# Source: https://docs.pinecone.io/guides/index-data/import-data.md

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.pinecone.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Import records

> Import large datasets efficiently from S3, GCS, or Azure into Pinecone indexes.

Importing from object storage is the most efficient and cost-effective way to load large numbers of records into an index.

To run through this guide in your browser, see the [Bulk import colab notebook](https://colab.research.google.com/github/pinecone-io/examples/blob/master/docs/pinecone-import.ipynb).

<Note>
  This feature is in [public preview](/release-notes/feature-availability) and available only on [Standard and Enterprise plans](https://www.pinecone.io/pricing/).
</Note>

## Before you import

Before you can import records, ensure you have a serverless index, a storage integration, and data formatted in a Parquet file and uploaded to an Amazon S3 bucket, Google Cloud Storage bucket, or Azure Blob Storage container.

### Create an index

[Create a serverless index](/guides/index-data/create-an-index) for your data.

Be sure to create your index on a cloud that supports importing from the object storage you want to use:

|                                       | …to an **AWS** index | …to a **GCP** index | …to an **Azure** index |
| ------------------------------------- | :------------------: | :-----------------: | :--------------------: |
| Import from **AWS S3**…               |           ✅          |          ❌          |            ❌           |
| Import from **Google Cloud Storage**… |           ✅          |          ✅          |            ✅           |
| Import from **Azure Blob Storage**…   |           ✅          |          ✅          |            ✅           |

### Add a storage integration

To import records from a public data source, a storage integration is not required. However, to import records from a secure data source, you must create an integration to allow Pinecone access to data in your object storage. See the following guides:

* [Integrate with Amazon S3](/guides/operations/integrations/integrate-with-amazon-s3)
* [Integrate with Google Cloud Storage](/guides/operations/integrations/integrate-with-google-cloud-storage)
* [Integrate with Azure Blob Storage](/guides/operations/integrations/integrate-with-azure-blob-storage)

### Prepare your data

1. In your Amazon S3 bucket, Google Cloud Storage bucket, or Azure Blob Storage container, create an import directory containing a subdirectory for each namespace you want to import into. The namespaces must not yet exist in your index.

   For example, to import data into the namespaces `example_namespace1` and `example_namespace2`, your directory structure would look like this:

   ```
   <BUCKET_OR_CONTAINER_NAME>/
   --/<IMPORT_DIR>/
   ----/example_namespace1/
   ----/example_namespace2/
   ```

   <Tip>
     To import into the default namespace, use a subdirectory called `__default__`. The default namespace must be empty.
   </Tip>

2. For each namespace, create one or more Parquet files defining the records to import.

   Parquet files must contain specific columns, depending on the index type:

   <Tabs>
     <Tab title="Dense index">
       To import into a namespace in a [dense index](/guides/index-data/indexing-overview#dense-indexes), the Parquet file must contain the following columns:

       | Column name | Parquet type  | Description                                                                                                                     |
       | ----------- | ------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
       | `id`        | `STRING`      | Required. The unique [identifier for each record](/guides/get-started/concepts#record-id).                                      |
       | `values`    | `LIST<FLOAT>` | Required. A list of floating-point values that make up the [dense vector embedding](/guides/get-started/concepts#dense-vector). |
       | `metadata`  | `STRING`      | Optional. Additional [metadata](/guides/get-started/concepts#metadata) for each record. To omit from specific rows, use `NULL`. |

       <Warning>
         The Parquet file cannot contain additional columns.
       </Warning>

       For example:

       ```parquet  theme={null}
       id | values                   | metadata
       --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       1  | [ 3.82  2.48 -4.15 ... ] | {"year": 1984, "month": 6, "source": "source1", "title": "Example1", "text": "When ..."}
       2  | [ 1.82  3.48 -2.15 ... ] | {"year": 1990, "month": 4, "source": "source2", "title": "Example2", "text": "Who ..."}
       ```
     </Tab>

     <Tab title="Sparse index">
       To import into a namespace in a [sparse index](/guides/index-data/indexing-overview#sparse-indexes), the Parquet file must contain the following columns:

       | Column name     | Parquet type                                          | Description                                                                                                                                                                                     |
       | --------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
       | `id`            | `STRING`                                              | Required. The unique [identifier for each record](/guides/get-started/concepts#record-id).                                                                                                      |
       | `sparse_values` | `STRUCT<indices: LIST<UINT_32>, values: LIST<FLOAT>>` | Required. A list of floating-point values (sparse values) and a list of integer values (sparse indices) that make up the [sparse vector embedding](/guides/get-started/concepts#sparse-vector). |
       | `metadata`      | `STRING`                                              | Optional. Additional [metadata](/guides/get-started/concepts#metadata) for each record. To omit from specific rows, use `NULL`.                                                                 |

