> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.narrative.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Conflicting Object and Array Configuration

> A non-primitive node cannot have both properties and items — it is either an object or an array

## Error message

```
{context}: properties and items cannot both be specified
```

## When this error occurs

Non-primitive nodes model either **objects** (with named children via `properties`) or **arrays** (with element config via `items`). A node cannot be both. This error is raised when both `properties` and `items` appear on the same node.

## Example: request that triggers this error

```json theme={null}
{
  "defaults": {
    "enabled_stats": ["value_count"]
  },
  "refresh": { "trigger": "manual" },
  "dataset": {
    "fields": [
      {
        "field_name": "metadata",
        "properties": [
          {
            "path": "key",
            "enabled_stats": ["value_count"]
          }
        ],
        "items": {
          "enabled_stats": ["value_count"]
        }
      }
    ]
  }
}
```

The `metadata` field has both `properties` (object) and `items` (array).

## How to fix

Use only the one that matches the field's actual schema type:

**If the field is an object:**

```json theme={null}
{
  "field_name": "metadata",
  "properties": [
    {
      "path": "key",
      "enabled_stats": ["value_count"]
    }
  ]
}
```

**If the field is an array:**

```json theme={null}
{
  "field_name": "metadata",
  "items": {
    "enabled_stats": ["value_count"]
  }
}
```

## Related errors

* [MixedNodeConfig](/reference/architecture/dataset-statistics/errors/mixed-node-config) — mixing primitive and non-primitive fields