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Supported file types and formats

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Summary

In order for MindBridge to run an effective analysis, the files you import must contain tabular or structured data that exists in a machine-readable state. For example, MindBridge would not be able to read a .pdf as we do not currently support optical character recognition.

Learn about the file types and formats that MindBridge does and does not support, as well as best practices below:

Supported file types

MindBridge's analytics support the following file types:

  • .csv
  • .xls
  • .xlsx
  • .dbf
  • .zip (only 1 file should be included in the imported folder)
  • .gz (only 1 file should be included in the imported folder)
  • .txt (plain text file)
    • Only supported if delimited by a comma, tab, semi-colon ( ; ), or vertical bar ( | )
Tip: If you have a file with the .GDPdU file extension, zip (i.e., compress) the file then import it into the File manager.
Note: Although most file types can be imported into MindBridge, only those listed above can be used in an analysis.

Supported file formats

Chart of accounts* General ledger

Tabular files:

Tabular files are generally accepted.

Refer to the list of ERP export guides and/or the FAQ for direct connectors to discover the supported file formats that best apply to your needs.**

* You must accurately verify account mapping in order to procure the most valuable analysis results from MindBridge.

** Grouped files must be ungrouped before importing. If you need assistance, open the MindBridge sidebar and get help from Customer Support to help transform your file.

Note: Multiple Excel data files must be consolidated onto on a single sheet, and appear on the first sheet of the document. If your data appears over multiple files, use the merge tool to combine them. If you need to combine worksheets in an Excel workbook, you will first need to use the split tool to extract the desired sheets and save them into individual files. Then you will be able to select which of these you would like to merge.

File types not supported

Unsupported files types should be formatted into one of the supported file types. If you need assistance formatting your data, reach out to Customer Success to help transform your file.

Some files, such as .pdf, are for display purposes only and do not contain usable, analyzable data that can be extracted. MindBridge cannot read .xlsx, .csv, or .txt files that have been exported from .pdf. In these cases, you may have to request a new file in the supported type.

File restrictions

MindBridge does not support encrypted (i.e., password-protected) files.

Disable the security settings before importing your file into MindBridge or sharing it with the Customer Success Team.

File size limitations

Maximum file size: 20 GB

We recommend zipping or compressing any file before importing it.

Note: Only one compressed file can be imported at a time, except in the case of GDPdU imports.

If the compressed file is below 20 GB and/or continues to prompt a server error, please reach out to MindBridge's Customer Success team.

Fixed width text files

Plain text files can be imported into MindBridge if they are delimited by a comma, tab, semi-colon ( ; ), or vertical bar ( | )

  • For example, MindBridge cannot ingest fixed width text files, but if your fixed width text file requires no or minimal formatting (nothing more than deleting subtotal/blank/extra header rows), you can open your fixed width file in Excel, delete extraneous lines as needed, and save it in .xlsx format to import into MindBridge.
  • If your fixed width text file requires more complex formatting, such as ungrouping of grouped data, import the original fixed width text file into the File manager (not an Excel conversion) then submit a Data Formatting Request. 

Special characters to avoid

The characters to be aware of in as they may cause an ingestion error depending on the file format and context. We recommend you avoid using these characters as delimiters. 

  • BOM (\uFEFF or erroneously as \uFFFE)
  • Form Feed (\014)
  • \u00DO
  • CR (carriage returns)
  • LF (line feeds)
  • Quotation marks within a field ( " and ' ) — in a CSV or text file, if a field has the delimiter character (for example, a comma character in the account description or memo in a CSV file), the entire field needs to be enclosed in ""s 
  • Tabs (in the data itself)
  • Backslash ( \ )
  • Tilde ( ~ ) (specifically on .txt files)

Common error codes related to supported file types and formats

  • MBER1101 — MindBridge cannot read file format ({extension}). Save the file in a supported format (such as .xlsx or .csv) then re-import it and try again. If the issue persists, get help from Customer Support.
  • MBER1107 — MindBridge cannot read file format .xlsb. Save the file in a supported format (such as .xlsx or .csv) then re-import it and try again. If the issue persists, get help from Customer Support.
  • MBER1149 — MindBridge cannot extract multiple files from a .ZIP file. Ensure the .ZIP file contains a single document and re-import it to try again.
  • MBER1150 — The .ZIP file you imported is empty. Ensure the .ZIP file contains a single zipped document and try again.
  • MBER2425 — MindBridge does not support files with extension type {extensionType}. Save the file in a supported format (such as .xlsx or .csv) then re-import it and try again. If the issue persists, get help from Customer Support.

Anything else on your mind? Chat with us or submit a request for further assistance.

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