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v3.8.0 detrimental bug with `NodeParagraph`'s nested in `NodeList`'s prevents any modification to document

My system and version

  • Linux 3.8.0
  • Android 3.8.0

The issue (persists on both linux and android)

The screen reloads and refuses the action to add a new bullet in ordered list. Any action on the list is refused:

  • Cant/unable to create new bullet
  • Cant/unable to delete a bullet
  • Cant/unable to change ordered list to numbered list
  • Basically cant/unable to make any type edits, even typing prevents any modification to document

What does work is right click Insert Block Below but i cannot Tab to nest the bullet inside another bullet

It appears some operations in Open Menu options are working and others are not, regular editing the list with keyboard shortcuts on that list is ignored.

This list exists since a previous siyuan version that doesnt function correct in 3.8.0, but creating a new list on same document does allow all operations and doesnt suffer above issues. Dragging a bullet from older version list to new version list also refused.

I tried reverting from 3.8.0 to 3.7.3. In 3.7.3 the list has no problems at all, everything works fine, but i cannot access any of my databases. All access to databases is refused when reverting from 3.8.0 to 3.7.3. Meaning I am stuck now.

I tried Export data and import to new workspace but produces same issue

Error:

failed: invalid block structure: NodeList [20250105142928-xjnq6rj] cannot contain NodeParagraph [20260411175401-uwr65cd]
E 2026/08/13 22:23:45 transaction.go:141: transaction structure validation failed: invalid block structure: NodeList [20250105142928-xjnq6rj] cannot contain NodeParagraph [20260411175401-uwr65cd]
E 2026/08/13 22:23:48 transaction.go:1722: validate updated block [20250105121001-qwvd6tj] structure failed: invalid block structure: NodeList [20250105142928-xjnq6rj] cannot contain NodeParagraph [20260411175401-uwr65cd]
E 2026/08/13 22:23:48 transaction.go:141: transaction structure validation failed: invalid block structure: NodeList [20250105142928-xjnq6rj] cannot contain NodeParagraph [20260411175401-uwr65cd]
E 2026/08/13 22:23:52 transaction.go:1722: validate updated block [20250105121001-qwvd6tj] structure failed: invalid block structure: NodeList [20250105142928-xjnq6rj] cannot contain NodeParagraph [20260411175401-uwr65cd]
E 2026/08/13 22:23:52 transaction.go:141: transaction structure validation failed: invalid block structure: NodeList [20250105142928-xjnq6rj] cannot contain NodeParagraph [20260411175401-uwr65cd]
E 2026/08/13 22:24:03 transaction.go:1722: validate updated block [20250105143452-7mc0e20] structure failed: invalid block structure: NodeList [20250105142928-xjnq6rj] cannot contain NodeParagraph [20260411175401-uwr65cd]
E 2026/08/13 22:24:03 transaction.go:141: transaction structure validation failed: invalid block structure: NodeList [20250105142928-xjnq6rj] cannot contain NodeParagraph [20260411175401-uwr65cd]
E 2026/08/13 22:25:54 transaction.go:1722: validate updated block [20250105121001-qwvd6tj] structure failed: invalid block structure: NodeList [20250105142928-xjnq6rj] cannot contain NodeParagraph [20260411175401-uwr65cd]
E 2026/08/13 22:25:54 transaction.go:141: transaction structure validation failed: invalid block structure: NodeList [20250105142928-xjnq6rj] cannot contain NodeParagraph [20260411175401-uwr65cd]
E 2026/08/13 22:25:59 transaction.go:1722: validate updated block [20250105121001-qwvd6tj] structure failed: invalid block structure: NodeList [20250105142928-xjnq6rj] cannot contain NodeParagraph [20260411175401-uwr65cd]
E 2026/08/13 22:25:59 transaction.go:141: transaction structure validation failed: invalid block structure: NodeList [20250105142928-xjnq6rj] cannot contain NodeParagraph [20260411175401-uwr65cd]
E 2026/08/13 22:27:39 transaction.go:1722: validate updated block [20250105121001-qwvd6tj] structure failed: invalid block structure: NodeList [20250105142928-xjnq6rj] cannot contain NodeParagraph [20260411175401-uwr65cd]
E 2026/08/13 22:27:39 transaction.go:141: transaction structure validation failed: invalid block structure: NodeList [20250105142928-xjnq6rj] cannot contain NodeParagraph [20260411175401-uwr65cd]
E 2026/08/14 01:56:31 transaction.go:141: transaction structure validation failed: invalid block structure: NodeList [20240914152705-fext4z2] cannot contain NodeParagraph [20250516075716-d9nsrjg]

Setting Allows creation of sub-documents deeper than 7 levels is enabled.

Side issue

I am sure there is a logical reason, but it is worrying that from 3.7.3 to 3.8.0 causes breaking databases, while the Github Semantic Versioning didnt mention breaking change warning.

Cannot open database view created by a newer version. Please upgrade to the latest version and try again v3.7.3

The problem is with error message is database was created in older version, not newer version so statement: database view created by a newer version is reverse and incorrect

Update 1

  1. I found the cause of the problem by examining the siyuan.log (as posted above), its: NodeList [20250105142928-xjnq6rj] cannot contain NodeParagraph [20260411175401-uwr65cd]

    20260411175401-uwr65cd is a paragraph nested in 20250105142928-xjnq6rj which is a list.

