Import troubleshooting

Most imports just work. When they don't, VECTOR tells you exactly what's wrong. Here's the full list.

Warnings — you can still import

These appear in the review panel. They don't block the import, but they're worth a glance.

Warning	What it means	What to do
Date column inferred from content	The date column wasn't named obviously, so it was guessed.	Confirm it's the close date.
Several columns look like dates	Multiple date-like columns were found.	Pick the one representing the trade close.
Ambiguous date order	A date like `01/02/2024` is unclear.	Set the correct day/month order.
P/L taken from cash flow	P/L was derived as value minus commissions and fees.	Check the total matches your platform.
P/L column inferred	The P/L column was guessed from content.	Confirm it's the right column.
Equity column inferred	A balance/equity column was guessed.	Confirm it's the account equity.
P/L is all zeros	The chosen column sums to zero.	Pick a different column — it's probably wrong.

Error	Cause	Fix
Unrecognised format	No date + P/L could be located.	Use the review panel to map columns, or check the export.
Missing columns	A recognised format is missing required fields.	Re-export the full report (not a partial view).
The file is empty	No rows / only whitespace.	Re-export the file.
Excel reading unavailable	The server lacks `openpyxl`.	Export to CSV instead.
Too many files	More than 20 in one upload.	Split into smaller batches.
File too large	Over 10 MB.	Trim the date range or export as CSV.
No valid strategy in file	Parsed, but no usable series resulted.	Check the file has real trade rows.

By design

Daily totals only. Trade-level detail is collapsed to one P/L per day for analysis. (Option Omega is the exception — its per-trade rows are kept for Risk Sizing.)
No custom formulas. P/L must be a column or derivable from a cash-flow or equity column; you can't define an arbitrary calculation.
Equity exports have no trade count. A pure equity curve (e.g. Invest Studio) yields P/L by differencing, but the number of trades isn't available.
No P/L, no import. Position snapshots and holdings reports — anything without a date and a P/L (or a ledger/equity column to derive it) — can't become a series.

Still stuck? The review panel lets you override the date column, value column, method and date order by hand — which resolves most edge cases.