       <Warning>
         The Parquet file cannot contain additional columns.
       </Warning>

       For example:

       ```parquet  theme={null}
       id | sparse_values                                                                                       | metadata
       --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       1  | {"indices": [ 822745112 1009084850 1221765879 ... ], "values": [1.7958984 0.41577148 2.828125 ...]} | {"year": 1984, "month": 6, "source": "source1", "title": "Example1", "text": "When ..."}
       2  | {"indices": [ 504939989 1293001993 3201939490 ... ], "values": [1.4383747 0.72849722 1.384775 ...]} | {"year": 1990, "month": 4, "source": "source2", "title": "Example2", "text": "Who ..."}
       ```
     </Tab>

     <Tab title="Hybrid index">
       To import into a namespace in a [hybrid index](/guides/search/hybrid-search#use-a-single-hybrid-index), the Parquet file must contain the following columns:

       | Column name     | Parquet type                                          | Description                                                                                                                                                               |
       | --------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
       | `id`            | `STRING`                                              | Required. The unique [identifier for each record](/guides/get-started/concepts#record-id).                                                                                |
       | `values`        | `LIST<FLOAT>`                                         | Required. A list of floating-point values that make up the [dense vector embedding](/guides/get-started/concepts#dense-vector).                                           |
       | `sparse_values` | `STRUCT<indices: LIST<UINT_32>, values: LIST<FLOAT>>` | Optional. A list of floating-point values that make up the [sparse vector embedding](/guides/get-started/concepts#sparse-vector). To omit from specific rows, use `NULL`. |
       | `metadata`      | `STRING`                                              | Optional. Additional [metadata](/guides/get-started/concepts#metadata) for each record. To omit from specific rows, use `NULL`.                                           |

       <Warning>
         The Parquet file cannot contain additional columns.
       </Warning>

       For example:

       ```parquet  theme={null}
       id | values                   | sparse_values                                                                          | metadata
       --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       1  | [ 3.82  2.48 -4.15 ... ] | {"indices": [1082468256, 1009084850, 1221765879, ...], "values": [2.0, 3.0, 4.0, ...]} | {"year": 1984, "month": 6, "source": "source1", "title": "Example1", "text": "When ..."}
       2  | [ 1.82  3.48 -2.15 ... ] | {"indices": [2225824123, 1293001993, 3201939490, ...], "values": [5.0, 2.0, 3.0, ...]} | {"year": 1990, "month": 4, "source": "source2", "title": "Example2", "text": "Who ..."}
       ```
     </Tab>
   </Tabs>

3. Upload the Parquet files into the relevant subdirectory.

   For example, if you have subdirectories for the namespaces `example_namespace1` and `example_namespace2` and upload 4 Parquet files into each, your directory structure would look as follows after the upload:

   ```
   <BUCKET_OR_CONTAINER_NAME>/
   --/<IMPORT_DIR>/
   ----/example_namespace1/
   ------0.parquet
   ------1.parquet
   ------2.parquet
   ------3.parquet
   ----/example_namespace2/
   ------4.parquet
   ------5.parquet
   ------6.parquet
   ------7.parquet
   ```

## Import records into an index

<Warning>
  Review [import limits](#import-limits) before starting an import.
</Warning>

Use the [`start_import`](/reference/api/latest/data-plane/start_import) operation to start an asynchronous import of vectors from object storage into an index.

* For `uri`, specify the URI of the bucket and import directory containing the namespaces and Parquet files you want to import. For example:

  * Amazon S3: `s3://BUCKET_NAME/IMPORT_DIR`
  * Google Cloud Storage: `gs://BUCKET_NAME/IMPORT_DIR`
  * Azure Blob Storage: `https://STORAGE_ACCOUNT.blob.core.windows.net/CONTAINER_NAME/IMPORT_DIR`

* For `integration_id`, specify the Integration ID of the Amazon S3, Google Cloud Storage, or Azure Blob Storage integration you created. The ID is found on the [Storage integrations](https://app.pinecone.io/organizations/-/projects/-/storage) page of the Pinecone console.

