Quick answerXactimate® imports .esx files, not .xml; XML is the Symbility® format, so if you were handed an XML file for an Xactimate® estimate, ask the report provider for the ESX version of the same measurement. In Xactimate® Online (X1) you use the Sketch import option inside the project; in Desktop you use the import command from the file menu and confirm the local file path. Menus vary by version, so verify the exact click path in your build against Xactware's help documentation before assuming a step is missing.

Why 'import an XML file into Xactimate®' is the wrong question for most adjusters

Xactimate® reads .esx files. Symbility® reads .xml files. The two are not interchangeable, and a report provider that only issues XML has built the file for the other platform. If your claim file needs to run through Xactimate®, the fix is not a conversion trick inside Xactimate®, it is going back to the source and requesting the ESX version of the same measurement.

This mismatch is the single most common reason an adjuster reports that 'the file will not import.' Before troubleshooting Xactimate® itself, confirm the file extension. If it reads .xml, the import will not proceed in Xactimate® regardless of version or platform.

Importing an ESX into Xactimate® Online (X1)

  1. Confirm the file type

    Verify the file ends in .esx. If it does not, request the ESX file from whoever produced the report before continuing.

  2. Open the correct project

    Log into Xactimate® Online (X1) and open the claim or project shell the sketch belongs to. Importing into the wrong empty project is a common reason the sketch appears missing later.

  3. Use the Sketch import option

    Inside the project, use the import option for Sketch/ESX. The exact menu label and location vary by version, so verify the current click path in your build against Xactware's help documentation rather than following a screenshot from an older release.

  4. Select the .esx file

    Browse to where the file is stored (local download or cloud drive) and select it for import.

  5. Confirm the sketch and line items loaded

    Open the Sketch tab and the Items tab separately. A successful import shows facets, pitch, and dimensions in Sketch and corresponding line items in the estimate. Review both before building on top of the import.

Importing an ESX into Xactimate® Desktop

Desktop uses a locally installed application rather than a browser session, so the import command lives in the file menu structure instead of inside a web project shell. The sequence is similar in intent but different in location.

  1. Open Xactimate® Desktop and the project

    Launch the desktop application and open the existing project, or create the shell you intend to import into.

  2. Use the import command

    Use the file import command for an ESX/Sketch file. Menus vary by version and by whether you are on a current or older Desktop build, so verify the exact path in your installed version against Xactware's help documentation.

  3. Browse to the .esx file

    Point the import dialog at the local file path where the ESX was saved.

  4. Resolve any import conflicts

    Desktop will flag conflicts such as duplicate room or group names if the project already contains data. Resolve these before finalizing the import so nothing is silently dropped.

  5. Verify the Sketch tab renders

    Confirm facets and dimensions display in Sketch, not only that line items appear in the estimate. The two can import separately.

Online (X1) vs Desktop: what actually differs

AspectXactimate® Online (X1)Xactimate® Desktop
File types accepted.esx only.esx only
Import entry pointInside the project, Sketch import optionFile-level import command
Where the file must liveLocal download or connected cloud driveLocal file path
Most common failureImporting into the wrong project shellUnresolved conflicts on re-import
Version dependencyMenu labels change release to releaseSame, plus older builds may reject newer ESX versions

Menus and exact click paths vary by version; verify the current steps in your build against Xactware's official help documentation before assuming a missing button is a bug.

The version caveat

An ESX file carries version metadata from the application that produced or last touched it. If a file was saved from a newer Xactimate® release and you are importing into an older Desktop build, the import can fail or complete without the sketch layer, with no obvious error. The fix is to update Xactimate® to a current version before importing, or have the file regenerated if updating is not immediately possible.

This is separate from the XML/ESX mismatch above: version caveats apply even when the file type is correct.

When the sketch does not appear after import

  • Confirm the file extension is .esx, not .xml

    XML is the Symbility® format and Xactimate® cannot read it regardless of platform.

  • Check the Sketch tab separately from the Items tab

    Line items and the sketch layer can import independently; a blank Sketch tab with populated line items points to a version or rendering issue, not a failed import.

  • Confirm you imported into the intended project, not a duplicate or blank shell

    An empty project will show an empty sketch even after a technically successful import elsewhere.

  • Update Xactimate® to a current version

    Older builds can fail to render sketches from ESX files saved in newer versions.

  • Re-open the project after import

    Some builds require the project to reload before the sketch layer renders.

Worked example: importing a sponsor ESX

A roof measurement report ordered as an ESX from Sketch My Roof roof measurement reports is built to import through the same Sketch import step described above in either Xactimate® Online (X1) or Desktop. Published formats and prices: Standard ESX $19, Complex-roof ESX $25, PDF-only $25, ESX + PDF $29, with the same-day delivery and no-subscription terms confirmed on the order page.

If your desk works through Verisk™ ordering, the sponsor's Xactimate® Integration ordering path delivers the same ESX file format into the same import step, so the process described in this guide does not change based on how the file was ordered.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I import an XML file into Xactimate®?
No. Xactimate® reads .esx files. XML is the Symbility® format. If you have an XML file for a claim you are estimating in Xactimate®, request the ESX version of the same measurement from the report provider.
Is the import process different in Xactimate® Online (X1) versus Desktop?
Yes. X1 uses a Sketch import option inside the open project in a browser session; Desktop uses a file-level import command in the installed application. Both accept only .esx files, and the exact menu labels vary by version, so verify in your build against Xactware's help documentation.
Why did the ESX import but the sketch tab is blank?
Check three things in order: the file is actually .esx and not .xml, you imported into the intended project rather than an empty shell, and your Xactimate® version is current enough to render a file saved from a newer build. A version mismatch can complete an import without displaying the sketch layer.
Does XactAnalysis® handle the ESX import step?
XactAnalysis® manages claim assignment and file exchange between parties; the ESX import into the sketch and estimate happens inside Xactimate® itself, using the same Sketch import step described in this guide.
Will an ESX ordered as a roof report work the same in X1 and Desktop?
Yes. An ESX file built for Xactimate® follows the same import step in either platform. Confirm your Xactimate® version is current so the sketch layer renders correctly on import.

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