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Import: Trouble connecting your import?

Sarah B
Sarah B
  • Updated

We are excited to welcome you to GoDataFeed. If your import has failed or is not behaving as expected, this article walks you through the most common import issues in GoDataFeed and how to resolve them. Use the table of contents below to jump to the topic that matches your situation. If you have tried to troubleshoot the provided specific steps and still encounter an error please feel free to contact our support team by opening a support ticket. In order to assist you best, please include the steps you attempted to troubleshoot so we know how to best proceed. 

 

Table of Contents

 

First Steps: How to troubleshoot any import failure

Before diving into a specific error code, start with these universal steps for any import failure:

  1. Check the error message. Navigate to Products > Import Log in GoDataFeed. The system will display a specific error message that tells you what went wrong.
  2. Verify your credentials. Go to Products > Settings > Primary Source. Confirm that all credentials (Base URL, API keys, usernames, passwords, OAuth tokens) are entered correctly and have not expired.
  3. Test access to your import source. If no credentials are required, paste the import source URL directly into your browser. If the data loads or a file downloads, the source is accessible. If it does not, the issue is on your platform or hosting side.
  4. Use API Explorer to test your endpoint. For API-based imports, use our API Explorer to test your website's data endpoint.
  5. Check your allowlist. Make sure GoDataFeed's server IP addresses are allowlisted in your firewall, CDN, or hosting provider. See GoDataFeed server IP addresses.
  6. Retry the import manually. Sometimes a one-time timeout or connection blip is the cause. See How do I manually retry a failed import? below.

If the issue persists after following these steps, open a support ticket and include the error message, the steps you have already taken, and any affected SKUs or screenshots.
 

How do I manually retry a failed import?

If your import has failed, we recommend triggering a manual import before opening a support ticket. Imports can fail for a variety of reasons, including temporary timeouts from the platform.

To retry:

  1. In GoDataFeed, navigate to Products.
  2. Select the Import button on the far left of the page.
  3. Wait for the import to complete and check the Import Log for results.

If the import continues to fail after a manual retry, proceed to the specific error message sections below or open a support ticket outlining the steps you have taken.
 

Does GoDataFeed automatically retry failed imports?

Yes — GoDataFeed automatically retries imports under certain conditions:

  • Retried automatically: Connection issues and timeouts.
  • Not retried automatically: Missing files, bad links, authentication failures, or file parsing errors.

If your import falls into the "not retried" category, you will need to resolve the underlying issue and then trigger a manual import as described in How do I manually retry a failed import? above.

For the full retry policy, see Do we retry imports on failed import attempts?
 

Error: 401 "Unauthorized"

Error message: The server returned a 401 "Unauthorized" error. Please make sure the directory you are trying to reach is accessible and has valid permissions configured for data transfer, then try again.

What it means: This error relates to permissions, access, or authorization. Either your API keys are missing, incorrect, or expired, or GoDataFeed's IP addresses need to be allowlisted.

How to troubleshoot:

  1. Navigate to Products > Settings > Primary Source and verify all credentials are correct.
  2. If your platform uses API keys or OAuth tokens, confirm they have not expired or been revoked. Regenerate them if needed.
  3. Confirm GoDataFeed's server IP addresses are allowlisted.
  4. For platform-specific 401 errors, see: WooCommerce | Squarespace.

For the full article, see Troubleshooting: The server returned a 401 "Unauthorized" error.
 

Error: 403 "Forbidden"

Error message: The server returned a 403 "Forbidden" error. Please verify that access to your source location has been granted, then try again.

What it means: Similar to a 401, this error relates to permissions. The most common cause is that GoDataFeed does not currently have permission to access your data — typically because API keys are wrong or GoDataFeed's IP addresses are not allowlisted.

How to troubleshoot:

  1. Navigate to Products > Settings > Primary Source and verify all credentials.
  2. Confirm GoDataFeed's server IP addresses are allowlisted in your firewall or CDN.
  3. If you use Cloudflare, Sucuri, or Fastly, see Firewall or proxy server blocking GoDataFeed API calls.

For the full article, see Troubleshooting: The server returned a 403 "Forbidden" error.
 

Error: 404 "Not Found"

Error message: The server returned a 404 "Not Found" error. Please make sure the directory you are trying to reach is valid, then try again.

What it means: The server cannot find the resource at the provided path. Either the URL is wrong, the file name is incorrect, or the file simply does not exist at the specified location.

