Sync Errors and How to Fix Them

Created by Stacey Kim, Modified on Tue, 17 Feb at 11:37 PM by Stacey Kim

If a sync fails or completes with errors, here are the most common causes and how to resolve them.

These occur when Alterify can't reach your data source.

Error	Cause	Fix
Connection refused	The server rejected the connection.	Verify the host address and port. Make sure you selected the correct source type (FTP vs SFTP vs FTPS).
Connection timed out	The server didn't respond in time.	The server may be down or blocking connections. Check with your supplier if they need to whitelist an IP address.
Authentication failed	Wrong username or password.	Go to Edit Settings and re-enter your credentials. Some servers are case-sensitive.
File not found	The file path or URL is incorrect.	Confirm the full file path including the filename and extension. Check if the file was moved or renamed.
Download failed	The remote URL didn't return a valid file.	Test the URL in your browser — it should start a file download, not open a webpage.

These occur when the file is received but can't be processed.

Error	Cause	Fix
Invalid file format	The file content doesn't match the selected extension.	Make sure the File extension setting matches the actual file type. A renamed file (e.g., an `.xlsx` saved as `.csv`) will fail.
File is empty	The file has no data rows.	Check your source file. It may have a header row but no data, or the supplier may not have updated it yet.
Column not found	A mapped column name doesn't exist in the file.	Open the file and check the exact header names. Go to Edit Settings and correct the column names in your mapping.
File too large	The file exceeds the 30 MB upload limit.	Remove unnecessary columns or rows before uploading. For large files, consider using a Remote URL or FTP source instead.

These occur during the matching or updating phase.

Error	Cause	Fix
No products matched	None of the identifiers in your file matched products in your store.	Check that you're matching by the correct field (SKU vs barcode) and that the column name is right. See Why Are Products Being Skipped? for details.
SKU limit exceeded	Your file contains more SKUs than your plan allows.	Upgrade your plan to increase your SKU limit, or reduce the number of rows in your file.
Profile is disabled	The profile was disabled due to a plan downgrade or feed limit.	Upgrade your plan or remove unused profiles to free up feed slots.

If you've tried the fixes above and are still seeing errors, contact us at support@alterify.freshdesk.com with: