Troubleshoot common export issues

We understand the value of being able to export your data from Benchling, from collaborating with scientists who don't use Benchling... to having peace of mind of having your own regular backups of your data. And we understand that it can be quite frustrating when you're unable to do so.

The following sections outline some common export issues that you may run into as well as a few solutions that help avoid them. If the listed solutions don't seem to work, please send us a message via the chat icon in the bottom-right corner of this page and we'll be happy to help!

Issue: Export timed out

Solution 1. Consider using the HTML option instead of PDF, as it is much faster to generate. This format is great for backups and renders wide data better.

Solution 2. The duration of an export is proportional to the amount of data being exported... but the max duration is fixed. Therefore, you may need to perform multiple exports with each export covering a subset of folders to avoid timeout issues.

Issue: Unexpected error

We're sorry you ran into a bug! Please reply to the error email and we'll look into the issue as soon as we can.

Issue: Windows fails to unzip some files

Solution. Each item in Benchling is represented as a directory in your project export. This can cause a few issues on Windows, where the length of every file path is limited. If you are seeing errors while unzipping your export, or if you notice that certain items do not appear in the unzipped export, we recommend trying to use 7-zip to explore your export.

Issue: No email was sent to my inbox

Solution 1. An export may take several hours to perform depending on the amount of data being exported, so you may simply have to wait.

Note that generating PDF exports of your notebook data can take considerably longer, and we recommend using the HTML export option when possible. This format is great for backups and renders wide data better.

Solution 2. The export may have completed successfully but failed to be delivered to your inbox. There are a few options that may work in this case:

1. Check your spam / trash folder for recent emails sent from a benchling.com email address.

2. Ask your IT department to allow receiving emails from benchling.com. 

3. Temporarily change your email address to your personal one and then re-attempt the export.