Create Account Plan Project Collect Data Prep/Process Data Upload Data Data QA/QC Get Data Species Codes Resource Library DATA QA/QC Learn more about how you can resolve errors in your data uploads or how to address the qa/qc warnings you might see in your Partner Portal projects. Did You Receive an Error Warning When Attempting to Upload Your Data? Click the button below to learn more about how to resolve your error(s) and ensure your data uploads into the NABat Partner Portal are successful... Error Wizard Continue to the section below to learn more about the QA/QC warnings you experience in the Your Survey Sites table of the Partner Portal. Survey Details Incomplete The "Some survey details are incomplete" warning indicates that a survey event has been created and saved without required metadata. The warning includes a table to indicate which metadata is missing (e.g., Survey Start/End Time, Location, etc.). This typically occurs when a user manually creates a survey deployment through the NABat Partner Portal user interface rather than via a bulk upload template. To resolve error: 1. Click the Incomplete Surveys link in the QA/QC table to be ushered to the survey’s details. 2. Click the green Edit Survey Details button to fill in any missing metadata. If location data is missing, users may resolve that manually via drawing tools or by uploading a KML/GeoJSON file. Survey Locations Unused The "Some survey locations are unused" warning indicates that a spatial object (point, transect, or GRTS cell) has been saved as a survey location but no survey events have been associated with that location. This typically occurs when a user manually saves a location using the drawing tools on the project map or uploads a spatial object as a .kml/.geojson file but fails to provide survey metadata. The warning serves as a reminder to project members that the location has been saved and should either be associated with a survey event or deleted. To resolve error: Users may associate unused locations with existing surveys manually: 1. First identify the GRTS cell ID of the unused location (hover over the point on the project map to reveal the GRTS ID). 2. Data for a project’s GRTS cells is located beneath the project map. Scroll to the desired GRTS cell and expand its content to find and open the desired survey. 3. Click the survey's green Edit Survey Details button. A location (used or unused) may be selected from a dropdown menu within the editing tool, linking said location to the survey. Users may also associate unused locations with existing surveys using the Partner Portal's Bulk Upload tool: 1. Simply enter the location name (must match exactly) to the “Site Name " data column within the bulk upload template . Possible Duplicate Locations This warning indicates that the project contains ≥ 1 survey location(s) within 100 m of another saved location. Often, this occurs when a survey location is established and minor variations, either in the latitude/longitude or the location name, are introduced in subsequent survey years. This warning does not necessarily indicate an error. In some instances, survey locations may be within 100 m of another survey location, particularly for hibernacula surveys or emergence count events. However, in most instances (especially for stationary acoustic surveys) survey locations should not be within 100 m of another site, and these locations should be combined into a single survey site. Click the Show Possible Duplicate Locations button to expand the table and view all possible duplicate locations. To resolve duplicate locations: 1. The user must choose a location among the duplicates to survive in the project; the remaining duplicates are to be deleted after having their surveys migrated into the surviving location. 2. To migrate a survey out of a location, begin by clicking the location’s link in the “Possible Duplicate Locations ” table; the location and its data menu will appear in the project map. A location’s surveys are viewable in the summary table at the bottom of the data menu. 3. Click any survey link within that table to be ushered to the survey details. Click the green Edit Survey Details button, then use the drop-down location options to reassign the survey to the chosen location. 4. Repeat this process for all surveys in a duplicate location; once the duplicate location is empty of surveys it may be deleted from the project. Show Unknown Locations The "Show Unknown Locations " warning indicates that a location has been provided at the GRTS cell level without X,Y coordinates. This can occur when users manually create a survey event through the user interface and indicate the site is an "Unknown or undisclosed location" or when users provide metadata through the bulk upload template with GRTS cell values but no latitude or longitude. Unknown locations are not necessarily errors; some users prefer to provide data at the GRTS-cell-level rather than the point level. In these cases, the "Show Unknown Locations " warning can be ignored. However, users may prefer to provide more detailed location information. Click the Show Unknown Locations button to expand the table and view all unknown locations. Users may manually add X,Y coordinates to an existing location. The user must create a new point within the target GRTS cell and migrate surveys from the unknown location: 1. Begin by clicking the link to the unknown location within the table; the GRTS cell containing the unknown location and its data menu will appear in the project map. 2. Mark a point on the map to replace the current unknown location, clicking the green Edit button to add a name and specific X,Y coordinates if desired. 3. Return to the “Show Unknown Locations ” table and click the link to the original unknown location to begin migrating surveys to the new, coordinate-specified point. If surveys exist for the unknown location, they are displayed in a summary table below the location details. Click any present survey to expand its details in the list of project GRTS cells beneath the project map. 4. Click the survey’s green Edit Survey Details button. The new, coordinate-specific location may be selected from a dropdown menu within the editing tool, migrating the survey from the unknown location. 5. Repeat for all surveys within the unknown location. 6. When finished (i.e., the unknown location contains NO surveys), again follow its link in the “Show Unknown Locations ” table. Use the resulting menu options to permanently delete the location from the project.

