Warning: Problem loading the .json data file for mapping

This post needs to be updated !!

If you are reading this post, you probably received the warning message below when opening the Mapping web app: 

What's a .json data file?

The .json data file is the map data file that the Mapping Sheets add-on creates in the xsMapping folder in your Google Drive. 

• The Mapping web app reads that data file using an ajax call.

How do I solve this problem?

1. You might not have access to the map data file because the map was built by someone else.

   • Ask that person to share the json data file with you with View access.

2. You are logged into the browser with multiple Google accounts and are not using the default account.

   • Switch to your default account, or

   • Share your map with the other accounts you are using.

     1. If you want to Share your map with others, share the specific json map data file with those users.

     2. If you want the map to be Accessible by anyone, you can make the json file Public (Anyone can view).

   • How do you know if you are logged in with multiple accounts? See more details at the bottom of this page.

3. You might have an invalid json data file. This could be caused by the following issues:

   • No proper headers in the first row.

   • Invalid characters within your content (e.g. Unicode 0x2028).

4. Some users have reported other situations provoking this issue, like:

   • The Privacy Badger extension may block the ajax call. Turning it off for the Mapping app page usually solves the issue.

   • When ON, Bitdefender and the "Web-protection, against phishing toggle" may cause blockage.

   • AdblockPlus may block resources from loading.

5. Some instances on the Safari browser have caused this warning in the past:

   • When the .json data file is not Public, Safari may show a "Too many http redirects" error when accessing the data file. We still don't know the root cause of this, but it looks like Safari does something different from the other browsers.

   • The solutions might be any of the following, as applicable:

     1. Use the Chrome browser.

     2. Make the specific json map data file Public (Anyone can view).

     3. Follow the instructions suggested by Apple in this post. (It has worked for some users, including us.)

     4. Others have suggested to remove cross-site tracking block as explained in this post for a permanent fix.

6. There might be other causes we are not fully aware of yet. Please submit a feedback ticket to our support team if this error keeps occurring.

How do I know if I am logged into the Chrome browser with multiple Google accounts?

Open a new tab in your Chrome browser and click on the round picture or initial in the top-right corner. You will be able to see all the accounts that you are logged in with. If you are not logged in with your default account, the text "(default)" will appear next to your default account.