Unable to import Fitbit data -- An error occurred with your upload. Please try again.

Not garmin's fault for the error

Hello,

I also had the same problem. Same error message. I opened the file the fitbit was generating and the format is not correct. So just as IANW555 did, I fixed the file and the upload worked. However I still don't see the imported data in garmin connect.

For how to fix the fitbit files:
The .csv stands for Coma Separated Values. This means that the file can have one line of header names and then the rest of the lines should be values separated by coma. The problem is that fitbit is adding a "category" name on the first line then the headers on the second which turns the file in an invalid format. So in order to fix this you should delete the first line which should contains either "Body" or "Activities". Also don't export files containing multiple categories from fitbit as they will be exported in the same style and you need to make more cleaning and separate the exported files in two separated ones anyway. I higlighted the values you would need to remove from the body export. You can open them in a text editor or a spreadsheet (like excel or google sheets).

Weight and Sleep are broken

I just switched from a Fitbit Charge HR to a Vivoactive HR with the hopes that I would be able to transfer my data over. However, I am seeing failures. I am exporting in both CSV and XLS formats and using separate files for each category. Steps (Activities) data transfers over fine, but Body and Sleep files fail to upload. I have tried both XLS and CSV formats. Activities data imports fine in each case.

Based on other information I am seeing, it looks like Garmin has done something to their Body and Sleep data formats and so the imports for these fail.

Anyone have a workaround through MyFitnessPal or something else (note that I have seen people complaining that MFP no longer syncs weight data).

Since I have a Fitbit Aria, i was hoping that I could continue to use that scale. I just dropped $250 on the watch so I am hard pressed to see why I should drop another $150 for a scale. I guess that's the price of changing platforms, but given that Garmin points out that they support the import, it's fair to expect it to work.

cvs file

Hello

can anybody add a cvs activity file which worked? I attached a simple one only showing steps, calories, floors distance but it didn't work.
Maybe my formatting is not correct.
Thanks
NOrman

Steps (Activities) data transfers over fine, but Body and Sleep files fail to upload.

Regarding the Sleep data, that doesn't appear to be supported at all. The Import page specifically says...
You can import:
Garmin Activity Files (.tcx, .fit or .gpx format)
Fitbit® body or activity data (.xls, .xlsx or .csv format).

So that explains why attempting to import sleep data doesn't work.

As for the rest, I'd just count yourself lucky that you even got Activity data to import. You seem to be one of the only ones.

Anyone have a workaround through MyFitnessPal or something else (note that I have seen people complaining that MFP no longer syncs weight data).

I have a Withings scale that I have synced with MyFitnessPal and it makes it's way to Garmin. It doesn't transfer historical data, mind you. I set it up a couple days ago and the data has been showing up in Garmin ever since. So I expect it would work with your Fitbit scale. If MyFitnessPal accepts that data, I don't know why it would handle it any differently than it does weight data from a Withings scale.

It only transfers weight though, which is a bit of a bummer. Not any of the other data that scales measure these days. Oh well.

I also had the same problem. Same error message. I opened the file the fitbit was generating and the format is not correct. So just as IANW555 did, I fixed the file and the upload worked. However I still don't see the imported data in garmin connect.

For how to fix the fitbit files:
The .csv stands for Coma Separated Values. This means that the file can have one line of header names and then the rest of the lines should be values separated by coma. The problem is that fitbit is adding a "category" name on the first line then the headers on the second which turns the file in an invalid format. So in order to fix this you should delete the first line which should contains either "Body" or "Activities". Also don't export files containing multiple categories from fitbit as they will be exported in the same style and you need to make more cleaning and separate the exported files in two separated ones anyway. I higlighted the values you would need to remove from the body export. You can open them in a text editor or a spreadsheet (like excel or google sheets).

For what it's worth, what you're describing is a little different than what IANW555 said he did. He said he manipulated the FitBit export file "by putting on a single line and adding missing commas." Presumably, the "missing commas" would be in place of the line breaks. What you are describing, on the other hand, is actually taking Fitbit's file and making it a "proper" csv.

The interesting thing is that the import tool worked "successfully" in both cases, although nothing was actually imported (again, in both cases). Unfortunately for me, neither of those methods work. I still get the error message every time. I even tried converting from Fitbit's default UNIX line endings into DOS line endings. That didn't work either.

So to summarize the issue

• The Garmin import tool specifically claims to accept "Fitbit® body or activity data (.xls, .xlsx or .csv format)" but it generates an error when you try to give it that.
  
• This worked at one point, which implies that Fitbit changed the format of their exported file at some point and Garmin has not been able to keep up.
  
• Some people have been able to manipulate the csv such that Garmin will accept it and not give the "An error occurred with your upload. Please try again" message.
  
• The above does not work for everyone (at least not for me).
  
• When the above manipulation does "work," it still doesn't result in the data actually appearing in Garmin Connect.
  
• This import feature was introduced in November 2016 and has been broken since December 2016.
  

That last part is pretty shameful on Garmin's part. Importing data from a CSV file (even if the file isn't formatted well) is not rocket science. Fixing this problem should be an hour or so of work, tops. Not 5 months (and counting).

Between that and this Garmin is off to a pretty poor start in my eyes.

I have a Withings scale that I have synced with MyFitnessPal and it makes it's way to Garmin. It doesn't transfer historical data, mind you. I set it up a couple days ago and the data has been showing up in Garmin ever since. So I expect it would work with your Fitbit scale. If MyFitnessPal accepts that data, I don't know why it would handle it any differently than it does weight data from a Withings scale.

It only transfers weight though, which is a bit of a bummer. Not any of the other data that scales measure these days. Oh well.

I can confirm that my Fitbit scale data is syncing to Garmin through MFP. Once again, that appears to be the only thing that is syncing. I've been able to import Fitbit's .csv export of "Activities" but not "Body". Very frustrating. IMHO, either offer a solution or don't. Don't leave the option available if it's broken with no sign of repair.

It seems like Garmin may actually be working on the issue...

As of last night, "activities" import was finally working for me. I exported just activities from Fitbit, as a csv, and then imported it into Garmin and my steps and what not were all there. Before the feature broke again, I exported and imported all of my Fitbit data going back to July 2015 when I started using Fitbit.

Some notes...

• XLS did not work, only csv
  
• I didn't have to modify the csv file at all
  
• You have to do "activities" and "only" activities. Body data seems to still be broken.
  

One thing to keep in mind for people who are getting a success message but their steps aren't showing up...
When Garmin asks you for the date format, open the csv in a text editor to see what is in your file. If you open the csv in Excel, Excel may show the date in a different format than is actually in the file.

Hi
can you attach one of the cvs files which worked?
thanks
Norman

Hi
can you attach one of the cvs files which worked?
thanks
Norman

Here you go...



Exactly as it came out of Fitbit. No modifications needed.

Note: As I mentioned in my earlier post, be careful when you answer the date formatting question. Excel will show you something different from what is really in the file, as shown in the picture below. I imagine this may be the reason some people had "success" messages but didn't see any steps on the days they expected.

awesomeq

That worked, thank you. I imported this years steps and distances
I wish i could do the same with sleep data