# QField Sync 'The Project You Imported Does Not Appear to be an Offline Project' **URL:** \ **Category:** Ask the Community\ **Tags:** gh-import\ **Created:** [14 May 2025 03:17 UTC](https://community.qfield.org/t/qfield-sync-the-project-you-imported-does-not-appear-to-be-an-offline-project/932 "2025-05-14T03:17:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![system](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/flex018/uploads/qfield/original/1X/7d3726da0ef5099a1e135505c03d2f125d527aae.png) [@system](https://community.qfield.org/u/system)\ **Post date:** [14 May 2025 03:17 UTC](https://community.qfield.org/t/qfield-sync-the-project-you-imported-does-not-appear-to-be-an-offline-project/932/1 "2025-05-14T03:17:50Z")
When using QField Sync the import from mobile device back to QGIS on my desktop PC fails with a message saying ‘The Project You Imported Does Not Appear to be an Offline Project’. I configured the layers before loading onto my mobile device to Copy and did not select Offline Editing. Please could anybody advise on how to resolve this issue so I can import all my data collected using Qfield on my mobile device to QGIS 3.16 Hannover using Qfield Sync? I am experienced in QGIS and have sucessfully used Qfield several times but have not experienced this issue until now. * * * _Imported from [GitHub discussion](https://github.com/opengisch/qfield/discussions/2708) by @timjosmith on 2022-04-06T14:09:24Z_ ---
**Author:** ![system](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/flex018/uploads/qfield/original/1X/7d3726da0ef5099a1e135505c03d2f125d527aae.png) [@system](https://community.qfield.org/u/system)\ **Post date:** [14 May 2025 03:17 UTC](https://community.qfield.org/t/qfield-sync-the-project-you-imported-does-not-appear-to-be-an-offline-project/932/2 "2025-05-14T03:17:51Z")
I’m having exactly the same problem. But as far as I can tell my collected data did transfer correctly, despite the error message. I would love to be sure that the message can be ignored, though. * * * _Imported from [GitHub comment](https://github.com/opengisch/QField/discussions/2708#discussioncomment-2530609) by @gdsrg on 2022-04-08T12:25:29Z_ ---
**Author:** ![system](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/flex018/uploads/qfield/original/1X/7d3726da0ef5099a1e135505c03d2f125d527aae.png) [@system](https://community.qfield.org/u/system)\ **Post date:** [14 May 2025 03:17 UTC](https://community.qfield.org/t/qfield-sync-the-project-you-imported-does-not-appear-to-be-an-offline-project/932/3 "2025-05-14T03:17:53Z")
Yes, my shapefile came across too but did not contain any attributes and also will not display in the map window despite being able to the layer loaded correctly in the layer panel. Have carried out all the normal checks and tried resyncing using Qfield Sync several time but to no avail. Wish I could get a response on the forum. Hope you resolve your issue. Thanks Tim From: gdsrg _ **@** _.\*\*\* Sent: 08 April 2022 13:26 To: opengisch/QField Cc: timjosmith; Author Subject: Re: [opengisch/QField] QField Sync ‘The Project You Imported Does Not Appear to be an Offline Project’ (Discussion #2708) I’m having exactly the same problem. But as far as I can tell my collected data did transfer correctly, despite the error message. I would love to be sure that the message can be ignored, though. — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub [https://github.com/opengisch/QField/discussions/2708#discussioncomment-2530609](https://github.com/opengisch/QField/discussions/2708#discussioncomment-2530609) , or unsubscribe [https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AYSZH5NN3VMZFHEA3FEZ7HLVEAQUJANCNFSM5SWFIM3Q](https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AYSZH5NN3VMZFHEA3FEZ7HLVEAQUJANCNFSM5SWFIM3Q) . You are receiving this because you authored the thread. [https://github.com/notifications/beacon/AYSZH5LLYYKZEWCPBRU55I3VEAQUJA5CNFSM5SWFIM32YY3PNVWWK3TUL52HS4DFWFCGS43DOVZXG2LPNZBW63LNMVXHJKTDN5WW2ZLOORPWSZGOAATJ2MI.gif](https://github.com/notifications/beacon/AYSZH5LLYYKZEWCPBRU55I3VEAQUJA5CNFSM5SWFIM32YY3PNVWWK3TUL52HS4DFWFCGS43DOVZXG2LPNZBW63LNMVXHJKTDN5WW2ZLOORPWSZGOAATJ2MI.gif) Message ID: _ **@** _.\*\*\*\> – This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. > **[Download Free Antivirus Software | Avast 2025 PC Protection](https://www.avast.com/free-antivirus-download)** > > Download free virus protection for Windows PC. Avast offers modern antivirus for today’s complex threats. Fast, simple, and 100% free. Try it today! * * * _Imported from [GitHub comment](https://github.com/opengisch/QField/discussions/2708#discussioncomment-2534914) by @timjosmith on 2022-04-09T06:20:41Z_ ---
**Author:** ![system](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/flex018/uploads/qfield/original/1X/7d3726da0ef5099a1e135505c03d2f125d527aae.png) [@system](https://community.qfield.org/u/system)\ **Post date:** [14 May 2025 03:17 UTC](https://community.qfield.org/t/qfield-sync-the-project-you-imported-does-not-appear-to-be-an-offline-project/932/4 "2025-05-14T03:17:54Z")
I used geopackage layers for collecting data. I get the error, but the data seems OK. When I used shape files (as ‘copy’ not ‘offline editing’) QField seemingly lets me collect data fine without error message, but the shape file is corrupted afterwards and can’t be opened at all (similar to yours). I think the data collection layer has to be set to ‘offline editing’ when using shape files. The packaging of the project then creates a data.gpkg file in which the collected data gets stored and then played back to your QGIS project. (That can create new errors though. I can’t use ‘offline editing’ for any of my vector layers, because for some reason, as soon as there is a WMS present in the project, all my vector layers seem fine in QGIS but on my mobile device they show as missing. But that’s a different matter.) * * * _Imported from [GitHub comment](https://github.com/opengisch/QField/discussions/2708#discussioncomment-2542122) by @gdsrg on 2022-04-11T06:21:50Z_ ---
