AWS Backup restore failed "invalid parameter value for member account" error

TL;DR

The member account parameter the restore passes is being rejected because the restore is running from the wrong account context or targeting an account that has not accepted the shared setup: restores of shared or copied recovery points must be executed with the correct account relationship, and the recovery point's vault access policy must allow the restoring account. Check which account owns the point, which account the restore runs as, and the identifiers passed, then run the restore from the proper side of the sharing relationship.

AWS Backup restore failed "invalid parameter value for member account" error

Use this when

• The job or restore fails with this symptom: AWS Backup restore failed with invalid parameter value for member account.
• You are working on an AWS Backup restore of a recovery point shared to or copied into a member account and the failure repeats on the same target or schedule.
• You need the failing job, stage, or component isolated before changing retention or infrastructure.

Not for this skill when

• A restore failing because the account id in the request is malformed or belongs to a closed account, where the fix is the request data.
• The error text names a different product, stage, or root cause. Match the verbatim error first and use that skill.

Steps

1. Record the recovery point's owning account, the account running the restore, and the account parameters in the request. Verify: the three account references are explicit
2. Check the vault's access policy for whether the restoring account is allowed to use this point. Verify: vault policy permission is confirmed or found missing
3. Align the restore to the documented sharing pattern: restore in the owning account, or copy the point into the member account first, per the setup in use. Verify: the restore path matches the sharing model
4. Re-run the restore with the corrected account context and confirm the resource is created in the target account. Verify: the restore completes in the right account

Variant phrasings

aws backup restore invalid parameter value member account

The verbatim phrasing.

aws backup restore shared recovery point member account fix

The sharing phrasing.

aws backup cross account restore parameter error vault policy

The policy phrasing.

Compatibility: AWS Backup restores into organisation member accounts

Why it happens

Organisation sharing adds an account dimension to every restore parameter, and the API validates those parameters against the sharing relationship before doing any work. A restore written for a single-account setup passes plausible-looking values that the multi-account validation rejects outright.

Edge cases / pitfalls

• Copy-then-restore inside the member account avoids most sharing-parameter traps and leaves an auditable local point.
• Closed or suspended member accounts reject every parameter set; verify the account's standing early.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pstA4dGB0AIXLoWk_WfCxPIA