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Error: "Your header record does not match the expected format" in Data Manager
Error: "Your header record does not match the expected format" in Data Manager

Using Data Importer you may sometimes get this error - how to fix it

Dom Yeadon avatar
Written by Dom Yeadon
Updated over a week ago

Data Manager expects the data you upload to be in a certain format:

  • CSV file format (with UTF-8 encryption)

  • The correct header row (names of fields you want to import)

  • The correct destination app (ie: Mobile Event Capture, Rapid Response, etc)

To make this easy for you we provided CSV Templates for you to download and add your data into. These should prevent any problems with your upload.

However, if you see the error: "Your header record does not match the expected format" just after uploading your data, it might be because:

  1. You uploaded a CSV with the wrong header row (example: if you downloaded a Mobile Event Capture CSV Template but accidentally uploaded it to a Rapid Response destination, the header row would not match and you would get this error.) SOLUTION: ensure you are using the correct CSV Template.

  2. After an import you downloaded the CSV to fix rejected errors after clicking the 'Download and view errors' link on the Results page and, after fixing the errors you left the extra 'errors' column in that file. SOLUTION: just delete the 'errors' column, save your CSV and upload again.

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