**Author:** ![system](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/flex018/uploads/qfield/original/1X/7d3726da0ef5099a1e135505c03d2f125d527aae.png) [@system](https://community.qfield.org/u/system)\ **Post date:** [14 May 2025 03:17 UTC](https://community.qfield.org/t/qfield-sync-the-project-you-imported-does-not-appear-to-be-an-offline-project/932/5 "2025-05-14T03:17:56Z")
Thanks very much, that sounds plausible and makes a lot of sense as when I have used shapefiles as ‘offline editing’ there has not been a problem; I only received the error message and missing all the attributes of the shapefile when I used ‘copy’ when configuring the project. From: gdsrg _ **@** _.\*\*\* Sent: 11 April 2022 07:22 To: opengisch/QField Cc: timjosmith; Author Subject: Re: [opengisch/QField] QField Sync ‘The Project You Imported Does Not Appear to be an Offline Project’ (Discussion #2708) I used geopackage layers for collecting data. I get the error, but the data seems OK. When I used shape files (as ‘copy’ not ‘offline editing’) QField seemingly lets me collect data fine without error message, but the shape file is corrupted afterwards and can’t be opened at all (similar to yours). I think the data collection layer has to be set to ‘offline editing’ when using shape files. The packaging of the project then creates a data.gpkg file in which the collected data gets stored and then played back to your QGIS project. (That can create new errors though. I can’t use ‘offline editing’ for any of my vector layers, because for some reason, as soon as there is a WMS present in the project, all my vector layers seem fine in QGIS but on my mobile device they show as missing. But that’s a different matter.) — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub [https://github.com/opengisch/QField/discussions/2708#discussioncomment-2542122](https://github.com/opengisch/QField/discussions/2708#discussioncomment-2542122) , or unsubscribe [https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AYSZH5IELQPC72CO3TF3TPTVEPAITANCNFSM5SWFIM3Q](https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AYSZH5IELQPC72CO3TF3TPTVEPAITANCNFSM5SWFIM3Q) . You are receiving this because you authored the thread. [https://github.com/notifications/beacon/AYSZH5JIAY75KOSSDUER4U3VEPAITA5CNFSM5SWFIM32YY3PNVWWK3TUL52HS4DFWFCGS43DOVZXG2LPNZBW63LNMVXHJKTDN5WW2ZLOORPWSZGOAATMUKQ.gif](https://github.com/notifications/beacon/AYSZH5JIAY75KOSSDUER4U3VEPAITA5CNFSM5SWFIM32YY3PNVWWK3TUL52HS4DFWFCGS43DOVZXG2LPNZBW63LNMVXHJKTDN5WW2ZLOORPWSZGOAATMUKQ.gif) Message ID: _ **@** _.\*\*\*\> – This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. > **[Download Free Antivirus Software | Avast 2025 PC Protection](https://www.avast.com/free-antivirus-download)** > > Download free virus protection for Windows PC. Avast offers modern antivirus for today’s complex threats. Fast, simple, and 100% free. Try it today! * * * _Imported from [GitHub comment](https://github.com/opengisch/QField/discussions/2708#discussioncomment-2542439) by @timjosmith on 2022-04-11T07:33:23Z_ ---
**Author:** ![Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e79b87/32.png) [@Monkey](https://community.qfield.org/u/Monkey)\ **Post date:** [21 August 2025 16:24 UTC](https://community.qfield.org/t/qfield-sync-the-project-you-imported-does-not-appear-to-be-an-offline-project/932/6 "2025-08-21T16:24:57Z")
There is an Offline Editing core plugin that allows configuring the project to have a database which stores a log of changes. See [25.2.4. Offline Editing Plugin — QGIS Documentation documentation](https://docs.qgis.org/3.40/en/docs/user_manual/plugins/core_plugins/plugins_offline_editing.html) I don’t really understand when it’s appropriate to use this (despite how obvious it would seem), or how the changelog is different from the one that gets set up when you set the cable packaging option for a layer to Offline. I too am able to successfully import projects and ignore this error, at least so far. I’ll try to post here again if I can find a GIS expert who can tell me what’s up. ---
**Author:** ![beanzmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/2bfe46/32.png) [@beanzmo](https://community.qfield.org/u/beanzmo)\ **Post date:** [25 August 2025 06:13 UTC](https://community.qfield.org/t/qfield-sync-the-project-you-imported-does-not-appear-to-be-an-offline-project/932/7 "2025-08-25T06:13:22Z")
Hi @Monkey The Offline Editing plugin is not related to QFIeld settings. Can you please refer to the documentation about [Layer configuration](https://docs.qfield.org/get-started/tutorials/get-started-qfs/?h=offline+editing#layer-configuration). There it is explained what the different modes mean. Let me know if this is not what you are after.