---
title: SubCollectionIneligibleReason - GraphQL Admin
description: >-
  Stable identifier for why a collection cannot be referenced as a
  sub-collection target.
api_version: 2026-10
source_url:
  html: >-
    https://shopify.dev/docs/api/admin-graphql/latest/enums/SubCollectionIneligibleReason
  md: >-
    https://shopify.dev/docs/api/admin-graphql/latest/enums/SubCollectionIneligibleReason.md
api_name: admin
api_type: graphql
type: enum
---

# Sub​Collection​Ineligible​Reason

enum

Stable identifier for why a collection cannot be referenced as a sub-collection target.

## Valid values

* CHAIN\_​REFERENCE

  The referenced collection itself owns a sub-collection source (chains of depth > 1 are not supported).

* INVALID\_​COLLECTION\_​REFERENCE

  The referenced collection id does not parse as a positive integer or does not exist in the shop.

* SELF\_​REFERENCE

  The referenced collection is one of the source's owning collections (a source cannot reference itself).

***

## Fields

* [Collection​Sub​Collection​Eligibility​State.ineligibleReason](https://shopify.dev/docs/api/admin-graphql/latest/objects/CollectionSubCollectionEligibilityState#field-CollectionSubCollectionEligibilityState.fields.ineligibleReason)

  OBJECT

  Whether a collection is eligible for one role (inclusion or exclusion) in a sub-collection relationship, plus the reason it isn't if applicable.

***

## Map

### Fields with this enum

* [Collection​Sub​Collection​Eligibility​State.ineligibleReason](https://shopify.dev/docs/api/admin-graphql/latest/objects/CollectionSubCollectionEligibilityState#field-CollectionSubCollectionEligibilityState.fields.ineligibleReason)