How to troubleshoot:

  1. Navigate to Products > Settings > Primary Source and verify the import source URL is correct.
  2. If no credentials are required, paste the URL into your browser. If the file downloads or the data displays, the source is valid. If not, the file or endpoint is missing on your end.
  3. Use our API Explorer to test your endpoint.
  4. Confirm GoDataFeed's server IP addresses are allowlisted.

For the full article, see Troubleshooting: The server returned a 404 "Not Found" error.
 

Error: 451 "Unavailable for Legal Reasons"

Error message: The server returned a 451 error. Please verify the source location you are trying to access is not restricted, then try again.

What it means: The resource you are trying to access cannot be served. This is commonly caused by geographic restrictions, legal access limitations, or security configurations on your server blocking the request.

How to troubleshoot:

  1. Navigate to Products > Settings > Primary Source and verify all credentials.
  2. Test access to the import source URL in your browser or with our API Explorer.
  3. Confirm GoDataFeed's server IP addresses are allowlisted.

For the full article, see Troubleshooting: The server returned a 451 error.
 

Error: 500 "Internal Server Error"

What it means: A 500 error is a general server-side error originating from your ecommerce platform or hosting provider — not from GoDataFeed. Something went wrong on the server that hosts your product data.

How to troubleshoot:

  1. Retry the import manually (see How do I manually retry a failed import?). A 500 error is often temporary.
  2. If the error persists, check with your hosting provider or ecommerce platform's support team, as the issue is on their server.
  3. Verify that your import source endpoint is functioning by testing it in your browser or with our API Explorer.

For the full article, see Troubleshooting: The server returned a 500 error.
 

Firewall or proxy server blocking GoDataFeed API calls

Stores that use a proxy server or CDN to manage traffic (such as Cloudflare, Sucuri, or Fastly) may reject GoDataFeed's API calls to download product data. This is one of the most common causes of 401, 403, and timeout errors.

How to resolve:

  1. Allowlist GoDataFeed's IP addresses. See the full list here: GoDataFeed server IP addresses.
  2. Cloudflare: Navigate to Page Rules > Create Page Rule and create a rule for your domain's API endpoint. Also configure IP Access Rules to allow GoDataFeed's IPs.
  3. Sucuri: You may need to disable certain security settings (such as DDoS prevention) that are filtering GoDataFeed requests.
  4. Fastly (Magento 2): Create a custom VCL snippet to allow GoDataFeed's IP addresses. See Magento 2: Fastly rejecting or throttling GoDataFeed API calls.

Once completed, navigate to Products > Import and trigger a new import.

For the full article, see Troubleshooting: Firewall rejecting GoDataFeed API calls.
 

File parsing errors (XML, CSV, TXT)

If you import product data via an HTTP or FTP file, parsing can fail when unexpected data, missing data, or invalid formatting is found — especially in XML files. GoDataFeed will stop the import and display an error message with the line number and position where the issue was detected.

Common error messages include:

  • An error occurred while parsing EntityName. Line X, position Y.
  • Data at the root level is invalid. Line 1, position 1.
  • Root element is missing.
  • Unexpected end of file has occurred.
  • Reference to undeclared entity. Line X, position Y.

How to troubleshoot:

  1. Download your raw data file and open it in a text editor such as Notepad++.
  2. Navigate to the line and position referenced in the error message.
  3. Look for issues such as invalid XML formatting, unexpected characters, unescaped ampersands (&), or unclosed tags.
  4. Fix the issue in your source file, re-upload or update it, and trigger a new import.

If the issue persists after troubleshooting, feel free to open a support ticket with the details of what steps you attempted so our support team can take a look at the specifics unique to your account.

For the full article, see Troubleshooting HTTP/FTP: Review raw data Line and Position to identify issues.
 

Why are some products in my file not importing?

If your import completes successfully but some products are missing from GoDataFeed — even though they appear in your source file — the most common cause is a CDN or proxy server caching issue.

What is happening: GoDataFeed may be receiving a cached (older) version of your file from your CDN. When different IP addresses request the same file, the CDN may serve different versions with different product counts.

How to troubleshoot:

  1. Verify the import source URL in Products > Settings > Primary Source.
  2. Download your import file from GoDataFeed and compare the product count against your original source.
  3. If counts differ, purge the cache on your CDN or proxy server, then trigger a new import.
  4. Consider hosting the file on GoDataFeed's free FTP to bypass CDN caching entirely.

