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Importing, Exporting & Deleting Data

Spreadsheet imports are the fastest way to bring your records into BreederBuddy, and a few small things can trip them up. This page explains the error messages, how to avoid duplicates, what you can download, and how to safely remove records. For the full how-to, see Importing & Exporting Your Data. Easiest option: don’t want to fiddle with columns? Drop your file on Buddy instead. Buddy reads spreadsheets in your own format and shows you everything before saving. See Buddy Intake. Or send us your file in the chat and we’ll import it for you.

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My CSV Won’t Upload

“Only CSV files are allowed”: the file is an Excel file (.xlsx) or another format. In Excel, choose File → Save As (or Export) and pick CSV. In Google Sheets, choose File → Download → Comma-separated values (.csv). Then upload the new file. “File too large. Maximum size is 5MB.”: split the spreadsheet into two or more smaller files and import them one at a time. “Too many import attempts, try again later”: you can run up to 3 imports every 15 minutes. Wait 15 minutes, then try again. “File is empty or corrupted”: open the file to make sure it has a header row and at least one row of data, then save it as CSV again.

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My Rows Came Back With Errors

After an import, the Import Results screen shows how many rows were imported and lists each row that has a warning or an error, with its row number. Rows with errors were not imported. Rows with warnings were imported, but something was skipped or guessed. The safest fix: download a fresh template, copy your data under its headers, and only re-import the rows that failed.

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Headers Must Match the Template Exactly

Column names are case-sensitive. First Name works, but first name or FirstName doesn’t. The easiest way to get them right is to click Download Template in the import window and paste your data under those headers.

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Dog Import Errors

Go to Dogs, click the cloud icon next to Add Dog (Import/Export Dogs), then Import from CSV.

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Contact Import Errors

Go to Contacts, click the cloud icon (Import/Export Contacts), then Import Contacts.

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Expense Import Errors

Go to Expenses, click the cloud icon (Import/Export Expenses), then Import Expenses. Rows that share the same Expense Ref are combined into one expense with several line items.

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I Got Duplicates

Contacts: the contact import skips anyone whose email is already in your contacts. They show as Skipped on the results screen, so re-uploading the same list is safe. Dogs: the dog CSV import does not check for dogs you already have. Importing the same file twice creates every dog twice. To clean up:

1. Open the extra dog’s profile.
2. Click the three-dot menu at the top right and choose Delete.
3. Repeat for each duplicate.

Got a lot of duplicates? Message us in the chat and we’ll help clean them up. Tip: test with 2 or 3 rows first. Once those look right, import the rest. CSV imports don’t have an undo button. (Buddy imports do: open the import and click Undo this import.)

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Exporting Your Data

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Archiving vs. Deleting

Archive whenever you can. Archiving hides a record from your main lists but keeps all of its history. To archive a dog:

1. Open the dog’s profile.
2. Click Edit Details.
3. Check Archive from main workflow.
4. Click Save. The dog moves to the Archived, Retired & Deceased section at the bottom of your Dogs list.

To bring the dog back, uncheck the same box. To delete a dog for good: open the profile, click the three-dot menu at the top right, and choose Delete. You’ll see “Deleted [name].” This can’t be undone. To archive a contact: open the contact, click Edit Details, and change Contact Type to Archived. See Contacts.

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Deleting Your Whole Account

1. Click your kennel name in the top right, then Settings.
2. Open My Profile (direct link).
3. Scroll to Delete account and click Delete my account.
4. Type DELETE and click Permanently delete.

For the account owner, this cancels your subscription, takes your website offline, and removes every login. Your records are locked. If you also want them permanently erased, email support@breederbuddy.com. Just want to stop paying? Cancel under Settings → Subscription instead. Your data stays safe and you can come back anytime. See Subscription & Billing.

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Common Questions

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Still Have Questions?

We’re here to help. If something isn’t working the way you expect, or you’d like to have a discussion around a certain topic, please reach out to us anytime through the chat in the bottom right corner of your screen. Thank you.