Back to Search ERROR WARNING: deadlock detected HOW TO RESOLVE: These errors stem from system interruptions rather than issues with your data. Simply re-upload the file. For persistent deadlock errors with large files, try splitting the upload into smaller chunks.

Back to Search ERROR WARNING: Location name is not unique and GRTS Cell ID or latitude and longitude were not provided. HOW TO RESOLVE: This error occurs when 'GRTS Cell Id' and 'Latitude'/'Longitude' are both missing from a record. Ensure the ''GRTS Cell Id' field or "Latitude' & 'Longitude' fields are completed for each submitted record. ADDED EXPLANATION: Surveys must include key fields that answer the "where, what, when, and who" questions: either a GRTS Cell ID or latitude/longitude to locate the survey, a Site Name to describe the place, survey start and end times, and the names of surveyors. Each survey type may also require a few additional fields. If required columns are missing entirely, the upload wizard will block the file. If required columns are present but individual rows lack values, those rows will be flagged while the rest of the file can load. Use the template's informational header rows to identify which fields are required and ensure each data entry row contains values for these fields before uploading.

Back to Search ERROR WARNING: Manual Id Vetter must be specified when Manual Id is specified HOW TO RESOLVE: Enter missing required 'Manual Id Vetter' field when 'Manual Id' is specified. Enter missing required data based on the template's header rows—the third row indicates required status by field, and the second row lists data type restrictions. Ensure each record includes values for all required fields before re-uploading. ADDED EXPLANATION: Surveys must include key fields that answer the "where, what, when, and who" questions: either a GRTS Cell ID or latitude/longitude to locate the survey, a Site Name to describe the place, survey start and end times, and the names of surveyors. Each survey type may also require a few additional fields. If required columns are missing entirely, the upload wizard will block the file. If required columns are present but individual rows lack values, those rows will be flagged while the rest of the file can load. Use the template's informational header rows to identify which fields are required and ensure each data entry row contains values for these fields before uploading.

Back to Search ERROR WARNING: Invalid option for Classifier --> [custom text] HOW TO RESOLVE: Species list errors will appear as missing-field or invalid-categorical errors. When uploading acoustic data, you must specify which custom species list was used for Auto ID and Manual ID -- the corresponding fields are 'Name of Species List for Auto Id' and 'Name of Species List for Manual Id'. These fields behave like controlled categorical fields but are managed in the Partner Portal rather than in your CSV. Create or edit your project's species lists in the Partner Portal, then enter the exact list names in your upload file. ADDED EXPLANATION: Knowing which species were considered during Auto ID and Manual ID analyses is essential for estimating detection probabilities and modeling populations. Errors involving the 'Name of Species List for Auto ID' and 'Name of Species List for Manual ID' fields arise when the names provided in the CSV do not match any list defined in the Partner Portal. To resolve these errors, navigate to your project's Species Lists tab, enter edit mode, and add a new list. Give the list a clear name, provide a brief description, and use the Definition column to include or exclude species. After saving, enter the exact list name in the 'Name of Species List for Auto Id' and/or 'Name of Species List for Manual Id' fields in your CSV. Projects may use different lists for Auto ID and Manual ID—for example, a comprehensive regional list for automated classification and a smaller subset for manual verification. Ensure every list referenced in your data has been created in the Partner Portal and is named exactly as it appears in your upload file.

