Troubleshoot InfluxQL errors

Learn how to troubleshoot and fix common InfluxQL errors.

• error: database name required
• error parsing query: found …, expected identifier at …
• error parsing query: mixing aggregate and non-aggregate queries is not supported
• invalid operation: time and *influxql.VarRef are not compatible

error: database name required

error: database name required

Cause

The database name required error occurs when certain SHOW queries do not specify a database in the query or with the query request.

For example, the following SHOW query doesn’t specify the database and assumes the db is not specified in the /query API request:

SHOW MEASUREMENTS

Solution

To resolve this error, specify a database with your query request by doing one of the following:

• Include an ON clause with the SHOW statement that specifies the database to query:

  SHOW MEASUREMENTS ON 
  DATABASE_NAME
  

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• If using the InfluxDB v1 query API, Include the db query parameter in your request:

  curl --get https://cloud2.influxdata.com/query \
    --header "Authorization: Bearer 
  DATABASE_TOKEN
  " \
    --data-urlencode "db=
  DATABASE_NAME
  " \
    --data-urlencode "q=SHOW MEASUREMENTS"
  

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Related: InfluxQL SHOW statements, Explore your schema with InfluxQL

error parsing query: found …, expected identifier at …

error parsing query: found EXAMPLE, expected identifier at line 1, char 14

Causes

This error occurs when InfluxDB anticipates an identifier in a query but doesn’t find it. Identifiers are tokens that refer to database names, retention policy names, measurement names, field keys, and tag keys.

This error is generally caused by one of the following:

• A required identifier is missing
• A string literal is used instead of an identifier
• An InfluxQL keyword is used as an unquoted identifier

A required identifier is missing

Some InfluxQL statements and clauses require identifiers to identify databases, measurements, tags, or fields. If the statement is missing a required identifier, the query returns the expected identifier error.

For example, the following query omits the measurement name from the FROM clause:

SELECT * FROM WHERE color = 'blue'

Solution

Update the query to include the expected identifier in the FROM clause that identifies the measurement to query:

SELECT * FROM measurement_name WHERE color = 'blue'

A string literal is used instead of an identifier

In InfluxQL, string literals are wrapped in single quotes ('') while character sequences wrapped in double quotes ("") are parsed as identifiers. If you use single quotes to wrap an identifier, the identifier is parsed as a string literal and returns the expected identifier error.

For example, the following query wraps the measurement name in single quotes:

SELECT * FROM 'measurement-name' WHERE color = 'blue'

Results in the following error:

error parsing query: found measurement-name, expected identifier at line 1, char 14

Solution

Update single-quoted identifiers to use double quotes so they are parsed as identifiers and not as string literals.

SELECT * FROM "measurement-name" WHERE color = 'blue'

An InfluxQL keyword is used as an unquoted identifier

InfluxQL keyword are character sequences reserved for specific functionality in the InfluxQL syntax. It is possible to use a keyword as an identifier, but the identifier must be wrapped in double quotes ("").

SELECT duration FROM runs

Returns the following error:

error parsing query: found DURATION, expected identifier, string, number, bool at line 1, char 8

Solution

Double quote InfluxQL keywords when used as identifiers:

SELECT "duration" FROM runs

Related: InfluxQL keywords, Query Language Documentation

error parsing query: mixing aggregate and non-aggregate queries is not supported

error parsing query: mixing aggregate and non-aggregate queries is not supported

Cause

The mixing aggregate and non-aggregate error occurs when a SELECT statement includes both an aggregate function and a standalone field key or tag key.

Aggregate functions return a single calculated value per group and column and there is no obvious single value to return for any un-aggregated fields or tags.

For example, the following example queries two fields from the home measurement–temp and hum. However, it only applies the aggregate function, MEAN to the temp field.

SELECT MEAN(temp), hum FROM home

Solution

To fix this error, apply an aggregate or selector function to each of the queried fields:

SELECT MEAN(temp), MAX(hum) FROM home

Related: InfluxQL functions, Aggregate data with InfluxQL

invalid operation: time and *influxql.VarRef are not compatible

invalid operation: time and *influxql.VarRef are not compatible

Cause

The time and \*influxql.VarRef are not compatible error occurs when date-time strings are double-quoted in a query. Date-time strings should be formatted as string literals and wrapped in single quotes ('').

For example:

SELECT temp
FROM home
WHERE
  time >= "2025-03-25T08:00:00Z"
  AND time <= "2025-03-25T00:20:00Z"

Returns the following error:

invalid operation: time and *influxql.VarRef are not compatible

Solution

To fix the error, wrap RFC3339 timestamps in single quotes rather than double quotes.

SELECT temp
FROM home
WHERE
  time >= '2025-03-25T08:00:00Z'
  AND time <= '2025-03-25T00:20:00Z'

Related: Query data within time boundaries, WHERE clause–Time ranges, InfluxQL time syntax