Before you troubleshoot: quick triage
- Confirm the file extension is .esx, not .zip, .xml, or a renamed file
Email systems and some browsers rename or wrap attachments on download. An .esx file that downloaded as .xml or inside a .zip will not import until it is extracted or renamed correctly.
- Check the file size against the delivery email or order confirmation
A file that is a few kilobytes instead of the expected size almost always means the download stopped early. Re-downloading fixes this before you touch Xactimate® at all.
- Note your Xactimate® program version and build number
Version mismatch is a documented cause of import failure. Knowing your build lets you compare it to the version the ESX was authored in without guessing.
- Search the project list for the claim number before importing
Xactimate® will flag or create a duplicate if the claim already exists. Checking first avoids a duplicate-claim error and a cleanup step later.
Symptom, cause, and fix
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| "File not recognized" or the import option will not select the file | Wrong extension, file inside a zip archive, or the file was renamed by the download client | Extract from any zip archive first, confirm the extension reads .esx, then retry via the Sketch import option in Xactimate®. Menus vary by version; verify the exact menu path in your build. |
| Import completes but the sketch does not appear on the roof or elevation | The ESX imported line items and photos but the sketch component did not attach, often from a partial or interrupted transfer | Re-import the same file once. If the sketch is still missing after a clean re-import, the file is incomplete and should be re-requested rather than rebuilt manually. |
| Import stalls, errors mid-process, or Xactimate® reports the file was built in an unsupported version | Version mismatch between the program build that authored the ESX and the program build receiving it | Check your Xactimate® build number against the version the file was produced in, update your program if you are behind, and retry the import per the vendor's official import documentation. |
| Xactimate® warns the claim already exists or creates a second project for the same claim number | The claim was previously imported, or a prior attempt partially completed before erroring out | Search the project list by claim number first. If a duplicate exists, delete the incomplete or older copy before importing again, and confirm the claim number matches exactly, including suffixes. |
| Import fails immediately, Xactimate® reports a read error, or the file will not even open for inspection | Corrupted or incomplete download, usually from a network interruption or an email attachment that was stripped or altered in transit | Do not keep retrying the same file. Re-download from the original delivery email or source, and if that copy also fails, re-request the file rather than continuing to troubleshoot a broken download. |
Exact menu names and dialog wording vary by Xactimate® program version; confirm the current click path in your build against the vendor's official documentation before assuming an error is unique to your file.
Re-importing a corrected file, step by step
- Confirm the claim is not already in your project list
Search by claim number. If a partial or duplicate project exists from a prior failed attempt, delete it before continuing so the new import does not stack on top of it.
- Re-download the ESX from the original source
Do not reuse a file that already failed to import once for reasons other than version mismatch. Pull a fresh copy from the delivery email or order portal.
- Verify the file extension and size
Confirm it reads .esx and that the size is consistent with the original delivery. Extract from any archive first.
- Import via the Sketch import option
Use the import function in Xactimate® to bring in the file. Menus vary by version; verify the exact steps in your build against the vendor's official import documentation.
- Check the sketch and line items after import
Open the roof or elevation and confirm the sketch is present, then spot-check line items against what was ordered. If the sketch is still missing, stop and request a new file rather than repeating the import.
When to stop troubleshooting and re-request the file
Two failure modes are not fixable on your end: a corrupted or incomplete download, and a sketch that is missing after a clean re-import of the same file. In both cases the fault is in the file, not in the click path, and repeating the same import will produce the same error. Re-request the ESX from the source rather than rebuilding the sketch by hand or re-downloading the same broken copy a third time.
If the report came from Sketch My Roof roof measurement reports, corrections and revisions are available directly from the delivery email, so a re-request goes back to the original order rather than starting a new one. The same applies whether you ordered ESX for Xactimate®, XML for Symbility®, or a PDF; the file format changes, the re-request path does not.
Version mismatch: what actually changes
An ESX carries data structured for the Xactimate® program version that produced it. When the receiving program is on an older build, it may not recognize newer data fields and will either reject the import or drop parts of the sketch and line items silently. When the receiving program is on a newer build than the one that authored the file, the import usually succeeds without incident, since newer builds are built to read older file structures.
The practical fix is to keep your Xactimate® program current and to check your build number against the file's origin before assuming a failed import is a bad file. This is a program-version issue, not a file-corruption issue, so re-requesting the same file will not resolve it; updating the receiving program will.
Documenting the fix in the claim file
Note in the claim file whether an import error occurred, what the fix was, and the timestamp of the successful import. If a file had to be re-requested, keep both the original delivery email and the corrected one; carriers and IA firms auditing the file later will want the record that the delay was a file issue, not a processing delay on the adjuster's end.
If you order roof reports regularly, requesting ESX + PDF together up front (published at $29 from the site sponsor, against $19 for Standard ESX alone) gives you a PDF exhibit already in hand if the ESX ever needs a second look, without a second order.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Xactimate® say the ESX file is not recognized?
The ESX imported but the sketch is blank. Is the file bad?
How do I know if an import error is a version mismatch?
Should I keep re-downloading a file that fails to import?
Does the fix differ for Symbility® XML files?
Sources
- ESX import procedure and Sketch import option in Xactimate®: Xactimate® official documentation (as of August 2026)
- Symbility® XML import procedure: Symbility® / CoreLogic claims documentation (as of August 2026)
- Corrections and revisions to a delivered report are available from the delivery email; no subscription, order by address: Sketch My Roof service facts page (as of August 2026)
- ESX import guidance for Xactimate® and published Standard ESX $19 / ESX + PDF $29 pricing: Sketch My Roof ESX import page (as of August 2026)
