Validate Factur-X Invoice using REST-API

Validate a Factur-X hybrid invoice against the full compliance stack: XML schema (XSD), EN 16931 Schematron business rules, and PDF/A-3 embedding requirements. Upload a PDF containing embedded Factur-X XML and receive a detailed validation report.

POST https://api.invoicexml.com/v1/validate/facturx

Code Example

curl -X POST https://api.invoicexml.com/v1/validate/facturx \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -F "[email protected]" \
  -F "version=2.3.2" \
  -F "profile=extended"

Try it out online — no coding required

Upload an invoice and get a full compliance report instantly, right in your browser.

Try It Online

Request

Parameter	Type	Description
file *	binary	The invoice file to validate. Accepted formats: PDF with embedded Factur-X XML, or standalone Factur-X XML.
version	string	Standard version (e.g. `2.3.2`). Defaults to the latest supported version.
profile	string	Compliance profile. Values: `minimum`, `basicwl`, `basic`, `en16931`, `extended`. Defaults to `en16931`.

Content-Type: multipart/form-data

Headers

Header	Value
Authorization *	Bearer YOUR_API_KEY
Content-Type	multipart/form-data

Response

200 The invoice is valid. Returns a JSON object confirming compliance.

Content-Type: application/json

{
  "valid": true,
  "detail": "Your invoice is facturx compliant and meets the EN 16931 specifications.",
  "data": {
    "schemaValid": true,
    "schematronValid": true,
    "conformanceLevel": "EN16931"
  }
}

200 The invoice has validation errors. Returns a JSON object with structured error information.

{
  "valid": false,
  "detail": "Validation failed with 3 error(s)",
  "data": {
    "conformanceLevel": "EN16931"
  },
  "errors": {
    "xml": [
      "[BR-01] An invoice shall have a specification identifier.",
      "[BR-06] An invoice shall contain the seller name.",
      "[BR-08] An invoice shall contain the document total amount."
    ],
    "friendly": [
      {
        "rule": "BR-01",
        "line": null,
        "message": "The invoice is missing a specification identifier (BT-24)."
      },
      {
        "rule": "BR-06",
        "line": null,
        "message": "The seller must have a name (BT-27). Add the seller's name."
      },
      {
        "rule": "BR-08",
        "line": 2,
        "message": "Line item 2: The document total amount with VAT is missing or incorrect."
      }
    ]
  }
}

Error Reference

When an invoice fails validation, the errors.xml array contains one entry per violated business rule. Each entry starts with the rule identifier (e.g. [BR-01]) followed by the raw Schematron description.

The errors.friendly array provides a parallel set of user-facing messages — one object per violation. Each object contains:

Field	Type	Description
rule	string	The business rule identifier (e.g. `BR-01`, `BR-DE-15`).
line	int \| null	The 1-based invoice line item number the error relates to, or `null` when the error applies to the document level.
message	string	A plain-language explanation of the violation, suitable for displaying directly to end users.

Status	Meaning	Action
200	Validation completed. Check `valid` to determine compliance.	If `valid` is `false`, inspect `errors.xml` or `errors.friendly`.
401	Missing or invalid API key.	Check the `Authorization` header.
422	File is not a valid PDF or XML document.	Ensure you are uploading a supported file format.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Factur-X validation check?

The validator runs three layers of checks: (1) XML schema conformance against the Factur-X XSD, (2) EN 16931 Schematron business rules (BR-01 through BR-65 and all co-occurrence rules), and (3) profile-specific rules for the declared Factur-X profile (Minimum, Basic WL, Basic, EN 16931, or Extended).

Can I validate a standalone XML file?

Yes. You can upload either a Factur-X PDF (with embedded XML) or a standalone factur-x.xml file. When you upload a PDF, the API extracts the embedded XML automatically before running validation.

What are the BR rules in the error response?

BR rules are business rules defined by EN 16931. For example, BR-01 requires a specification identifier, BR-06 requires the seller name, and BR-16 requires at least one invoice line. Each violated rule appears in the errors.xml array.

Is Factur-X validation required before submitting to Chorus Pro?

While not technically required, validating before submission prevents rejections. Chorus Pro (France's B2G portal) enforces the same Schematron rules — catching errors beforehand saves time and avoids failed submissions.

Which Factur-X versions are supported?

The validator supports Factur-X 1.0 and 1.07, covering all profiles from Minimum to Extended. The profile is auto-detected from the XML's GuidelineSpecifiedDocumentContextParameter.