  <Note>
    An Integration ID is not needed to import from a public bucket.
  </Note>

* For `error_mode`, use `CONTINUE` or `ABORT`.

  * With `ABORT`, the operation stops if any records fail to import.
  * With `CONTINUE`, the operation continues on error, but there is not any notification about which records, if any, failed to import. To see how many records were successfully imported, use the [describe an import](#describe-an-import) operation.

<CodeGroup>
  ```python Python theme={null}
  from pinecone import Pinecone, ImportErrorMode

  pc = Pinecone(api_key="YOUR_API_KEY")

  # To get the unique host for an index, 
  # see https://docs.pinecone.io/guides/manage-data/target-an-index
  index = pc.Index(host="INDEX_HOST")
  root = "s3://example_bucket/import"

  index.start_import(
      uri=root,
      integration_id="a12b3d4c-47d2-492c-a97a-dd98c8dbefde", # Optional for public buckets
      error_mode=ImportErrorMode.CONTINUE # or ImportErrorMode.ABORT
  )
  ```

  ```javascript JavaScript theme={null}
  import { Pinecone } from '@pinecone-database/pinecone';

  const pc = new Pinecone({ apiKey: 'YOUR_API_KEY' });

  // To get the unique host for an index, 
  // see https://docs.pinecone.io/guides/manage-data/target-an-index
  const index = pc.index("INDEX_NAME", "INDEX_HOST")

  const storageURI = 's3://example_bucket/import';
  const errorMode = 'continue'; // or 'abort'
  const integrationID = 'a12b3d4c-47d2-492c-a97a-dd98c8dbefde'; // Optional for public buckets

  await index.startImport(storageURI, errorMode, integrationID); 
  ```

  ```java Java theme={null}
  import io.pinecone.clients.Pinecone;
  import io.pinecone.clients.AsyncIndex;
  import org.openapitools.db_data.client.ApiException;
  import org.openapitools.db_data.client.model.ImportErrorMode;
  import org.openapitools.db_data.client.model.StartImportResponse;

  public class StartImport {
      public static void main(String[] args) throws ApiException {
          // Initialize a Pinecone client with your API key
          Pinecone pinecone = new Pinecone.Builder("YOUR_API_KEY").build();

          // Get async imports connection object
          AsyncIndex asyncIndex = pinecone.getAsyncIndexConnection("docs-example");

          // s3 uri
          String uri = "s3://example_bucket/import";

          // Integration ID (optional for public buckets)
          String integrationId = "a12b3d4c-47d2-492c-a97a-dd98c8dbefde";

          // Start an import
          StartImportResponse response = asyncIndex.startImport(uri, integrationId, ImportErrorMode.OnErrorEnum.CONTINUE);
      }
  }
  ```

  ```go Go theme={null}
  package main

  import (
      "context"
      "fmt"
      "log"

      "github.com/pinecone-io/go-pinecone/v4/pinecone"
  )

  func main() {
      ctx := context.Background()

      pc, err := pinecone.NewClient(pinecone.NewClientParams{
          ApiKey: "YOUR_API_KEY",
      })
      if err != nil {
          log.Fatalf("Failed to create Client: %v", err)
      }

      // To get the unique host for an index, 
      // see https://docs.pinecone.io/guides/manage-data/target-an-index
      idxConnection, err := pc.Index(pinecone.NewIndexConnParams{Host: "INDEX_HOST"})
      if err != nil {
          log.Fatalf("Failed to create IndexConnection for Host: %v", err)
  	}

      uri := "s3://example_bucket/import"
      errorMode := "continue" // or "abort"
      importRes, err := idxConnection.StartImport(ctx, uri, nil, (*pinecone.ImportErrorMode)(&errorMode))
      if err != nil {
          log.Fatalf("Failed to start import: %v", err)
      }
      fmt.Printf("Import started with ID: %s", importRes.Id)
  }
  ```

  ```csharp C# theme={null}
  using Pinecone;

  var pinecone = new PineconeClient("YOUR_API_KEY");

  // To get the unique host for an index, 
  // see https://docs.pinecone.io/guides/manage-data/target-an-index
  var index = pinecone.Index(host: "INDEX_HOST");

  var uri = "s3://example_bucket/import";

  var response = await index.StartBulkImportAsync(new StartImportRequest
  {
      Uri = uri,
      IntegrationId = "a12b3d4c-47d2-492c-a97a-dd98c8dbefde",
      ErrorMode = new ImportErrorMode { OnError = ImportErrorModeOnError.Continue }
  });
  ```

  ```bash curl theme={null}
  # To get the unique host for an index,
  # see https://docs.pinecone.io/guides/manage-data/target-an-index
  PINECONE_API_KEY="YOUR_API_KEY"
  INDEX_HOST="INDEX_HOST"

  curl "https://$INDEX_HOST/bulk/imports" \
    -H 'Api-Key: $YOUR_API_KEY' \
    -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
    -H 'X-Pinecone-Api-Version: 2025-10' \
    -d '{
          "integrationId": "a12b3d4c-47d2-492c-a97a-dd98c8dbefde",
          "uri": "s3://example_bucket/import",
          "errorMode": {
              "onError": "continue"
              }
          }'
  ```
</CodeGroup>

