🔍 Overview
When purchasing citations in Search Atlas, the state field requires the full state name rather than a two-letter abbreviation. For example, entering Washington is accepted, but WA will trigger a validation error and prevent you from completing the purchase.
This article explains the correct input format and walks you through completing your citation purchase without errors.
⚠️ Why This Error Happens
The citation purchase form validates state input against a list of full state names. Two-letter postal abbreviations such as WA, CA, or TX do not match the expected format, so the form rejects them and displays an error. This is a known input format requirement that applies to all state fields in the citation purchase flow.
🛠️ How to Fix the Error
- Navigate to the citation purchase form in Search Atlas.
- Locate the citation package you want to purchase and begin the checkout process.
- When you reach the state field in the purchase form, type the full name of your state — for example, Washington instead of WA.
- Complete the remaining fields and submit the form.
📋 Common State Name Examples
Use the full state name in all cases. The table below shows frequently used examples:
- WA → Washington
- CA → California
- TX → Texas
- FL → Florida
- NY → New York
- IL → Illinois
- PA → Pennsylvania
- OH → Ohio
- GA → Georgia
- NC → North Carolina
Apply this same rule for any US state — always enter the complete, correctly spelled state name.
✅ Quick Checklist Before Submitting
- State field contains the full state name, not an abbreviation.
- State name is spelled correctly.
- All other required fields are filled in completely.
💬 Still Need Help?
If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.