Budibase/budibase · error · HTTPError

Workspace exports cannot be imported as Project packages.

Error message

Workspace exports cannot be imported as Project packages.

What it means

Workspace (app) exports contain a db.txt dump rather than the manifest.json/project.json layout of a project package. If the extracted archive root contains db.txt, extractProjectPackage() throws this HTTP 400 at imports.ts:944 to prevent importing the wrong artifact type via the project package import path.

Source

Thrown at packages/server/src/sdk/workspace/projects/backups/imports.ts:944

  try {
    if (encryptPassword) {
      try {
        await decryptFiles(tmpPath, encryptPassword)
      } catch {
        throw new HTTPError("Project package could not be decrypted.", 400)
      }
    }

    const packageFiles = await readDirectoryRecursively(tmpPath)
    const rootEntries = await fsp.readdir(tmpPath)
    if (rootEntries.some(entry => entry.endsWith(".enc")) && !encryptPassword) {
      throw new HTTPError(
        "Files are encrypted but no password has been supplied.",
        400
      )
    }
    if (rootEntries.includes("db.txt")) {
      throw new HTTPError(
        "Workspace exports cannot be imported as Project packages.",
        400
      )
    }
    if (
      rootEntries.some(
        entry =>
          ![
            PROJECT_MANIFEST_FILE,
            PROJECT_FILE,
            PROJECT_DEPENDENCY_INDEX_FILE,
            PROJECT_DOCS_DIRECTORY,
          ].includes(entry)
      )
    ) {
      throw new HTTPError("Project package contains unsupported files.", 400)
    }

View on GitHub (pinned to a81a902e9a)

Solutions

Export a proper project package (with manifest.json/project.json) from the source workspace and import that instead
Use the workspace/app import endpoint for workspace exports rather than the project package import
Check the archive contents before importing: db.txt means it's a workspace export

Example fix

null

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

import { createReadStream } from 'fs'
import { parse } from 'tar'
const isWorkspaceExport = await new Promise<boolean>((resolve, reject) => {
  const ws = parse({ onReadEntry: (e: any) => { if (e.path === 'db.txt' || e.path.endsWith('/db.txt')) { resolve(true); ws.abort?.() } }, onEnd: () => resolve(false) })
  createReadStream(packagePath).pipe(ws as any)
  ws.on('error', reject)
})
if (isWorkspaceExport) throw new Error('use the workspace export import endpoint, not project package import')

Type guard

function isProjectPackageRootEntries(entries: readonly string[]): entries is readonly string[] {
  return !entries.includes('db.txt')
}

Try / catch

try {
  await importProjectPackage(file)
} catch (err) {
  if (err instanceof HTTPError && err.status === 400 && err.message.includes('cannot be imported as Project packages')) {
    // route to the workspace/app import flow or obtain a project package export
  } else {
    throw err
  }
}

Prevention

Label exported artifacts clearly (workspace export vs project package)
Check for db.txt in the archive before calling the project import endpoint
Use the correct download action in the UI/API for the import you intend
Pin automation scripts to the endpoint matching the artifact type

When it happens

Trigger: Uploading a workspace/app export archive (containing db.txt) to the project-package import endpoint, triggering the check at imports.ts:943-946.

Common situations: Grabbing the wrong file from an export job (workspace export instead of project package); older automation scripts that used the app-export format; confusing the two download buttons/endpoints in the UI or API.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of Budibase/budibase@a81a902e9a (2026-08-29). Data as JSON: /api/errors/d7ee231239df39d0. Report an issue: GitHub.