    I had to take a picture since i cant edit (any edit is rejected):

issuefound.png

  1. I found another one: NodeList [20240914152705-fext4z2] cannot contain NodeParagraph [20250516075716-d9nsrjg] issuefound2.png

This clearly indicates that from 3.7.3 to 3.8.0 there was a breaking change with any NodeParagraph nested inside a NodeList

  1. I might keep looking for more NodeParagraph's nested inside NodeList's, but this issue only occurs 3.8.0 while in 3.7.3 there is no single problem at all.

`

    10 Operate
    Siysuy updated this article at 2026-08-14 14:18:55
    Siysuy updated this article at 2026-08-14 14:11:07
    Siysuy updated this article at 2026-08-14 14:07:12
    Siysuy updated this article at 2026-08-14 14:05:28 Siysuy updated this article at 2026-08-14 12:19:53 Siysuy updated this article at 2026-08-14 10:45:58 Siysuy updated this article at 2026-08-14 10:43:33 Siysuy updated this article at 2026-08-14 10:41:57 Siysuy updated this article at 2026-08-14 10:41:02 Siysuy updated this article at 2026-08-14 10:28:38
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    4 Reply
    v3.8.0 detrimental bug with `NodeParagraph`'s nested in `NodeList`'s prevents any modification to document

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    • Siysuy •
      Author

      Please assist and help with the issue i am stuck in version 3.8.0, cant revert to 3.7.3, because both ways something breaks, either the list or the databases

    • 88250 •
      MOD

      Thank you for providing the detailed information.

      The specific problem is that a NodeParagraph was stored directly under a NodeList. A valid list structure should be NodeList - NodeListItem - NodeParagraph. A paragraph inside a list item is valid.

      This invalid structure already existed in the document before upgrading to v3.8.0. v3.8.0 added transaction structure validation to prevent additional invalid data from being written. When an edit affects this invalid list, the transaction is rejected and the interface reloads. The “Allow creating sub-documents deeper than 7 levels” setting is unrelated to content block structure. Exporting and reimporting the workspace also preserves the invalid structure, so it does not resolve the problem.

      Please back up the workspace first, and then try restoring the affected document through Data History.

      The database failing to open in v3.7.3 is a separate issue. After a database is saved by v3.8.0, its Attribute View data format is upgraded from spec 5 to spec 7, which v3.7.3 cannot read. The database does not need to have been originally created by the newer version, so the current message saying it was “created by a newer version” is inaccurate. It actually means that the database was last saved using a newer data format. Please avoid switching versions repeatedly within the same workspace.

      1 Reply
    • Siysuy • • 1
      Author

      Thank you for the clear annotation of the problem.

      More users with prior invalid structures before 3.8.0 will encounter the issue of structure validation when they upgrade to 3.8.0. Before 3.8.0 there was no validation, but 3.8.0 introduced validation, which is good to have, but the feature was introduced without addressing edge case which I encountered, without clear error message or instructions for course of action. At minimum a reference to e.g. NodeParagraph [20250516075716-d9nsrjg] would have provided a clear course of action to resolving the issue. siyuan.log is currently the only indication provided.

      Then regarding your advise to back-up and restore through data history would be very tedious: imagine if the invalid structure was months back or years back when siyuan was first used, and a long time later 3.8.0 was the trigger with its validation.

      My preferred action was: 1. inspect siyuan.log, copy affected paragraph backlink, paste anywhere and a click takes me directly to the paragraph for me to delete

      Possible solutions:

      1. Minimum action: error message referencing the affected backlink NodeParagraph [20250516075716-d9nsrjg]
      2. Average action: error message bullet 1 + basic instruction to user: backlink 20250516075716-d9nsrjg will take you to affected paragraph to manually delete the culprit paragraph
      3. Another average action: similar approach to Settings -> Assets -> Unreferenced {assets,database,Missing_assets} include a broken_backlinks where all affected paragraphs are gathered and organized, after an initial scan/health check when 3.8.0 is first installed.
      4. Best action: Siyuan automatically handles each and every paragraph by turning the paragraph into a arbitrary valid structure siyuan 3.8.0 validation expects: NodeList - NodeListItem - NodeParagraph or delete it if empty paragraph like in both my example images (which were empty).

      I don't expect it to be easy to implements solutions to edge cases, please view my contribution as suggestions, otherwise edge case users are left unanswered, invalid paragraphs also linger and corrupt any back-up or data history which accumulates, and let me remind you that it is very easy to by mistake press accidental Enter without realizing it resulted in invalid paragraph/structure failure.

      1 Reply
      1 Operate
      Siysuy updated this reply at 2026-08-14 18:41:22
    • 88250 •
      MOD

      This has been fixed. When a document is loaded, content blocks placed directly under a list will now be automatically wrapped in list items and saved. This is not limited to paragraphs. The fix will be included in the next version. Thank you for the detailed report.

    Siysuy
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