IN-PROFILE-FORMAT:ProfileID format recommendation
ProfileID should have the standard Peppol value
Engine Classification
Structural normalization · No financial impact · Safe deterministic remediation
What is IN-PROFILE-FORMAT?
IN-PROFILE-FORMAT is a warning validation rule defined in the Peppol BIS 3.0 specification. It validates the ProfileID element in the UBL invoice XML.
This is a soft validation failure. The invoice may pass initial transmission, but non-compliant values in this field can cause problems during tax audits, buyer-side processing, or downstream VAT reconciliation.
Target path: /Invoice/cbc:ProfileID
Why This Error Matters
Order references help buyers match invoices to purchase orders.
IN-PROFILE-FORMAT is a soft failure. The invoice may pass initial validation, but the non-compliant field can cause issues at the receiving end — tax authorities may flag it during audits, buyer ERP systems may fail to process it, or VAT reconciliation may produce mismatches. Fixing warnings before they accumulate prevents larger compliance gaps.
Invoice Navigator can automatically correct this error in your pipeline. The fix is applied with full audit evidence, so your compliance trail remains intact.
Validator Behavior
- ·Generates validation warning
- ·Rejected by PEPPOL Access Points
- ·Error returned: IN-PROFILE-FORMAT
- ·Specification: Peppol BIS 3.0
How to Fix It
Get PO number
Buyer purchase order reference
Add OrderReference
In cac:OrderReference/cbc:ID
Add if available
Strongly recommended for matching
Before / After
<Invoice> <cbc:ProfileID><!-- invalid or missing value --></cbc:ProfileID> </Invoice>
<Invoice> <cbc:ProfileID>correct-value</cbc:ProfileID> </Invoice>
Technical Reference
/Invoice/cbc:ProfileIDCode Example
<cac:OrderReference>
<cbc:ID>PO-2024-00456</cbc:ID>
</cac:OrderReference>Common Causes
- ·PO not collected
- ·Field not mapped
- ·Order-less invoicing
Seeing this in production? The API handles IN-PROFILE-FORMAT automatically. See the fix response →
Commonly Seen In
Frequently Asked Questions
Peppol invoices should include an order reference for buyer matching.
Add OrderReference with purchase order number. Invoice Navigator can help identify and fix this issue.
PEPPOL-EN16931-R003 is a warning that should be addressed.
See Also
Related Errors
Last updated: 27 February 2026
Handle IN-PROFILE-FORMAT Automatically in Your Pipeline
The compliance engine auto-remediates this error with controlled safety policies and evidence pack generation.