The response contains an `id` that you can use to [check the status of the import](#list-imports):

```json Response theme={null}
{
   "id": "101"
}
```

Once all the data is loaded, the [index builder](/guides/get-started/database-architecture#index-builder) indexes the records, which usually takes at least 10 minutes. During this indexing process, the expected job status is `InProgress`, but `100.0` percent complete. Once all the imported records are indexed and fully available for querying, the import operation is set to `Completed`.

<Tip>
  You can start a new import using the [Pinecone console](https://app.pinecone.io/organizations/-/projects/-/indexes). Find the index you want to import into, and click the **ellipsis (...) menu > Import data**.
</Tip>

## Track import progress

The amount of time required for an import depends on various factors, including:

* The number of records to import
* The number of namespaces to import, and the the number of records in each
* The total size (in bytes) of the import

To track an import's progress, check its status bar in the [Pinecone console](https://app.pinecone.io/organizations/-/projects/-/import) or use the [`describe_import`](/reference/api/latest/data-plane/describe_import) operation with the import ID:

<CodeGroup>
  ```python Python theme={null}
  from pinecone import Pinecone

  pc = Pinecone(api_key="YOUR_API_KEY")

  # To get the unique host for an index, 
  # see https://docs.pinecone.io/guides/manage-data/target-an-index
  index = pc.Index(host="INDEX_HOST")

  index.describe_import(id="101")
  ```

  ```javascript JavaScript theme={null}
  import { Pinecone } from '@pinecone-database/pinecone';

  const pc = new Pinecone({ apiKey: 'YOUR_API_KEY' });


  // To get the unique host for an index, 
  // see https://docs.pinecone.io/guides/manage-data/target-an-index
  const index = pc.index("INDEX_NAME", "INDEX_HOST")

  const results = await index.describeImport(id='101');
  console.log(results);
  ```

  ```java Java theme={null}
  import io.pinecone.clients.Pinecone;
  import io.pinecone.clients.AsyncIndex;
  import org.openapitools.db_data.client.ApiException;
  import org.openapitools.db_data.client.model.ImportModel;

  public class DescribeImport {
      public static void main(String[] args) throws ApiException {
          // Initialize a Pinecone client with your API key
          Pinecone pinecone = new Pinecone.Builder("YOUR_API_KEY").build();

          // Get async imports connection object
          AsyncIndex asyncIndex = pinecone.getAsyncIndexConnection("docs-example");

          // Describe import
          ImportModel importDetails = asyncIndex.describeImport("101");

          System.out.println(importDetails);
      }
  }
  ```

  ```go Go theme={null}
  package main

  import (
      "context"
      "fmt"
      "log"

      "github.com/pinecone-io/go-pinecone/v4/pinecone"
  )

  func main() {
      ctx := context.Background()

      pc, err := pinecone.NewClient(pinecone.NewClientParams{
          ApiKey: "YOUR_API_KEY",
      })
      if err != nil {
          log.Fatalf("Failed to create Client: %v", err)
      }

      // To get the unique host for an index, 
      // see https://docs.pinecone.io/guides/manage-data/target-an-index
      idxConnection, err := pc.Index(pinecone.NewIndexConnParams{Host: "INDEX_HOST"})
      if err != nil {
          log.Fatalf("Failed to create IndexConnection for Host: %v", err)
    	}

      importID := "101"

      importDesc, err := idxConnection.DescribeImport(ctx, importID)
      if err != nil {
          log.Fatalf("Failed to describe import: %s - %v", importID, err)
      }
      fmt.Printf("Import ID: %s, Status: %s", importDesc.Id, importDesc.Status)
  }
  ```

  ```csharp C# theme={null}
  using Pinecone;

  var pinecone = new PineconeClient("YOUR_API_KEY");

  // To get the unique host for an index, 
  // see https://docs.pinecone.io/guides/manage-data/target-an-index
  var index = pinecone.Index(host: "INDEX_HOST");

  var importDetails = await index.DescribeBulkImportAsync("101");
  ```

  ```bash curl theme={null}
  # To get the unique host for an index, 
  # see https://docs.pinecone.io/guides/manage-data/target-an-index
  PINECONE_API_KEY="YOUR_API_KEY"
  INDEX_HOST="INDEX_HOST"

  curl -X GET "https://{INDEX_HOST}/bulk/imports/101" \
    -H 'Api-Key: $YOUR_API_KEY' \
    -H 'X-Pinecone-Api-Version: 2025-10'
  ```
</CodeGroup>