Back to Search ERROR WARNING: If no Audio Recording Time is provided the Audio Recording Name must include a datetime in the format of "_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS" HOW TO RESOLVE: Enter missing required data based on the template's header rows—the third row indicates required status by field, and the second row lists data type restrictions. Entries listed in 'Audio Recording Name' field must include datetime suffix in the format '_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS' if the 'Audio Recording Time' field is left blank. Ensure each record includes values for all required fields before re-uploading. ADDED EXPLANATION: Surveys must include key fields that answer the "where, what, when, and who" questions: either a GRTS Cell ID or latitude/longitude to locate the survey, a Site Name to describe the place, survey start and end times, and the names of surveyors. Each survey type may also require a few additional fields. If required columns are missing entirely, the upload wizard will block the file. If required columns are present but individual rows lack values, those rows will be flagged while the rest of the file can load. Use the template's informational header rows to identify which fields are required and ensure each data entry row contains values for these fields before uploading.

Back to Search ERROR WARNING: Auto Id or Manual Id required for recording. HOW TO RESOLVE: Enter missing required data based on the template's header rows—the third row indicates required status by field, and the second row lists data type restrictions. Ensure each record includes values for all required fields before re-uploading. In this error instance, the 'Auto Id' or 'Manual Id' field is missing for a given recording. Example: The "Auto Id" field in the stationary acoustic template only allows entry of a controlled category listed in second header row. ADDED EXPLANATION: Surveys must include key fields that answer the "where, what, when, and who" questions: either a GRTS Cell ID or latitude/longitude to locate the survey, a Site Name to describe the place, survey start and end times, and the names of surveyors. Each survey type may also require a few additional fields. If required columns are missing entirely, the upload wizard will block the file. If required columns are present but individual rows lack values, those rows will be flagged while the rest of the file can load. Use the template's informational header rows to identify which fields are required and ensure each data entry row contains values for these fields before uploading.

