If you’re having a technical issue when you’re transferring from one SimplePractice account to another, see the most common scenarios below:
- Can’t open the link to an export
- Can’t upload the exported file
- Received “Decompression Failed” message
- Received “Destination path is too long” message
Note: To view our full guide on transferring between SimplePractice accounts, see Transferring client data between SimplePractice accounts.
Can’t open the link to an export
After our team exports your client data, the Account Owner will be notified via email when the export is complete. This email contains a link to a zip file in the Data export page.
Only the Account Owner and a clinician with entire practice access can view this page. If you don’t have either of these roles, the Account Owner should unlock the zip file to access your client list spreadsheet, then send that spreadsheet to you directly. For more information, see Viewing and sharing exported data for transfer.
Can’t upload the exported file
If you’re unable to upload during the transfer process, make sure you’re selecting the correct file. The required file is a client list spreadsheet with the CSV file type, and its title will include one or more of the following:
- Your name
- The term “Client List”
- The date of export
You can obtain this spreadsheet after unlocking the zip file that our team exports for the transfer process. For more information, see Viewing and sharing exported data for transfer.
Note: Please don’t upload the zip file or any file other than the client list spreadsheet for the transfer process. Our team can only use this spreadsheet to finish transferring your data.
Received “Decompression Failed” message
If you’re using a Mac computer and see this message when you attempt to open the zip file, this may be caused by your browser preferences for Safari. To troubleshoot:
- Navigate to Safari > Settings > General
- Make sure that Open “safe” files after downloading is checked
- Exit and re-open Safari
- Re-download the Client List file from the Data Export page
- For more information, see Downloading the exported files
- Right-click on the downloaded zip file and select Open With > Archive Utility
- If you don’t see a menu after right-clicking, you can put your cursor over the file and tap two fingers
If this doesn’t resolve the issue, we recommend re-downloading the file through another browser, such as Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome.
Received “Destination path is too long” message
If you’re using a Windows computer and see this message when you attempt to open the zip file, this may be caused by the location of the zip file. You can resolve this by dragging and dropping the file, or cutting and pasting. This will allow the zip file to appear on your desktop.
To drag and drop:
- Click and hold the right mouse button on the zip file
- Drag the file to your desktop
To cut and paste:
- Right-click on the zip file and select Cut
- Minimize your current window, or click on your desktop
- Right-click on the desktop and select Paste
After the zip file appears on your desktop, you can try to open the file again.