The response contains the import details, including the import `status`, `percent_complete`, and `records_imported`:

```json Response theme={null}
{
  "id": "101",
  "uri": "s3://example_bucket/import",
  "status": "InProgress",
  "created_at": "2024-08-19T20:49:00.754Z",
  "finished_at": "2024-08-19T20:49:00.754Z",
  "percent_complete": 42.2,
  "records_imported": 1000000
}
```

If the import fails, the response contains an `error` field with the reason for the failure. See the [Troubleshooting](#troubleshooting) section for more information.

```json Response theme={null}
{
  "id": "102",
  "uri": "s3://example_bucket/import",
  "status": "Failed",
  "percent_complete": 0.0,
  "records_imported": 0,
  "created_at": "2025-08-21T11:29:47.886797+00:00",
  "error": "User error: The namespace \"namespace1\" already exists. Imports are only allowed into nonexistent namespaces.",
  "finished_at": "2025-08-21T11:30:05.506423+00:00"
}
```

## Manage imports

### List imports

Use the [`list_imports`](/reference/api/latest/data-plane/list_imports) operation to list all of the recent and ongoing imports. By default, the operation returns up to 100 imports per page. If the `limit` parameter is passed, the operation returns up to that number of imports per page instead. For example, if `limit=3`, up to 3 imports are returned per page. Whenever there are additional imports to return, the response includes a `pagination_token` for fetching the next page of imports.

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Python SDK">
    When using the Python SDK, `list_import` paginates automatically.

    ```python Python theme={null}
    from pinecone import Pinecone, ImportErrorMode

    pc = Pinecone(api_key="YOUR_API_KEY")

    # To get the unique host for an index, 
    # see https://docs.pinecone.io/guides/manage-data/target-an-index
    index = pc.Index(host="INDEX_HOST")

    # List using a generator that handles pagination
    for i in index.list_imports():
        print(f"id: {i.id} status: {i.status}")

    # List using a generator that fetches all results at once
    operations = list(index.list_imports())
    print(operations)
    ```

    ```json Response theme={null}
    {
      "data": [
        {
          "id": "1",
          "uri": "s3://BUCKET_NAME/PATH/TO/DIR",
          "status": "Pending",
          "started_at": "2024-08-19T20:49:00.754Z",
          "finished_at": "2024-08-19T20:49:00.754Z",
          "percent_complete": 42.2,
          "records_imported": 1000000
        }
      ],
      "pagination": {
        "next": "Tm90aGluZyB0byBzZWUgaGVyZQo="
      }
    }
    ```

    <Tip>
      You can view the list of imports for an index in the [Pinecone console](https://app.pinecone.io/organizations/-/projects/-/indexes/). Select the index and navigate to the **Imports** tab.
    </Tip>
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Other SDKs">
    When using the Node.js SDK, Java SDK, Go SDK, .NET SDK, or REST API to list recent and ongoing imports, you must manually fetch each page of results. To view the next page of results, include the `paginationToken` provided in the response.

