> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.adriel.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# FAQs

> Common questions, expected behaviors, and troubleshooting for the File from SFTP data source.

## Why did my file stop importing after I renamed it?

File from SFTP only imports files whose name and extension both match the data source's configured filters. Renaming a file can push it outside those filters, and once it no longer matches, it is skipped on the next import.

Two filters are applied when the connector lists the folder:

* **Extension.** The file name must end in the configured file type (`.csv`). A file renamed to a different extension is skipped.
* **Name pattern.** If a file-name filter is set, the file name must contain at least one of the comma-separated fragments. A rename that removes the matching fragment excludes the file.

Because each refresh re-imports all matching files and replaces the cached data, a renamed file that no longer matches drops out of the dashboard on the next scheduled refresh. To fix this, either restore a name that matches the existing filter, or update the file-name filter on the data source to include the new naming. When the file-name filter is left empty, every file with the correct extension is imported regardless of its name.

## Why are some columns from my file missing in Adriel?

File from SFTP is free format: the available fields come from the columns of the parsed files, not a fixed catalog. A few reasons a column may not appear as expected.

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="The column is an internal bookkeeping column">
    The connector hides several internal columns from the available-fields list, so they never appear as selectable metrics or breakdowns: `id`, `filename`, `file_updated_at`, `created_at`, `updated_at`, and `rowCount`, along with an internal raw-breakdown placeholder. A source column that happens to share one of these reserved names is not surfaced.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="The column is being read as the wrong field role">
    Numeric columns are treated as metrics; text columns act as breakdowns. A column expected as a metric that arrives with non-numeric characters (currency symbols, thousands separators, blank cells) can be classified as text instead, so it shows up as a breakdown rather than a metric. Keeping the values clean and consistent across every file keeps the field role stable.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="The files in the folder have mismatched headers">
    All matching files in the folder are concatenated into one cache table, so their columns must line up. If one file adds, drops, or reorders a column, the combined result can show missing or misaligned values. Confirm that every file delivered to the folder shares the same header row.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="The delimiter is wrong, so the row collapses into one column">
    If the file uses a delimiter other than the one configured on the data source, the parser can read the whole row as a single column and the individual fields disappear. Set the delimiter on the data source to match the file (for example, a tab or semicolon separated export).
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

Available fields resolve from the cache table after the first successful import, so a newly added column appears once the file that contains it has been imported on a scheduled refresh.

## Why is my data source connected but showing no rows?

A healthy connection only means the SFTP folder could be reached and listed. It does not guarantee that any rows were imported. Common causes:

* **No file matched the filters.** If nothing in the folder matches the configured file type and file-name filter, the listing succeeds but zero files are imported. Confirm at least one `.csv` file in the folder matches the file-name filter.
* **The folder is empty.** An empty directory is treated as a valid connection; rows only appear once a matching file is delivered.
* **The latest file has not been imported yet.** Widget loads read the cache, not the live server. A file added since the last import appears only after the next scheduled refresh — see the [File from SFTP data reference](/data-sources/a-f/file-from-sftp/data-reference) for the schedule.
* **The result is capped.** Row queries against the cache return up to 50,000 rows. A widget expecting more than that sees a truncated result.

Because every refresh re-imports all matching files and rewrites the cache, the dashboard always reflects the files present at the last scheduled run rather than an accumulating history.

## Can I import files from more than one folder into one data source?

No. One File from SFTP data source binds to a single upload folder, and that folder is listed flat — sub-directories are not traversed. Files nested inside sub-folders are not imported.

To pull from a second folder, create a second File from SFTP data source pointed at that folder. Each data source keeps its own imported columns, so the two can be combined on a dashboard as separate sources.

## Why can't I group my imported data by date?

File from SFTP does not offer a native date-part breakdown, so imported rows cannot be grouped by day, week, or month the way a marketing data source can. A date column in the file is used for date-range filtering rather than as a breakdown, once it is mapped in Blend Data settings. Files without a date column are treated as a single snapshot set on the dashboard. To report by period, include the grouping value as its own text column in the file and use that column as a breakdown.

## Related

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="File from SFTP data reference" href="/data-sources/a-f/file-from-sftp/data-reference">
    Import model, field type mapping, refresh strategy, and limits for File from SFTP.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Connect File from SFTP" href="/data-sources/a-f/file-from-sftp/how-to-connect">
    Set up the SSH key, host, and folder for a File from SFTP data source.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Amazon S3 data reference" href="/data-sources/a-f/amazon-s3/data-reference">
    An alternative file source that pulls exports from an S3 bucket.
  </Card>

  <Card title="File from Email data reference" href="/data-sources/a-f/file-from-email/data-reference">
    An alternative file source for inbox-delivered report attachments.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>