This article outlines the steps for mitigating temporary known issues with data imports and exports in REDCap@UNC.
Note: The Research Data Management Core REDCap@UNC Team is aware of users experiencing the issues listed on this article from their REDCap projects, and we are actively working to resolve these issues which are affecting users on the REDCap Research (formerly RC2), REDCap Operations, and REDCap Part 11 services. Projects on other services are not affected.
In This Article:
Known Issue: Importing Data - Data Import Tool
Issue
Users on the REDCap Research (formerly RC2), REDCap Operations, and REDCap Part 11 service are experiencing problems importing data when the Import in real time option is selected. The data may not import successfully, and you may see a 504 error message.
Mitigation
While the REDCap@UNC team works on a solution, please follow the steps below:
To avoid the importing data issue, please use the Background Import Process. Your data will be imported after you upload your file, and you will receive an email when the process is complete. This method is more stable and better suited for larger files during this period.
Note: Background imports may take longer than real-time imports.
To use the Background Import Process, follow these steps:
- Navigate to your project and go to Data Import Tool.
- Upload your file as usual.
- Select “Import as background process (better for large data sets)” option on Choose an import option.
- You will receive an email notification once the import is completed.
If you continue to experience difficulties or have any questions, please contact us through the REDCap@UNC Support Portal.
Known Issue: Exporting Data - Files
Issue
Users on the REDCap Research (formerly RC2), REDCap Operations, and REDCap Part 11 service are experiencing problems exporting large data sets and zip files (>10,000 records). The export may timeout, the downloaded zip may not open, or you may see an error message.
Mitigation
While the REDCap@UNC team works on a solution, please follow the steps below:
To avoid the exporting data issue, we recommend using the Reports feature to export only the data you need. Exporting through a targeted report rather than a full dataset export is more reliable and will help you retrieve the data you need during this period.
To use the Reports feature for exports, follow these steps:
- Navigate to your project and go to Data Exports, Reports, and Stats.
- Create a new report or select an existing one.
- Define the specific fields, filters and records you need.
- Click Export Data and choose your preferred file format.
If you continue to experience difficulties or have any questions, please contact us through the REDCap@UNC Support Portal.
Known Issue: Exporting Data Issue - Download All (Zip)
Issue
Users on the REDCap Research (formerly RC2), REDCap Operations, and REDCap Part 11 service are experiencing problems exporting large data sets and zip files (>10,000 records). The export may timeout, the downloaded zip may not open, or you may see an error message.
Mitigation
While the REDCap@UNC team works on a solution, please follow the steps below:
To avoid the exporting issue with the "Download all (zip)" feature, we recommend using the File Repository process outlined below. We recognize that this is not the most efficient manner for downloading files; however, it will ensure that files download properly without errors. Our team is working on a solution for this issue at this time.
To use the File Repository process, please follow these steps:
- Navigate to your project and go to File Repository.
- Locate the PDF file(s) you need.
- Click on each file individually to download it.
If you continue to experience difficulties or have any questions, please contact us through the REDCap@UNC Support Portal.
Known Issue: REDCap Emails Delivered to Spam or Junk Mail Folder (07/30/2026)
Issue
Users on the REDCap Research (formerly RC2), REDCap Operations, and REDCap Part 11 services have found that some REDCap-generated emails (including survey invitations) are delivered to recipients’ Spam or Junk Mail folders. If a recipient has not checked their Junk Mail folder, they may be under the impression that they did not receive the email at all.
Mitigation
The REDCap@UNC support team has investigated this issue and is continuing to monitor it, as there is not a solution available at this time to completely avoid the issue.
If you or a participant believe that an email was not delivered, please check (or ask the participant to check) the Spam or Junk Mail folder for the message.
If the email is located, we recommend following the recipient email provider’s instructions for marking the message as Not Junk and adding the sending email address (listed below) to the list of allowed or safe senders. These steps will prevent mail to that recipient from being treated as junk, and over time will help improve proper delivery of all REDCap emails.
Below are links to instructions from common email providers:
Sending address to allow:
If the email is not located, please follow the Mitigation instructions under “Study Team Does Not Receive ‘Bounced’ Emails” in this Known Issues article.
Known Issue: Study Team Does Not Receive ‘Bounced’ Emails (07/30/2026)
Issue
Due to changes in how email (including survey invitations) is sent from the new REDCap@UNC systems, users on the REDCap Research (formerly RC2), REDCap Operations, and REDCap Part 11 services will not receive a “bounced” or “message undeliverable” email when their outgoing email was not delivered to the recipient.
Mitigation
The REDCap@UNC support team is actively working on a solution to allow study team members to review undeliverable emails from their projects.
In the meantime, if a participant reports not receiving a REDCap email, (or if you suspect they did not receive an email), please first ask the participant to check their Spam or Junk Mail folder for the message.
If the email is located, please follow the Mitigation instructions under “REDCap Emails Delivered to Spam or Junk Mail Folder” in this Known Issues article.
If the email is not located, please contact REDCap@UNC Support via the General Support form. Include your Project ID as well as the Invitation Send Time (e.g. 2026-07-20 11:14) and Participant Email (e.g. user@gmail.com) from the Survey Invitation Log in your request. The support team will respond with the delivery information about that email.