    <CodeGroup>
      ```javascript JavaScript theme={null}
      import { Pinecone } from '@pinecone-database/pinecone';

      const pc = new Pinecone({ apiKey: 'YOUR_API_KEY' });

      // To get the unique host for an index, 
      // see https://docs.pinecone.io/guides/manage-data/target-an-index
      const index = pc.index("INDEX_NAME", "INDEX_HOST")

      const results = await index.listImports({ limit: 10, paginationToken: 'Tm90aGluZyB0byBzZWUgaGVyZQo' });
      console.log(results);
      ```

      ```java Java theme={null}
      import io.pinecone.clients.Pinecone;
      import io.pinecone.clients.AsyncIndex;
      import org.openapitools.db_data.client.ApiException;
      import org.openapitools.db_data.client.model.ListImportsResponse;

      public class ListImports {
          public static void main(String[] args) throws ApiException {
              // Initialize a Pinecone client with your API key
              Pinecone pinecone = new Pinecone.Builder("YOUR_API_KEY").build();

              // Get async imports connection object
              AsyncIndex asyncIndex = pinecone.getAsyncIndexConnection("docs-example");

              // List imports
              ListImportsResponse response = asyncIndex.listImports(10, "Tm90aGluZyB0byBzZWUgaGVyZQo");

              System.out.println(response);
          }
      }
      ```

      ```go Go theme={null}
      package main

      import (
          "context"
          "fmt"
          "log"

          "github.com/pinecone-io/go-pinecone/v4/pinecone"
      )

      func main() {
          ctx := context.Background()

          pc, err := pinecone.NewClient(pinecone.NewClientParams{
              ApiKey: "YOUR_API_KEY",
          })
          if err != nil {
              log.Fatalf("Failed to create Client: %v", err)
          }

          // To get the unique host for an index, 
          // see https://docs.pinecone.io/guides/manage-data/target-an-index
          idxConnection, err := pc.Index(pinecone.NewIndexConnParams{Host: "INDEX_HOST"})
          if err != nil {
              log.Fatalf("Failed to create IndexConnection for Host: %v", err)
        	}

          limit := int32(10)
          firstImportPage, err := idxConnection.ListImports(ctx, &limit, nil)
          if err != nil {
              log.Fatalf("Failed to list imports: %v", err)
          }
          fmt.Printf("First page of imports: %+v", firstImportPage.Imports)

          paginationToken := firstImportPage.NextPaginationToken
          nextImportPage, err := idxConnection.ListImports(ctx, &limit, paginationToken)
          if err != nil {
              log.Fatalf("Failed to list imports: %v", err)
          }
          fmt.Printf("Second page of imports: %+v", nextImportPage.Imports)
      }
      ```

      ```csharp C# theme={null}
      using Pinecone;

      var pinecone = new PineconeClient("YOUR_API_KEY");

      // To get the unique host for an index, 
      // see https://docs.pinecone.io/guides/manage-data/target-an-index
      var index = pinecone.Index(host: "INDEX_HOST");

      var imports = await index.ListBulkImportsAsync(new ListBulkImportsRequest
      {
          Limit = 10,
          PaginationToken = "Tm90aGluZyB0byBzZWUgaGVyZQo"
      });
      ```

      ```bash curl theme={null}
      # To get the unique host for an index,
      # see https://docs.pinecone.io/guides/manage-data/target-an-index
      PINECONE_API_KEY="YOUR_API_KEY"
      INDEX_HOST="INDEX_HOST"

      curl -X GET "https://$INDEX_HOST/bulk/imports?paginationToken==Tm90aGluZyB0byBzZWUgaGVyZQo" \
        -H 'Api-Key: $YOUR_API_KEY' \
        -H 'X-Pinecone-Api-Version: 2025-10'
      ```
    </CodeGroup>
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

### Cancel an import

The [`cancel_import`](/reference/api/latest/data-plane/cancel_import) operation cancels an import if it is not yet finished. It has no effect if the import is already complete.

