How do I fix AutoUpload errors?

Some software sends pet data via Import. This article is for other software that uses AutoUpload.

For AutoUploading to function on your Adopt a Pet account, you must have at least one Pet Publicist that has "I am an AutoUpload contact"  checked on their My Pet Publicist Info page.

Your AutoUploading contact(s) are sent an automated email every 12 hours with any errors. The subject line will be "Adopt-a-Pet.com AutoUploading Errors in the last 12 hours." The emails come from [e-mail] so please add that email to your contacts or address book.

The most common errors are breed and color mapping errors. AutoUpload uses two files: pets.csv and import.cfg. The first is your pet data and the second is a configuration file that tells our system how to "map" or translate your values to our values. For example, you may have a cat breed in your software named "Domestic short hair," while our system's value is "Domestic Shorthair." For our system to know it is the same breed, the import.cfg file maps it.

Below is a basic guide for fixing AutoUploading errors for software that does not upload an import.cfg with each upload. 

1. Login to your Adopt a Pet account 

2. If you have multiple accounts, switch to the account you want to edit. Use the "Switch" dropdown menu on your Admin Home page. Confirm that you now see the correct account name in the upper left.

3. Click "Shelter/Rescue" in the green navigation bar and select "AutoUpload/Import Pets".

4. Scroll down to see that account's FTP info:

 

 

5. Use that info to log into your FTP using your FTP program. 

6. Download the import.cfg to your desktop.

7. Go back to the AutoUpload page and click the "Test Import Now" button. You will then see the error and info notice messages. You only need to fix the error ones. As an example, you might see:

ERROR: "Chicken - Rooster" is not a valid Breed for the Animal type of 'Farm Animal' (must be a valid breed name). Pet data file: line 3 (Pet ID: 380935)

 

8. Open the import.cfg file you downloaded. Helpful tip from a shelter: If you use a PC, try TED notepad (it's free) to open and edit your import.cfg file and save with the needed line breaks. Mac users can use TextEdit.

 

Look for the Breed section and add a mapping. It looks like this:

 

#4:breed=Breed

Chicken - Rooster=Chicken

 

The text to the left of the = is what you have in your CSV that you're uploading to us.

The text to the right of = is the value we allow. 

Values we allow may be found here. There are different sheets/tabs for the animal types.

We have a few special breed values for mixed breed dogs. While you can only use "Mix" as a dog's Breed2, for a dog's primary breed you can use:

Mixed Breed (Large)
Mixed Breed (Medium)
Mixed Breed (Small)

 

All values are case, space, and punctuation sensitive.

 

9. Save your edited import.cfg

10. Go back to your FTP program and upload the import.cfg overwriting the import.cfg that is there.

 

That's it! You can check that you fixed all the mapping errors by clicking the "Test Import Now" button again. You should either see green checkmarks, or just info messages. You should no longer see any error messages. Note that photo errors do not show up in "Test Import Now."

 

If you need more help, contact Adopt a Pet.