Create Account Plan Project Collect Data Prep/Process Data Upload Data Data QA/QC Get Data Species Codes Resource Library PLAN YOUR NABAT PROJECT Jump to... Create a new NABat project Select GRTS Cells for monitoring Field Apps for Data Collection Saving transects for mobile surveys Saving survey sites on the map Create a New NABat Project Registered users can create new projects from the My Projects tab of the NABat Partner Portal . Users are free (but not required) to divide data into separate projects spatially or by survey type, but data should never be separated into distinct projects temporally (e.g., USGS NABat 2016, USGS NABat 2017, etc.). The following provides step-by-step guidance on creating a new NABat project. 1. Log into the NABat Partner Portal . First-time users will need to create an account . 2. Once logged in, navigate to the My NABat tab from the top menu bar. 3. Click the + New Project button located at the top right of the page. 4. Follow the prompts in the Project Wizard to enter the required information to create your new project. You will be prompted to enter Project Info > Project Members & Data > Project Summary information. Carefully read the NABat Data Use and Sharing Agreement when establishing your project's data sharing elections. 5. To finalize your new project, select the Create Project button. Project details can be edited at any time by clicking the green Edit Project button in the upper-right corner of your project's Details tab. Note: If your owning organization does not appear in the drop-down menu, please fill out the New Organization Form , and a member of the Technical Outreach team will add it to the NABat Partner Portal . Please allow up to 24 hours for the request to be processed. Select GRTS Cells for Monitoring The NABat Cell Selection Tool allows users to filter, select, order (based on GRTS priority ranking), and claim cells for monitoring while also indicating to other NABat partners where monitoring efforts are already occurring. This workflow ensures monitoring efforts follow the NABat sample design and reduces redundancy in monitoring efforts. 1. Log in to the NABat Partner Portal . First-time users will need to create an account . 2. Navigate to the My NABat tab from the main menu bar and select your project of interest project. 3. Click the Cell Selection Tool button on the right of your project's Details page; a new page will load with a map. The Cell Selection Tool features a complete map of all NABat GRTS cells in the project’s sample frame, along with an evaluation table that compiles GRTS cells based on user-applied filters. 4. Use the search bar above the map to apply spatial filters and select the area of interest. Users can add geographic or jurisdictional filters (e.g., state, county, land management agency, etc.) or locate cells based on GRTS ID, geographic coordinates, or NABat sampling priority. Users can also make custom selections using the drawing tool by clicking the Draw custom spatial filter button (polygon symbol) above the map. Cells within the selected area will appear with a light blue border. Users must the APPLY FILTER button (top-right corner of map) to activate the filter. Note: Spatial filters can be combined with AND/OR logic by clicking the gear icon (top-left corner of map). Users can also select/deselect cells with a double-click and select from a variety of map layers by hovering over the button in the top right corner of the map. 5. After filtering to the desired area, move to the Evaluation Table to the right of the map and tick boxes under the Select Survey Types header to indicate the type(s) of monitoring planned. Users can make multiple selections. Ticking boxes will update the table with the cells’ current selection status for the chosen monitoring types. Note: Cells that have already been selected for survey by another project are labeled as such. Links to details and contact information for the owning project will be provided. 6. Once cells are added to the table, they can be evaluated and selected for survey. Use the arrows in the GRTS Cell ID column header to cells by priority ranking (lower GRTS number = higher priority). Users should claim cells for survey beginning with the highest priority cell (i.e. lowest GRTS Cell ID) and working down the list, claiming as many cells for survey as resources will allow and only skipping cells based on factors like accessibility, project resources, etc. It is more important to monitor cells in priority order than to monitor many cells. If cells must be skipped, select an explanation from the drop down menu (e.g., Not safe, Logistical constraints, etc.). Note: Make use of the Bulk Change button to edit many cells simultaneously. 7. When cell evaluation is complete and final selections have been made, click the Save button (above the table) to apply cell selection changes to the project. All cells selected for survey will now appear on the project homepage (below the project map) with a green circle. 8. Return to the Cell Selection Tool at the conclusion of each field season/prior to the start of a new field season to reevaluate selections and ensure resources and circumstances allow the same level of effort as the prior season. If previously monitored cells will not be monitored in the upcoming season, those cells should be released so it is clear to other NABat users that they are now available for monitoring. If resources allow for additional monitoring in the upcoming season, users should follow GRTS priority order and claim as many additional cells as resources permit. Saving and Exporting Sites for Survey Survey locations can be saved in the NABat Partner Portal and exported for use in a handheld GPS unit. To create and export points: 1. Log in to the NABat Partner Portal. First-time users will need to create an account. 2. Navigate to the My Projects tab from the main menu bar and select a project. Scroll down to the project map. 3. NABat protocols for stationary acoustic surveys call for ≤ 1 detector per grid cell quadrant. Hover over the Map Layers button in the top right corner of the map and select the NABat GRTS Cells and CONUS 5km Grid Cells layers to visualize grid cells and their quadrants. Note: The Imagery layer may also be turned on to help identify potential detector locations. 4. Once a prospective site has been identified, select the Mark a survey location button (upper-left corner of map) and click the map to create a survey location. A dialogue box will appear on the map with details about the survey point, including latitude and longitude. 5. Click the Edit button in the bottom right corner of the dialogue box. Provide a name for the new survey location and use the Survey Type drop-down menu to indicate the type of survey point (i.e., “Stationary Detector”). Users may also enter a site description or adjust latitude and longitude values. Note: To use this point when uploading metadata, the Site Name provided in the bulk upload template must be an exact match to the Name of the point. 6. Click the Save button in the bottom of the dialogue box to update site details. 7. To export location information for saved points, click the Download KML | GeoJSON button, located in the top right of the map (immediately right of the Upload KML | GeoJSON button). 8. Once location data have been downloaded, they can be imported into a handheld GPS unit and used in the field. Saving and Exporting Transects for Mobile Surveys The latest Mobile Acoustic Transect Surveys Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) are available for download at the USGS publications warehouse here. Link directly to the Mobile Transect SOPs for Locating and Establishing Mobile Transect Routes and Field Season and Survey Preparation Click here for guidance on uploading mobile transect routes as a .KML or .GeoJSON file, or on drawing mobile transect routes using web-based mapping tools. Field Apps for Data Collection Considering using an app to collect data? Check out our list of some of the available field data apps and their features here .

