Could not locate exportDescriptor.properties in the archive
Asked by Melissa Kaiser:

I'm trying to create a new space from an exported space zip file. I'm following all the steps and I'm getting this error:

*"Could not locate exportDescriptor.properties in the archive"*

I changed the Key in both the XML and properties file from the archive, zipped the archive using Terminal since I'm on a Mac, but I still get this error.

If anyone know how to successfully export a space and create a new space via import space, please let me know.

Thanks,  
Melissa


Answers:
author: Daniel Eads
body: Hey Melissa,

I just tried this out real quick on macOS 10.14 to see what the zip utility was doing. I was successful in getting it to compress and upload:

```
zip -r import.zip ./
```

This was executed *inside* the unzipped folder. Trying at the higher directory and unzipping the file didn't work, because it zipped the folder (and not the contents of the folder). If the Confluence importer doesn't find the exportDescriptor.properties file at the root of the zip file (not in a folder), it will throw that error.

Hope that helps, but let me know if there's more to the error you're seeing if you've tried zipping from inside the folder!

Cheers,  
Daniel

comments: author: Abhay Bhat
body: [@Daniel Eads](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/1527694) I am too trying to import the space with a .zip file but from UI and I get the same error.

![image.png](https://community.atlassian.com/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/74611i0FDCDD0C56F2FFDC/image-dimensions/407x219?v=v2 "image.png")

Does the name of the zip file important here?

My unzipped folder structure is as shown in pic2![image.png](https://community.atlassian.com/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/74612iA8322F440D3B1375/image-size/large?v=v2&px=999 "image.png")


author: Abhay Bhat
body: I got it fixed. had to zip the 3 files such that export... file is at the root when unzipped..


author: Olliver Naused
body: We have the same problem...can you please explain exactly what you did..step by step?

Thanks Oliver


author: Reinier
body: Slightly related to this: I wanted to change the 'Created by' name of the space I wanted to import, but before I imported it into the new/other space. In case you're looking at doing this too, here are the steps I took:

1. Export the desired space from the source Confluence instance

2. Export a random space from the new/other destination space that contains the 'Created by' name that you want to apply to the import space

3. Unzip the source and destination exports and open to edit from both the file 'entities.xml' (make sure you can distinguish the source and destination files)

4. In the destination 'entities.xml' file, find \& copy the object:

\<object class="ConfluenceUserImpl" package="com.atlassian.confluence.user"\>\<id name="key"\>\<!\[CDATA\[----hash----\]\]\>\</id\>  
\<property name="name"\>\<!\[CDATA\[destination_accountname@yourdomain.com\]\]\>\</property\>\<property name="lowerName"\>\<!\[CDATA\[destination_accountname@yourdomain.com\]\]\>\</property\>\<property name="atlassianAccountId"\>\<!\[CDATA\[----hash----\]\]\>\</property\>  
\</object\>

5. Paste the copied object in the source 'entities.xml' file you're going to import (of course make sure that you have the correct keys, don't just plainly copy what is mentioned above in 4.)

6. In the source 'entities.xml' file, replace all the key nodes (\<id name="key"\>\<!\[CDATA\[----hash----\]\]\>\</id\>) with the key belonging to the new 'Created by' owner. This is the hash that is mentioned between the above nodes: \<id name="key"\>\<!\[CDATA\[----hash----\]\]\>\</id\>

7. Save your file. Once saved, zip the files from root level as Abhay Bhat mentioned above and import the zip into your new/other Confluence instance

8. Wait for Confluence to process your import.

9. You're done.

10. Check in the newly imported space in your other Confluence instance for the mentioning of the proper 'Created by' name

Suggestion: If you have text you'd also like to have replaced at the same time, you can edit this in the source XML too. With any viable text editor you can do a find \& replace action to change the desired texts. Changing it at this stage will save you time compared to doing this once it is imported in Confluence.

Hope this helps!


author: Olliver Naused
body: Has something worked for you?

We have the same problem importing the file

Thanks

Oliver

comments: author: Tamilmani Rajamoney
body: Hello, i have just zipped the 3 files inside the zipped file : attachments, entities.XML,exportDescriptor.properties together and imported this file in confluence. It works for me


author: Kishore Nimma
body: Hi [@Tamilmani Rajamoney](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/4915948)

I am also facing the same error. Please help me to resolve the issue

So you zipped attachments, entities.XML,exportDescriptor.properties to one file and uploaded the particular newly zipped file with 3 not the entire file right


author: Tamilmani Rajamoney
body: [@Kishore Nimma](/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/5409705) Sorry for the late reply. I don't remember exactly, but if I recall correctly, there should be three files inside your project that you want to import. You can zip them all together and then import your project.