Error: Value does not exist or does not match filter criteria

When/Why does it show up?

The Salesforce default error message for an invalid filter lookup data is “Value does not exist or does not match filter criteria”. When you attempt to save a record but the lookup field does not meet the filter criteria, you will receive this error. This can happen whether you create/update the record manually, or by using the Salesforce API.

Here is an example: Your custom Lookup Filter field to an Account has a filter that requires the Account to be of a specific record type: Patient. Now attempt to create/edit a record while the account listed in your lookup field has a different record type, not Patient. This will cause the error to display.

How to solve this error:

Because the error does not list the field, just the object, the first thing you need to do is to identify which field generates the error.

In Salesforce → Object Manager, view the fields of the Object that returned the error and identify all the fields with Lookup type. Check which one has a filter and review that filter.

Afterward, the next step is easy:

1. Delete the filter if it’s not needed anymore, OR:

2. Make sure that what you map in that specific field respects the filter criteria. If you are using a lookup result, the filter condition should be a part of the lookup condition too (e.g. Type = Patient).