apache/superset · error · NoValidFilesFoundError

No valid import files were found

Error message

No valid import files were found

What it means

Database import counterpart of the dashboard error: the upload IS a ZIP, but get_contents_from_bundle extracted nothing usable, so NoValidFilesFoundError is raised. The bundle either is empty or contains no files matching the expected database export layout.

Solutions

1. Use the Superset export flow (Settings > Export or the CLI) and upload the produced ZIP unchanged.
2. Run unzip -l on the archive and verify the expected export YAML files are at the archive root, not nested in a folder.
3. If nesting is the problem, re-zip from inside the directory so paths are flat.

Example fix

# before: zipped the folder -> archive contains 'export/database.yaml'
zip -r import.zip export/

# after: flat structure
zip import.zip database.yaml

import zipfile
with zipfile.ZipFile(path) as zf:
    entries = [n for n in zf.namelist() if not n.endswith("/")]
assert entries, "bundle has no files — rebuild from a Superset export"

When it happens

Trigger: POST /api/v1/database/import/ with an empty ZIP, a ZIP of a directory rather than of the export files, or a bundle whose entries (names/structure) are all filtered out by get_contents_from_bundle.

Common situations: Zipping the parent folder so entries sit under a subdirectory; exporting from a mismatched Superset version with a different file layout; including only unrelated files in the archive.

Related errors

• Not a ZIP file
• No valid import files were found
• A dashboard already exists and user doesn't have…
• A dashboard already exists and user doesn't have…
• An error occurred while accessing the value.

AI-assisted analysis of apache/superset@f4587218dd (2026-08-14). Data as JSON: /api/errors/baa92bd197bf4f59. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at superset/databases/api.py:1676

            400:
              $ref: '#/components/responses/400'
            401:
              $ref: '#/components/responses/401'
            422:
              $ref: '#/components/responses/422'
            500:
              $ref: '#/components/responses/500'
        """
        upload = request.files.get("formData")
        if not upload:
            return self.response_400()
        if not is_zipfile(upload):
            raise IncorrectFormatError("Not a ZIP file")
        with ZipFile(upload) as bundle:
            contents = get_contents_from_bundle(bundle)

        if not contents:
            raise NoValidFilesFoundError()

        passwords = (
            json.loads(request.form["passwords"])
            if "passwords" in request.form
            else None
        )
        overwrite = request.form.get("overwrite") == "true"
        ssh_tunnel_passwords = (
            json.loads(request.form["ssh_tunnel_passwords"])
            if "ssh_tunnel_passwords" in request.form
            else None
        )
        ssh_tunnel_private_keys = (
            json.loads(request.form["ssh_tunnel_private_keys"])
            if "ssh_tunnel_private_keys" in request.form
            else None
        )
        ssh_tunnel_priv_key_passwords = (

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