<CodeGroup>
  ```python Python theme={null}
  from pinecone import Pinecone

  pc = Pinecone(api_key="YOUR_API_KEY")

  # To get the unique host for an index, 
  # see https://docs.pinecone.io/guides/manage-data/target-an-index
  index = pc.Index(host="INDEX_HOST")

  index.cancel_import(id="101")
  ```

  ```javascript JavaScript theme={null}
  import { Pinecone } from '@pinecone-database/pinecone';

  const pc = new Pinecone({ apiKey: 'YOUR_API_KEY' });

  // To get the unique host for an index, 
  // see https://docs.pinecone.io/guides/manage-data/target-an-index
  const index = pc.index("INDEX_NAME", "INDEX_HOST")

  await index.cancelImport(id='101');
  ```

  ```java Java theme={null}
  import io.pinecone.clients.Pinecone;
  import io.pinecone.clients.AsyncIndex;
  import org.openapitools.db_data.client.ApiException;

  public class CancelImport {
      public static void main(String[] args) throws ApiException {
          // Initialize a Pinecone client with your API key
          Pinecone pinecone = new Pinecone.Builder("YOUR_API_KEY").build();

          // Get async imports connection object
          AsyncIndex asyncIndex = pinecone.getAsyncIndexConnection("docs-example");

          // Cancel import
          asyncIndex.cancelImport("2");
      }
  }
  ```

  ```go Go theme={null}
  package main

  import (
      "context"
      "fmt"
      "log"

      "github.com/pinecone-io/go-pinecone/v4/pinecone"
  )

  func main() {
      ctx := context.Background()

      pc, err := pinecone.NewClient(pinecone.NewClientParams{
          ApiKey: "YOUR_API_KEY",
      })
      if err != nil {
          log.Fatalf("Failed to create Client: %v", err)
      }

      // To get the unique host for an index, 
      // see https://docs.pinecone.io/guides/manage-data/target-an-index
      idxConnection, err := pc.Index(pinecone.NewIndexConnParams{Host: "INDEX_HOST"})
      if err != nil {
          log.Fatalf("Failed to create IndexConnection for Host: %v", err)
    	}

      importID := "101"

      err = idxConnection.CancelImport(ctx, importID)
      if err != nil {
          log.Fatalf("Failed to cancel import: %s", importID)
      }

      importDesc, err := idxConnection.DescribeImport(ctx, importID)
      if err != nil {
          log.Fatalf("Failed to describe import: %s - %v", importID, err)
      }
  }
  ```

  ```csharp C# theme={null}
  using Pinecone;

  var pinecone = new PineconeClient("YOUR_API_KEY");

  // To get the unique host for an index, 
  // see https://docs.pinecone.io/guides/manage-data/target-an-index
  var index = pinecone.Index(host: "INDEX_HOST");

  var cancelResponse = await index.CancelBulkImportAsync("101");
  ```

  ```bash curl theme={null}
  # To get the unique host for an index,
  # see https://docs.pinecone.io/guides/manage-data/target-an-index
  PINECONE_API_KEY="YOUR_API_KEY"
  INDEX_HOST="INDEX_HOST"

  curl -X DELETE "https://{INDEX_HOST}/bulk/imports/101" \
    -H 'Api-Key: $YOUR_API_KEY' \
    -H "X-Pinecone-Api-Version: 2025-10"
  ```
</CodeGroup>

```json Response theme={null}
{}
```

<Tip>
  You can cancel your import using the [Pinecone console](https://app.pinecone.io/organizations/-/projects/-/import). To cancel an ongoing import, select the index you are importing into and navigate to the **Imports** tab. Then, click the **ellipsis (...) menu > Cancel**.
</Tip>

## Import limits

<Note>
  If your import exceeds these limits, you'll get an `Exceeds system limit` error. Pinecone can help unblock these imports quickly. [Contact Pinecone support](https://app.pinecone.io/organizations/-/settings/support/ticket) for assistance.
</Note>

| Metric                    | Limit   |
| :------------------------ | :------ |
| Max namespaces per import | 10,000  |
| Max size per namespace    | 500 GB  |
| Max files per import      | 100,000 |
| Max size per file         | 10 GB   |

Also:

* You cannot import data from an AWS S3 bucket into a Pinecone index hosted on GCP or Azure.
* You cannot import data from S3 Express One Zone storage.
* You cannot import data into an existing namespace.
* When importing data into the `__default__` namespace of an index, the default namespace must be empty.
* Each import takes at least 10 minutes to complete.
* When importing into an [index with integrated embedding](/guides/index-data/indexing-overview#vector-embedding), records must contain vectors, not text. To add records with text, you must use [upsert](/guides/index-data/upsert-data).

## Troubleshooting

When an import fails, you'll see an error message with the reason for the failure in the [Pinecone console](https://app.pinecone.io/organizations/-/projects/-/import) or in the response to the [describe an import](/reference/api/latest/data-plane/describe_import) operation.

