Plot Upload and Analysis Trouble Shooting
Last updated
Last updated
The following guide is designed to assist you if you have any problems with uploading or analyzing your plots with the TradeAware system.
There are a few different reasons why your data upload may not be working. The majority of these are driven by the limitations of the EU TRACES system which are documented .
The system currently accepts polygons and multi-polygons in GeoJSON format.
Our file size limit is 10mb for an upload. If your file is larger than this, then divide it into smaller files (our guide below shows how: How to split large GeoJSON files).
The maximum single plot size you can upload is 10,000 hectares. If your plot is larger than this, divide it into smaller areas (our guide below shows how: How to split large GeoJSON files).
When our system says that the plot "kinks" this means that it self-intersects. Self-intersecting geometries—where parts of a boundary overlap or loop back—are problematic because they make calculations, such as area and spatial relationships, unreliable, and can lead to errors in processing. This is also a requirement of the EU TRACES system which is documented . You will need to resolve the self-intersection (our guide below shows how: How to resolve geometry kinks)
Files uploaded to TradeAware have to use the CRS84 projection (longitude, latitude format). If your files use a different projection, you will need to reproject them for compatibility.
The system only supports 2D geometries. Files with 3D or higher-dimensional data need to be converted to 2D by removing any additional dimensions.
If you GeoJSON contains a property on the plots that is the name of the plots, you can bulk upload this in TradeAware. For this to work, these must be included in the feature properties as a "name" field.
e.g. Working example
e.g. Non-working example
When you upload plots with a name, a short number will be added to the end to ensure uniqueness. For example, the plot with name 123 above if the first in the file would become 123_1.
If you do a bulk upload, the time to complete the analysis depends on the size of your upload. If it's not ready right away, feel free to check back later.
If you have received an error indicating that your GeoJSON file exceeds the 10,000 hectares limit, follow the steps below to split your file into smaller parts. These instructions will guide you through using free online tools to manage your data efficiently.
Option 1: Using GeoJSON.io
Upload Your GeoJSON File:
Click on "Open" at the top of the page.
Choose "File" and upload your GeoJSON data. Your data will be visualized on the map.
Manually Split the Features:
Click on individual features or groups of features you want to split.
Use the "Edit" option to select and delete the features you don't need in the current file, leaving only the desired features.
Export the Split Files:
Click "Save" to export the remaining features as a new GeoJSON file.
Repeat the process until your file is split into smaller parts.
Re-upload the Files: Upload the newly created, smaller GeoJSON files to resolve the size limit issue.
Option 2: Using MyGeoData Converter
MyGeoData Converter is a free online tool that can help you manage and split large GeoJSON files.
Upload Your GeoJSON File:
Click "Upload Data" and select your GeoJSON file.
Split the File:
Follow the prompts to convert and split your GeoJSON file. You may choose to split by attributes or manually, depending on your file's structure.
Download the Split Files:
Download the resulting smaller GeoJSON files.
Re-upload the Files: Use the newly created files to proceed with your workflow.
File Size Limits: Most free online tools have file size limits (typically around 5-10MB). If your file exceeds these limits, consider using a free desktop application like QGIS for more advanced splitting.
There are two ways to do this:
Manual cleanup - The best way how to deal with intersections is by manually cleaning the geometries one by one and making sure that intersections don’t exist anymore. By doing so, you are in full control about how geometries are changed.
Automatic cleaning - Another way to automatically resolve the issue is by first, applying a small buffer to the geometry to resolve the self-intersection. Please use that method with caution and check your results, as this might also alter your original geometry at other areas!
Steps:
Load your geometry
Click the top-left menu icon (☰)
Select “Open” → “File” and upload your .geojson file
or
Copy your GeoJSON and paste it directly into the left-side text editor
Inspect your geometry visually
The map on the right displays your plot
Look for sharp spikes, small overlaps, or irregular edges that could cause geometry kinks
Invalid or problematic shapes may appear jagged, twisted, or looped over themselves
Zoom in to carefully check vertex placement—tiny kinks may only be visible at high zoom level
Edit the geometry
Click on a polygon to select it
Click and drag a vertex to adjust its position
Double-click a line to add a new vertex
Click a vertex and press Delete (or Backspace) to remove it
Ensure the polygon ring is closed
The first and last vertex should be the same
geojson.io automatically maintains closed rings, but double-check the coordinate list in the left panel if needed
Save your cleaned geometry
Click the menu icon (☰)
Select “Save” → “GeoJSON” to download the updated file
Steps:
Open your geometry file in QGIS.
In the top menu, select: Vector → Geometry Tools → Buffer
In the Buffer tool dialog:
Distance: set to 0.000001 (in degrees)
Segments to approximate: leave as default (e.g. 5)
Click Run to create the new buffered layer.
Save the output as a new GeoJSON or shapefile.
You can re-check geometry validity via: Vector → Geometry Tools → Check Validity
is a free, online editor for GeoJSON files, allowing you to manually split and manage your data.
Visit in your browser.
Open MyGeoData Converter: Visit in your browser.
Manual Splitting: Some tools, like , require manual effort to split features. Be prepared to repeat the process if necessary to get your data within the acceptable limits.
When our system says that the plot "kinks" this means that it self-intersects. Self-intersecting geometries—where parts of a boundary overlap or loop back - need to be resolved before they can be uploaded to TradeAware. If you require more technical information, please reach out to .
You can manually inspect and edit your plot geometry using various tools including online using . This is useful for quickly resolving small geometry issues such as overlaps, sharp spikes, or duplicate vertices.
Open in your browser.
To do this you will need to use a geospatial tool such as . Applying a minimal buffer in QGIS is a simple and effective way to resolve geometry issues.This micro-buffer gently reshapes the geometry just enough to eliminate overlaps and self-intersections without significantly altering the shape.