If the issue persists after troubleshooting, feel free to open a support ticket with the details of what steps you attempted so our support team can take a look at the specifics unique to your account.

For the full article, see Why are some of the products in my file not importing into GoDataFeed?
 

Duplicate SKUs in my import

Duplicate SKUs in your import can cause unexpected behavior in your feeds and product catalog. Common causes include:

  • Product variants that do not have unique SKU values assigned in your ecommerce platform.
  • Merge files containing duplicate SKU entries.
  • Third-party apps or plugins (such as membership or wholesale pricing tools) creating duplicate records.

If the issue persists after troubleshooting, feel free to open a support ticket with the details of what steps you attempted so our support team can take a look at the specifics unique to your account.

For platform-specific duplicate SKU guidance, see: Shopify: Duplicate SKUs | BigCommerce: Duplicate SKUs for variants.
 

HTML appearing in my product descriptions

Question: How can I get my descriptions to import without HTML markup?

GoDataFeed can automatically scrub HTML from descriptions. However, some content editors and plugins — such as Magento PageBuilder, WooCommerce Gutenberg, or WP-Stackable — inject custom or non-standard HTML that may not be fully removed.

Options to resolve:

  1. Use a different description field (such as a short description or metafield) that does not contain HTML.
  2. Remove the content editor plugin so the description field is clean at the source.
  3. Add a merge file with clean description data for every SKU.
  4. Create a rule in your feed to map "description" to "description" and use a Text Replace action within the rule to strip the unwanted HTML.

If the issue persists after troubleshooting, feel free to open a support ticket with the details of what steps you attempted so our support team can take a look at the specifics unique to your account.

For the full article, see FAQ: Import — How can we get our descriptions to render without HTML?
 

Merge file data not appearing after import

If you have saved a new merge file but the fields are not showing up in your latest import, follow these steps:

  1. Verify the first column. The first column in your merge file must use the source field name that is mapped to the System field "SKU" in GoDataFeed. You can confirm this by navigating to Products > Mapping.
  2. Trigger a new import. After saving your merge file, you must run a new import for the data to appear. Navigate to Products > Import and click the Import button.
  3. Download and verify. Once the import completes, download the import file and check that the merge data is present.
  4. Check field mapping. New merge fields are automatically added to the next available custom field in your mapping. If all custom fields are occupied, the new field will need to be mapped manually.

Tip: Use unique naming conventions for merge file headers to easily identify them in your mapping. For example, "Title_Merge" or "Title_Google" and "Title_Pinterest."

If you are still experiencing issues, disable the merge file by clicking the green toggle to the left of the merge file and open a support ticket.

For the full article, see Import: Merge files — Troubleshooting.
 

Shopify: Reinstalling the app or reconnecting

If your Shopify import fails due to an expired connection or authorization issue, you may need to reinstall the GoDataFeed app.

How to reconnect:

  1. Go to the Shopify App Store listing for GoDataFeed and reinstall the app.
  2. If you have an existing GoDataFeed account, sign in and select the store you want to connect.
  3. Upon completion, GoDataFeed will begin importing your products automatically.

Important: Make sure no other GoDataFeed stores or accounts have the Primary Source populated with the same Shopify Base URL, as this will cause the process to fail.

For the full article, see Import: Shopify — Import products from Shopify.
 

Shopify: Cannot import metafields or custom fields

If metafields or custom variant fields are not importing from Shopify, you may need to confirm the exact field names using Shopify's API.

To find metafield names:

  1. Find an example Product ID that contains the metafield you need.
  2. In your browser, navigate to: https://mystore.myshopify.com/admin/products/[PRODUCT_ID]/metafields.json
  3. Enter your API username and password when prompted.
  4. Paste the JSON response into a viewer like jsoneditoronline.org.
  5. Navigate to metafields and identify the "key" value — this is the field name GoDataFeed requires.
  6. Enter this field name in GoDataFeed under Products > Settings > Mapping.

To find custom variant field names: Use the same process but navigate to /admin/products.json and look under products > 0 > options.

If the fields and values still do not import after following these steps, feel free to open a support ticket with the details of what steps you attempted so our support team can take a look at the specifics unique to your account.

For the full articles, see Troubleshooting Shopify: Cannot import metafields and How to find metafields or custom field names using Shopify API calls.
 

