Resolved: Changes to Data Export tool

[KateFitbit]

Fitbit Update 11/30/2018: This issue has been resolved and I'll be closing it from further responses. 

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Fitbit Update 11/28/2018: The old data export tool is now back and available for use. You can now choose which way you would like to export your data going forward. If you would like to access the old tool, please go here and select "if you would like to use the old data export tool click here" under Export My Fitbit Data. 

If you have any issues, please let me know. Thanks for your patience and reports! 

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Fitbit Update 11/27/2018: Happy Tuesday! Just a heads up that we hope to have an update soon on the Data Export tool. I'll continue to update the thread this week. 

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Fitbit Update 11/20/2018: While I don't have an update today, I can assure you that your feedback is being heard. One note, if you contact our support team, they will not be able to supply additional details, but I will continue to update this thread as I know more. We do appreciate the feedback.

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Fitbit Update 11/16/2018:  Hi Everyone, here's an update on the recent changes to the export tool:

With the recent improvements to our tool, you can now export your Fitbit data, starting from your first step with Fitbit.

You can also access new data for download, such as heart-rate data, exercise logs, and your activity in the Fitbit community. For more information, see How do I export my data?

We understand that some customers are having difficulty interpreting their data in the new download format. We’ll continue to add features and make improvements based on your feedback.

Thank you all for your input in the thread. Our team will continue to monitor this thread and I'll let you know when I have further updates. 

[iccir919]

@Reydoog, thanks for the positive feedback for the Fitbit Data JSON to .csv File Converter. Let me know if you find any bugs.

Per your request, I added a feature to merge the files you input into one file. The next time you use it, make sure that the checkbox is checked and you should get one file from many. 

[Reydoog]

@iccir919 thanks this is genius!  So fast and did just as wanted.  Thanks again. 

[SunsetRunner]

Data download (new) sucks! The reason I bought a fit bit is so that I can analyse my own data, calculate sleep scores etc. The new format puts a stop to this, i am thinking of throwing away my fit bit, it is now useless. 

[Rich_Laue]

I agree that it is bad and useless to most everyone, but Fitbit needed to comply with European regulations.

Keep an eye on the top post of this suggestion 

[MrMarv]

@iccir919 -

Didn't do anything - mac/safari - mulitiple or single files -btw why the google analytics?

[rickypat]

just a little update for everyone. Following is a response I received from fitbit earlier today:

Thank you for contacting us in order to assist you.

We understand your concern and please rest assured that your claim has been notified properly by following the guidelines for this kind of doubts. We appreciate also you took the time to check our Community to summarize your claim and comments in our web.

As for now we have no records about any further change for this feature but please keep checking the App and web dashboard in order to check any update we have for the Data export.

For any further questions, please let us know. It's a pleasure to assist you!

Sincerely,

Julio A and the Fitbit Team

Let it suffice to say that I have no warm feeling of assistance overwhelming me...I will refrain from commenting on Julio's second sentence...

Other small comments--by pucker, wink, nod, finangling, and the help of some of the folks on this thread I AM able to read some of my data now---unfortunately, this is all "extra" stuff that I did not have to do before. (and--apparently, because I cannot find it--at least some of the data is missing) And I have read and understand all the possibilities, the EU possibility, the Google possiblity--wonderful, BUTT--please don't make a change when you are not ready to do so!!! To our moderator, @KateFitbit, thanks for the glimmer of hope msg we saw earlier--please let us know a time frame--I cannot spend multiple times a day checking to see if yet another mod has occurred. Thanks. And now, I have to determine a good way to translate Julio's second sentence...

[iccir919]

@MrMarv, I'm sorry about the issue you are experiencing with my Fitbit Data JSON to .csv File Converter. Thank you for reporting the issue with the files not downloading.

If you were trying to download the files of the same data type and have them not be merged, there was a bug. But it is now fixed! I tested out files of the same data type merged and non-merged files on my end with Safari on Mac and both cases worked out. If you are still experiencing issues, then tell me the data type you are experiencing an issue with and I will look into it.

Please note that you can only merge files of the same data type (altitude, heart rate, etc). I will add some better notification by the website to not allow you to try and merge two different data types together.

In regards to the Google Analytics, it is just a measure for me to know how many people I am helping out. According to W3Techs, Google Analytics is being used by 52.9 percent of all websites on the internet, including Fitbit. 

[Northern_Viking]

This "improved" Data export solution is the worst user experience I have ever had. What happened to the user friendly download completed in seconds ???

