3236899 - Error "General Error with error code - -28" while doing an Upsert on User OData API

You are doing an Upsert in User API and the error below occurs:

"[COE0019]Failed to add/update user [123456] \"\" (N/A;N/A;N/A): General Error with error code - -28.\r\n with the index 0"

• SAP SuccessFactors HXM Suite
  
  • OData API

Error code "-28" means "EXTERNAL_NOT_SUPPORTED: External User import is currently not supported. The following users were not imported".

This means that the user receiving the data from the Upsert has status equal to "e", meaning that it's an active external user.

But note that being an active external user is not the cause for this issue, as you for example, is able to upsert Employee Central data on the user while it's still an active external one. The error exclusively happens when you try to insert data on entities that store it's data on UDF, such as User entity or some Background Element entities. This happens because active external users still does not exist on UDF, making it impossible to update/insert data of this users on these entities.

The User OData API only works for internal users or active external user while upserting data on Employee Central entities. Meaning that an Upsert on an active external user won't work for UDF based entities.

Querying Different Types of Users | SAP Help Portal

2138823 - User Data File (UDF) or Employee Import: General Error Codes - PLT

COE0019, -28, active external user, active_external_suite, mph, manage pending hire, , KBA , LOD-SF-INT-ODATA , OData API Framework , Problem