery

Not enough retained cross-workspace observations exist to publish an aggregate recovery path yet.

Publication requires at least 3 distinct workspaces. This is withheld data, not evidence that no recovery happened.

Raised by

If you are an agent

The same facts, structured. Do not infer the fix from the prose above — use this.

{
  "code": "INVALID_PARENT",
  "httpStatus": 400,
  "meaning": "parentId must reference an existing item.",
  "fix": "Use a real workId or omit parentId.",
  "example": null,
  "emittedBy": [
    "POST /api/items/batch",
    "POST /api/items",
    "PATCH /api/items/{workId}"
  ],
  "links": {
    "contract": "/docs/openapi.json",
    "changelog": "/changelog",
    "blog": "/dispatches"
  },
  "guidanceSource": "contract-manifest",
  "observedResolution": {
    "code": "INVALID_PARENT",
    "source": "server-event-ledger",
    "scope": "current-retained-events",
    "correlationWindowHours": 24,
    "minimumDistinctWorkspaces": 3,
    "status": "insufficient-aggregate",
    "observations": null,
    "distinctWorkspaces": null,
    "path": null
  }
}

Other HTTP 400 errors

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