We have reached 2018 where technology to help users actually exist. Please improve the data export.

[SunsetRunner]

Now that we have some tools to convert the files to .csv whether the JSON to CSV addin for Excel or the scripts that others have produced I can see that Fitbit are between a rock and a hard place. The original download didn't have heart rate and a csv file with 31 days of heart rate data would be in the order of 620,000 lines. There are also other elements of the data, now in the JSON file that the .csv files didn't contain. So, I can see why they reworked the whole data export.

However, it doesn't let them off the hook seeing how badly they've handled this with no communication worth anything and no transition plan other than chuck it over the fence and run. As we've discovered the old export is still functional, so why they couldn't have included the link to the original data export on the same web page as the JSON file export as an interim solution beats me.

We are now entering week 3 and patiently waiting for some announcement. It had better be good after all this time, somehow, I’m anticipating disappointment. At the very least I’d hope to get an updated JSON export that allowed date ranges to be selected and then some tools to deal with the data. In addition, they should temporarily put back the link to the original export for those users who still need it. This would allow the community to come to terms with the JSON files, and get some reporting tools bedded in to enable the general user to then move off the old export.

[JessicaBunny]

Just found I can't use the usual data export function ie to choose when and what to export to Excel.  Seen in the forums the protests over yet another unfathomable change - first the food logs now this!  WHY does Fitbit keep trying to fix what isn't broke?!  Please leave alone / restore the functionality of these key features which is what I use Fitbit for - to monitor my weight, diet and activity quickly, easily and under MY control.  I'm not going to request and wait for my data by email then have to struggle with an unusable unknown zipped package then fill up my PC with unwanted repeated data, which is what everyone is saying.  PLEASE LISTEN to your paying customers!  At least the Food Log team did and restored the logging system to its usual simple format, so if that team can do it, please can the data export team follow its good example!

[Rich_Laue]

@JessicaBunny  the data export page got broken when Europe changed it's rules, meanung the data export was now not compliant. It would be nice if it was only changed for the countries that where affected, rather than for the whole world. 

I know Wikipedia is not always the best but they do cite the sources. Here is a link to the article ok the regulations. 

An excerpt:

Data subjects have the right to request a portable copy of the data collected by a processor in a common format, 

[PaulGreatrex]

A Common format...JSON?....fail...that is not common...most common is
text....and of course CSV.

[pscg7530]

I found it easier to just strip out the time portion of the date field using sed (sorry, old UNIX guy here) before converting to csv.  I then opened the csv file in excel, selected the dateTime and value columns and used the subtotal functionality to sum up the total of each day.  To each their own, I guess.

Funny, though, in the fuss that this data export functionality change has caused, I kind of forgot why I was downloading these data in the first place.  Oh yeah, it was because I upload my step data to Garmin Connect.

[Reydoog]

@pscg7530 can you still upload your step data into Garmin connect? If so can you let me know how , because it appears that Garmin have removed the Fitbit upload option when this change occurred. I also want to upload my steps into Garman, but cannot see how at the moment

[Rich_Laue]

When did Garmin add a link to your Fitbit account, people have been asking Fitbit to get Garmin to do this.

[pscg7530]

I used to use the Fitbit export to csv functionality to export my step
and body data, and then used the import (or upload) functionality on
Garmin Connect to upload these data.

[Reydoog]

@pscg7530  See the red text on this page https://support.garmin.com/en-GB/?faq=HfJ4xPchdD3cmZ2qtDpOR8 for more information

[bmc511]

Here's my feedback: Prior to this month I could export a month's worth of data in seconds, choose what data I wanted, and get it in spreadsheet format.  Now I cannot choose the time period, I cannot choose what data to get and the format is impossible - I don't want 749 files of single column numbers and symbols that take me days to compile into anything readable and useful. Whatever you're doing, I hope you will go back to a system in which you can export all data you choose into a single spreadsheet-compatible format file.

[craigvan]

@KateFitbit, per my posts, I did use the link and paid the $50 on 11/25. Fitbit emailed me a receipt and the premium service is good for a year, it says. The xls downloads are working as before. Two weeks ago in my original post I suggested my willingness to pay for it anyway. Please ensure this is not taken away (again). If it is functional now, there is no reason to disturb it!

[bmc511]

when I tried the merge tool it either gave me a error message or did nothing - the error message when I tried to merge all 700+ json plus and nothing when I tried to merge 8 or so of the same data type