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Namespace already exists">
    You cannot import data into an existing namespace. If your import directory structure contains a folder with the name of an existing namespace in your index, the import will fail with the following error:

    ```
    User error: The namespace "example-namespace" already exists. Imports are only allowed into nonexistent namespaces.
    ```

    To fix this, rename the folder to use a namespace name that does not yet exist.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="No namespace found">
    In object storage, your directory structure must be as follows:

    ```
    example_bucket/
    --/imports/
    ----/example_namespace1/
    ------0.parquet
    ------1.parquet
    ------2.parquet
    ------3.parquet
    ----/example_namespace2/
    ------4.parquet
    ------5.parquet
    ------6.parquet
    ------7.parquet
    ```

    If a Parquet file is not nested under a namespace subdirectory, the import will fail with the following error:

    ```
    User error: \"test-import/0.parquet\": No namespace detected. Each file should be nested under a subdirectory of the URI prefix. This indicates which namespace it should be imported into.
    ```

    To fix this, move the Parquet file to a namespace subdirectory.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Parquet files not found">
    Each namespace subdirectory must contain Parquet files with data to import. If a namespace subdirectory does not include Parquet files, the import will fail with the following error:

    ```
    User error: No Parquet files found under \"gs://example_bucket/imports\". Files must be stored with the specified bucket prefix.
    ```

    To fix this, add Parquet files to the namespace subdirectory.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Invalid import URI">
    In your [start import](/reference/api/latest/data-plane/start_import) request, the import `uri` must specify only the bucket and import directory containing the namespaces and Parquet files you want to import. If the `uri` also contains a namespaces directory or a Parquet filename, the import will fail with the following error:

    ```
    User error: \"test-import/0.parquet\": It looks like you specified a complete path to a parquet file as the URI prefix to import from. Note that the URI prefix should give an ancestor directory with subdirectories to specify each namespace to import into. See https://docs.pinecone.io/guides/data/understanding-imports#directory-structure.
    ```

    To fix this, remove the namespaces directory or Parquet filename from the `uri`.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Invalid Parquet files">
    When a Parquet file is not formatted correctly, the import will fail with a message like one of the following:

    ```shell File schema errors theme={null}
    Missing required column \"{0}\"
    Unsupported column \"{0}\"
    ```

    ```shell File corruption errors theme={null}
    Parquet footer could not be parsed. Are you sure this is valid parquet?
    ```

    ```shell Type errors theme={null}
    The expected data type for column \"{column}\" is \"{expected}\", but got \"{given}\"
    The expected data type for metadata is a JSON encoded string in UTF-8 format, but got \"{given}\"
    ```

    These errors are returned for both `CONTINUE` and `ABORT` error modes.

    To fix these errors, check the specific error message and follow the instructions in the [Prepare your data](#prepare-your-data) section.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Invalid records">
    When the `error_mode` is `ABORT` and a file contains invalid records, the import will stop processing on the first invalid record and return an error message identifying the file name and row:

    ```
    User error: error reading record (file \"/0.parquet\", row 0):
    ```

    This will be followed by an error message identifying the specific issue. For example:

    ```shell Missing values theme={null}
    missing required values in column \"{column}\"
    ```

    ```shell Invalid metadata  theme={null}
    Failed to parse metadata: {msg}
    ```

    ```shell Invalid vectors theme={null}
    Upserting dense vectors is not supported for sparse indexes
    ```

    When the `error_mode` is `CONTINUE`, the import will skip individual invalid records. However, if all records are invalid and skipped (for example, the vector type in the file does not match the vector type of the index), the import will fail with a general message:

    ```
    User error: No vectors added, all rows were skipped for namespace: example-namespace
    ```

    To fix these errors, check the specific error message and follow the instructions in the [Prepare your data](#prepare-your-data) section.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Duplicate records">
    When your import contains duplicate vectors (records with identical vector values), the duplicates are marked as skipped and not imported. Only one occurrence of each unique vector is added to the index.

    This applies to both `CONTINUE` and `ABORT` error modes:

    * With `ABORT`: The import fails when it encounters a duplicate vector within the import.
    * With `CONTINUE`: The import proceeds, skipping duplicate records silently.

    **Example scenario:**
    If your Parquet file contains:

    ```parquet  theme={null}
    id | values
    ---|---------
    1  | [0.1, 0.2, 0.3]
    2  | [0.1, 0.2, 0.3]  ← Duplicate of record 1, will be skipped
    3  | [0.4, 0.5, 0.6]
    ```

    Only records 1 and 3 will be imported.

    To prevent this from happening, deduplicate your source data before creating Parquet files by removing records with identical vector values.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## See also

* [Integrate with Amazon S3](/guides/operations/integrations/integrate-with-amazon-s3)
* [Integrate with Google Cloud Storage](/guides/operations/integrations/integrate-with-google-cloud-storage)
* [Integrate with Azure Blob Storage](/guides/operations/integrations/integrate-with-azure-blob-storage)
* [Pinecone's pricing](https://www.pinecone.io/pricing/)