How To Fix 0K021 - Subtotal criteria cannot be saved without sort criteria

SAP Error Message - Details

• Message type: E = Error

• Message class: 0K - Messages for "General List Modules"

• Message number: 021

• Message text: Subtotal criteria cannot be saved without sort criteria

Self-Explanatory Message

Since SAP believes that this specific error message is 'self-explanatory,' no more information has been given.The majority of messages in the SAP system have a message text, however this is frequently insufficient to comprehend or resolve the problem.

To make things easier, more detailed information is frequently added to describe the issue, how to fix it, and the necessary steps or configuration modifications.

Unfortunately, there isn't any extra information in this error notice.

What else can you do?

First, use our AnswerBot below to get a possible cause and solution (requires a premium subscription).

Also, review the in-depth Common Questions & Answers listed below; you could discover a solution there or be able to connect with others who have faced similar challenges.

You can also try searching the SAP support portal (support.sap.com) but you need a special user ID to access it. It is possible that an SAP support note exists that provides additional details about the mistake or even steps for fixing it.

Smart SAP Assistant

• What is the cause and solution for SAP error message 0K021 - Subtotal criteria cannot be saved without sort criteria ?

  The SAP error message 0K021 indicates that you are trying to save subtotal criteria in a report or query without having defined the necessary sort criteria. This is a common issue when working with SAP reporting tools, particularly in the context of SAP Query or Report Painter/Writer.
  Cause:
  The error occurs because subtotaling requires a specific order of data to function correctly. Without sort criteria, SAP cannot determine how to group the data for subtotaling, leading to this error message.
  Solution:
  To resolve the error, you need to ensure that you have defined appropriate sort criteria before attempting to save the subtotal criteria. Here are the steps to do this:
  
  
  Open the Report or Query: Go to the report or query where you are encountering the error.
  
  
  Define Sort Criteria:
  
  Navigate to the section where you can define sorting options.
  Add the necessary fields that you want to sort by. This could be fields like date, customer, product, etc., depending on your reporting needs.
  
  
  
  Define Subtotal Criteria:
  
  After you have set the sort criteria, go to the subtotal section.
  Define the subtotal criteria as needed.
  
  
  
  Save the Report/Query: Once both sort and subtotal criteria are defined, try saving the report or query again.
  
  
  Related Information:
  
  SAP Documentation: Refer to the official SAP documentation for more details on how to set up reports and queries, including sorting and subtotaling.
  SAP Community: You can also check the SAP Community forums for discussions related to this error, as other users may have encountered and resolved similar issues.
  Transaction Codes: Familiarize yourself with relevant transaction codes such as SQ01 (SAP Query) or GRR1 (Report Painter) to navigate the reporting tools effectively.
  
  By ensuring that you have both sort and subtotal criteria defined, you should be able to save your report or query without encountering the 0K021 error.