How to Monitor Source Processing Status

After you upload or import geographic data, Geobble may need time to prepare it before the Source can be used normally. Open the Source page to follow its status. While a Source is PENDING or PROCESSING, the page automatically checks for status changes. When processing succeeds, the Source becomes READY. If processing cannot complete, it becomes ERROR.

A PENDING Source can also mean that the Source record exists but its file upload was never completed, so the context shown on the Source page matters as much as the status label itself.

The Source lifecycle

A normal file or database import generally follows this pattern:

Source created
      ↓
PENDING
      ↓
PROCESSING
      ↓
READY

If ingestion fails:

PENDING / PROCESSING
        ↓
      ERROR

Geobble currently also supports an ARCHIVED Source status, but ARCHIVED is not part of the normal ingestion progression.

The important processing statuses are therefore:

• Status: PENDING · What it generally means: The Source exists but processing has not yet completed or begun · What you should do: Check the Source page for whether the upload is complete

• Status: PROCESSING · What it generally means: Geobble is actively preparing the Source · What you should do: Allow processing to continue

• Status: READY · What it generally means: Processing completed successfully · What you should do: Inspect the Source before using it

• Status: ERROR · What it generally means: Processing failed · What you should do: Review the failure and troubleshoot before retrying

• Status: ARCHIVED · What it generally means: The Source has been placed outside the normal active state · What you should do: Treat it as an inactive Source rather than an ingestion step

1. Open the Source page

After a successful file upload or queued import, Geobble takes you to the Source that was created.

You can also open it later from Sources or from its Collection.

The Source page is the primary place to check whether the data is still being prepared or is ready to use.

For a Source that is not yet ready, its current status appears beside the Source title.

2. Understand PENDING

PENDING needs slightly more interpretation than the other statuses because it can represent two situations.

The file has been uploaded and is waiting for processing

Immediately after a normal upload, the newly created Source can still technically be PENDING while the processing system picks up the work.

Geobble treats a newly uploaded Source as being in its processing flow, so you may see the processing interface even before the backend has formally changed the status to PROCESSING.

In this case, you normally do not need to upload the file again.

The progression is simply:

Upload completed
      ↓
PENDING
      ↓
PROCESSING

The Source exists but no file was successfully attached

A PENDING Source can also exist without an uploaded file.

For example, Source creation may have begun but the file transfer may not have completed.

When Geobble detects this situation, the Source page displays an incomplete upload state instead of pretending that processing is underway.

If you have permission to modify the Source, the page can provide a file-upload control so that you can complete the upload.

Conceptually:

Source created
      ↓
file not attached
      ↓
PENDING
      ↓
complete the upload

This is why you should not interpret every PENDING status as “the server is just slow”.

Look at what the Source page is telling you.

3. Understand PROCESSING

PROCESSING means Geobble has begun preparing the Source.

Depending on how the Source was created, processing can involve operations required to transform the incoming geographic data into the managed representations Geobble uses for preview, analysis, and mapping.

During this state, the Source page displays a processing indicator rather than the normal ready-data interface.

You usually do not need to manually refresh the page repeatedly. While a Source is PENDING or PROCESSING, the current Source-detail interface automatically checks the Source again approximately every three seconds.

Once the backend changes the status, the page can therefore reflect the new state without you having to repeatedly reopen it.

Do not start duplicate imports merely because processing is not immediate

Processing time depends on the incoming data and the work required.

A Source remaining in PROCESSING for a while does not by itself mean that ingestion has failed.

Avoid responding by creating several copies of the same Source:

roads
roads-2
roads-final
roads-retry
roads-retry-2

while the first import is still running.

That makes it harder to determine which Source represents the intended dataset and can create unnecessary processing work.

Use the existing Source as the place to observe the current operation.

4. Understand READY

READY means Geobble successfully completed the Source processing workflow.

Once ready, the Source can expose the normal processed-data interface, including its geographic preview when one is available.

The Source can then be used in subsequent workflows such as analysis, Projects, map work or enrichment.

However, READY means:

Geobble successfully processed the Source.

It does not mean:

Geobble has verified that every value in the dataset is geographically correct.

That distinction is important.

Check a READY Source before using it

Once processing completes, inspect the result.

At minimum, look at:

• whether features appear in the expected place;

• whether the geographic extent is plausible;

• whether the expected geometry type is present;

• whether important attributes are available;

• whether the feature count appears reasonable;

• whether obvious parts of the dataset are missing.

For a PostGIS import, also remember that the requested row limit and exclusion of rows with null geometry can affect the resulting feature count.

For a file upload, check that the correct file and complete dataset were supplied.

A Source can be technically READY while still being inappropriate for a particular analysis.

READY removes the processing restriction

The current Source interface only exposes several normal data actions once the Source reaches READY.

For example, a ready Source can expose actions to analyse the dataset or enrich it, and its processed geographic preview can become available.