Back to Search ERROR WARNING: No GRTS Cell in this sample frame at this latitude and longitude HOW TO RESOLVE: Ensure each row has a valid location combination: 'GRTS Cell Id' alone, 'GRTS Cell Id' with 'Quadrant', or 'Latitude'/'Longitude'. Verify longitudes are negative and lat/long values aren't swapped. If both GRTS ID and coordinates are present but conflict, remove whichever you trust less—delete the 'GRTS Cell Id' value (keeping the column) if you trust coordinates, or omit lat/long to let the system match on 'GRTS Cell Id' and 'Site Name'. Ensure site names are unique to prevent ambiguity. For repeat visits to established sites, verify coordinates remain consistent—new coordinates within 55m of an existing site are ignored, coordinates 55–100m away create a new map point but maintain site association, but coordinates exceeding 100m generate an entirely new site record, breaking data continuity and preventing trend analyses. Mobile transect surveys operate under different logic that matches primarily on unique 'Site Name' values; see "ADDED EXPLANATION" for details. ADDED EXPLANATION: NABat requires at least a 'GRTS Cell Id' to assign surveys to a 10×10 km grid cell, but recommends providing additional granularity via 'Quadrant' or 'Latitude'/'Longitude'. Location errors occur when this information is missing, ambiguous, or internally conflicting. Ambiguity commonly arises when generic site names (e.g., "Bridge 1" or "Cave") are reused across multiple locations, or when provided coordinates fall outside the boundaries of the stated GRTS cell. For large datasets, load coordinates into GIS or mapping tools to verify placements and catch systematic issues such as swapped lat/long columns or missing negative signs. To avoid unintentional site splits when revisiting established sites, verify coordinates match prior uploads or omit coordinates entirely to let the system match on Site Name alone. Mobile transect surveys can match solely on a unique 'Site Name' value, bypassing some ambiguity checks applied to other survey types. It is recommended that users draw a line object representing their route on the project map, named to exactly match the Site Name value(s) in the upload file. The portal can then estimate missing lat/long coordinates by combining route geometry with elapsed time during the survey. Without a defined line object, surveys traversing multiple GRTS cells with missing coordinates cannot be processed—users must estimate coordinates themselves or provide the 'GRTS Cell Id' for each record. Surveys occurring entirely within a single cell should still have their route drawn; however, users preferring coarser resolution can provide only the 'GRTS Cell Id'.

Back to Search ERROR WARNING: There already exists an entry for this species, for this observer, for this emergence event HOW TO RESOLVE: Duplicate errors occur when the system encounters repeated survey records. First determine whether duplicates are within the current file or span multiple uploads. For within-file duplicates, use conditional formatting on a unique identifier—such as Audio Recording Name for acoustic surveys, or a concatenated set of fields (using CONCAT or TEXTJOIN) for other survey types—to highlight repeated rows, then delete or consolidate them. For emergence counts specifically, group data by 'Site Name', 'Exit Identifier', 'Surveyor', and 'Species', then sum counts into a single row. If duplicates span multiple uploads, locate the conflicting file in the Partner Portal's Surveys tab, download it from Project Files, and compare contents with your current file. Keep the most complete version and remove overlapping rows from the other, then re-upload. If duplicates persist despite removing and re-uploading affected data, contact the NABat Technical Outreach Team. ADDED EXPLANATION: Duplicate detection logic varies by survey type. For emergence count surveys, each unique combination of Site Name, Exit Identifier (if provided), Surveyor, and Species should appear in a single row—multiple rows from the same surveyor for the same combination are flagged as duplicates, whereas rows from different surveyors are averaged to produce the final count. Roost count surveys use different logic: counts are summed within each surveyor's report for a given site, section, and species, and if multiple surveyors report, their sums are averaged—so duplicates are not flagged in the same way. Beyond survey-type logic, duplicate errors can arise from re-uploading the same data in quick succession, inadvertently uploading the same survey under different file names, accidental copy/paste duplication within a file, or leftover data from older versions of the upload logic. When identifying duplicates within a file, Excel's Conditional Formatting (Home → Styles → Conditional Formatting → Highlight Cells → Duplicate Values) can highlight repeated values in a unique identifier column. For surveys lacking a single unique field, create a new column that concatenates key fields to form a composite identifier. When comparing across uploads, note the conflicting file's name and created date in the Partner Portal, download it, and review side-by-side with your current file to determine which version is more complete or accurate. In rare cases, the database may retain artifacts of previously deleted data that trigger duplicate errors on subsequent uploads—if you suspect this scenario after repeated removal and re-upload attempts, contact the NABat technical outreach team to investigate.

Back to Search ERROR WARNING: No location found matching location name. HOW TO RESOLVE: This error occurs when 'GRTS Cell Id' and 'Latitude'/'Longitude' are both missing from a record. Ensure the ''GRTS Cell Id' field or "Latitude'/'Longitude' fields are completed for each submitted record. ADDED EXPLANATION: Surveys must include key fields that answer the "where, what, when, and who" questions: either a GRTS Cell ID or latitude/longitude to locate the survey, a Site Name to describe the place, survey start and end times, and the names of surveyors. Each survey type may also require a few additional fields. If required columns are missing entirely, the upload wizard will block the file. If required columns are present but individual rows lack values, those rows will be flagged while the rest of the file can load. Use the template's informational header rows to identify which fields are required and ensure each data entry row contains values for these fields before uploading.