## **🔍 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**

1. Navigate to the citation purchase form in Search Atlas.
2. Locate the citation package you want to purchase and begin the checkout process.
3. When you reach the state field in the purchase form, **type the full name of your state** — for example, **Washington** instead of **WA**.
4. 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.