That makes READY the practical transition from:

data ingestion

to:

working with the Source

Do not build downstream work around a Source that is still being prepared if the workflow expects the final processed representation.

5. Understand ERROR

ERROR means the processing operation could not complete successfully.

This is different from an upload being incomplete.

Compare:

PENDING + no file
→ the required file transfer was not completed

with:

ERROR
→ processing was attempted but did not complete successfully

Possible causes depend on how the Source was created.

They can include problems with the input data, its format, geometry, connection settings, or an external PostGIS configuration.

Do not assume the cause from the status alone.

Inspect the available error information before deciding what to change.

For the dedicated troubleshooting process, see Why a Source Failed to Process.

Do not retry blindly after ERROR

Repeatedly submitting the same unchanged input is unlikely to help when the failure is caused by the input or configuration.

Instead, establish:

1. what operation failed;

2. what error Geobble reports;

3. whether the problem occurred during upload, connection or processing;

4. what input or configuration needs correction.

Then retry with a specific reason for expecting a different outcome.

Article Why a Source Failed to Process covers those diagnostics in more detail.

6. Understand ARCHIVED

ARCHIVED is one of the supported Source statuses, but it should not be interpreted as the next stage after READY.

The normal processing lifecycle ends at either:

READY

or:

ERROR

ARCHIVED represents a Source outside the ordinary active processing/use state.

If you encounter an archived Source, do not wait for it to “finish processing”. It is not a processing-progress indicator.

The exact management action appropriate for an archived Source depends on why it was archived and the controls available to the account.

Status is different from review status

Geobble also maintains catalogue and review information for Sources.

Do not confuse processing status with content-review state.

For example:

Processing status: READY
Review status: NEEDS_REVIEW

is possible in principle because these fields answer different questions.

Processing status asks:

Has Geobble successfully prepared the geographic data?

Review status asks:

What is the current review state of the Source's content and metadata?

A technically ready Source may still need human review of provenance, dates, limitations or suitability.

Status is also different from visibility

Likewise, a Source being READY does not mean it is public.

Processing and access are separate concerns.

A Source can be processed successfully while remaining in a private Collection.

Do not change visibility simply because ingestion has finished.

Review the data, metadata, licence and intended audience before making catalogue resources public.

What should I do while a Source is processing?

In most cases: nothing.

You can leave the Source page and return later.

The import has already been submitted.

You do not need to keep the original upload form open once file transfer has succeeded and the Source has been created.

If you stay on the Source page, Geobble automatically checks processing Sources for status changes.

Once the Source becomes ready, inspect it before moving on.

When should I investigate a Source that appears stuck?

There is no useful universal time threshold such as:

Every Source should become ready within five minutes.

Dataset size, format and processing requirements differ.

Instead, investigate when there is evidence that something is abnormal, such as:

• the Source explicitly reaches ERROR;

• the page says the upload is incomplete;

• a failure notification appears;

• processing remains unchanged unusually long relative to similar work;

• the Source never becomes usable and there is relevant failure information available.

Avoid guessing that processing has failed merely because it is not instantaneous.

The later troubleshooting article can own more detailed diagnosis of unusually long processing.

If the upload is incomplete

If the Source page shows that the Source is PENDING because no file was successfully attached, use the upload control provided there when available.

Select the intended source file again and let the upload finish.

The current recovery interface accepts the same general file types and size limit as the primary Source upload flow.

Once the replacement upload completes, processing should begin.

This is a recovery for an incomplete Source record; it is not the same as creating an unrelated new Source.

If a PostGIS import fails

An external PostGIS Source also moves through the Source status lifecycle.

A successful import becomes READY.

If the import fails, Geobble records the Source as ERROR, and the current PostGIS workflow can generate a failure notification advising you to review the connection settings and table configuration.

The original external table is not modified by the import failure.

See How to Import an External PostGIS Table into Geobble for the configuration requirements.

A useful monitoring workflow

For a newly created Source:

Upload or import
      ↓
Open Source
      ↓
Is the upload incomplete?
   ↙       ↘
 Yes        No
  ↓          ↓
complete    wait while
upload      processing
              ↓
        READY or ERROR
          ↙       ↘
      inspect     troubleshoot
      result

This keeps the response appropriate to the actual Source state instead of treating every delay as a processing failure.

Quick status checklist

If the Source is PENDING

• Check whether the page says the upload is incomplete.

• If the file was uploaded successfully, allow processing to begin.

• Do not create duplicate Sources unnecessarily.

If the Source is PROCESSING

• Allow the ingestion workflow to continue.

• Leave the page open or return later.

• Do not repeatedly resubmit the same import.

If the Source is READY

• Inspect the map or geographic extent.

• Check feature count and geometry.

• Review important attributes.

• Verify the Source is suitable for its intended use.

• Complete relevant provenance and catalogue information.

If the Source is ERROR

• Read the available failure information.

• Identify whether the problem concerns the input or import configuration.

• Correct the cause before retrying.

• Continue with the dedicated troubleshooting guide.