UBL-CR-084: Leave the XPath out of the tender or lot reference

What it means

The tender or lot reference (BT-17) is written in cac:OriginatorDocumentReference, and EN 16931 uses only its identifier (cbc:ID). This rule checks that there is no cbc:XPath, which is a technical expression that points to a place inside the referenced document. People rarely type this by hand.

Why it matters

This is a warning, so the file is still accepted. An XPath means nothing to a bookkeeper or to the recipient's accounting software, and the standard has no field for it, so it is normally ignored. Remove it to keep the file clean and to avoid questions from stricter checks.

How to fix it

This value almost always comes from the software that made the file, not from a field you fill in. Export the invoice again from your invoicing software, and if the XPath is still there, update the software or ask its supplier to stop writing it. If you build the XML yourself, remove cbc:XPath from cac:OriginatorDocumentReference.

The rule as published

A UBL invoice should not include the OriginatorDocumentReference Xpath

Where this rule applies