Shopify: Duplicate SKUs

If your Shopify import is producing duplicate SKU records, review the following possible causes:

  1. Variants without SKU values: Every product option in your Shopify store must have a unique SKU. Products without variant SKUs will generate duplicates.
  2. Duplicate SKUs in merge files: If you are using merge files, review them for duplicate SKU entries.
  3. Metafield named "SKU": Shopify allows metafields to store custom values. If a metafield is named "SKU," it can conflict with the standard SKU field and cause duplicates during import.
  4. Third-party apps: Check if a plugin or app (such as membership or wholesale pricing tools) is creating duplicate SKU records to support variant pricing.

If the issue persists after troubleshooting, feel free to open a support ticket with the details of what steps you attempted so our support team can take a look at the specifics unique to your account.

For the full article, see Troubleshooting Shopify: Why does the product catalog have duplicate SKUs?
 

Magento 2.x: Cannot import products

Magento 2 imports involve multiple moving parts, so import failures are not uncommon. If you are having trouble importing from Magento 2, try these steps in order:

  1. Update the GoDataFeed extension. Make sure you are running at least Release v2.0.13 or newer. This version resolves the majority of common Magento import issues.
  2. Verify the Base URL. In Products > Settings > Primary Source, confirm the Base URL is your Magento API endpoint. This is sometimes the same as your Magento login URL. If you are unsure, consult your Magento administrator.
  3. Verify the Store ID. Enter the correct Store ID to ensure GoDataFeed imports products from the right store view.
  4. Check for proxy/CDN issues. If you use Fastly or Cloudflare, see Firewall or proxy server blocking GoDataFeed API calls.
  5. Alternative approach: If the extension continues to cause issues, consider creating a scheduled job to export your product data to a CSV, TXT, or XML file and uploading it to GoDataFeed's free FTP or hosting the file on your own server. This gives you more control and is typically faster with less complexity.

For the full article, see Troubleshooting: Cannot import products from Magento 2.x.
 

WooCommerce: 401 Unauthorized error

Error message: The remote server returned an error: (401) Unauthorized.

How to troubleshoot:

  1. Navigate to Products > Settings > Primary Source and verify that the Base URL, Consumer Key, and Consumer Secret are correct.
  2. If the URL ends with /shop, remove it — this can cause a redirect that breaks the connection.
  3. Regenerate your WooCommerce REST API keys if needed and update them in GoDataFeed.
  4. Confirm GoDataFeed's server IP addresses are allowlisted.

For the full article, see Troubleshooting WooCommerce: 401 Unauthorized.
 

Squarespace: 401 Unauthorized error

Error message: The server returned a 401 "Unauthorized" error. Please make sure the directory you are trying to reach is accessible and has valid permissions configured for data transfer, then try again.

What it means: Either your Squarespace API keys have expired or GoDataFeed's access to your store was revoked.

How to reconnect:

  1. Go to the Squarespace extensions listing for GoDataFeed.
  2. If you have an existing GoDataFeed account, sign in and select the store you want to reconnect.
  3. If you do not have an account, complete the signup form to start your trial.
  4. Upon completion, GoDataFeed will begin importing your products from Squarespace.

For the full article, see Troubleshooting Squarespace: 401 "Unauthorized" error.
 

BigCommerce: Duplicate SKUs for variants

BigCommerce may import duplicate SKUs when a product has multiple variant option sets but a unique SKU for each possible variant combination was never assigned.

How to resolve:

  1. In BigCommerce, set up unique SKUs for every possible variant combination of the product.
  2. Refer to BigCommerce's documentation on how to create SKUs for variants.
  3. Once updated, trigger a new import in GoDataFeed.

If the issue persists after troubleshooting, feel free to open a support ticket with the details of what steps you attempted so our support team can take a look at the specifics unique to your account.

For the full article, see Import: BigCommerce — Duplicate SKUs for variants.
 

Still need help? If your issue is not covered above or persists after troubleshooting, contact our support team. Be sure to include the error message, the steps you have already taken, and any affected SKUs or screenshots.

Open a support ticket

 

Related Help articles: 

📌 GoDataFeed server IP addresses

📌 Do we retry imports on failed import attempts?

📌 Troubleshooting: Firewall rejecting GoDataFeed API calls

📌 Troubleshooting HTTP/FTP: Review raw data Line and Position to identify issues

📌 Why are some of the products in my file not importing into GoDataFeed?

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