Troubleshooting guide for Zillow Data Exporter

Table of contents

1. How does the Zillow Data Exporter extension work?
2. Watch the troubleshooting video
3. Common problems
4. Potential solutions
5. Report the problem
6. Be patient and understanding
7. Be proactive
8. Get in touch
9. Conclusion

How does the Zillow Data Exporter extension work?

Zillow Data Exporter is an extension that exports property listings from Zillow.

It is dependent on Zillow as Zillow has all the data that we need to export. To work properly, Zillow Data Exporter needs to be able to read the webpage in your browser and find the elements that contain the information desired.

These elements are then processed so that we can create a file with a CSV or XLSX format that can be imported into other software such as Excel or Google Sheets.

Zillow Data Exporter may stop working from time to time when Zillow updates their website. There is unfortunately not much that can be done about that.

Watch the troubleshooting video

Please watch the video below that will walk you through how to troubleshoot the extension.

Common problems

The extension has never worked at all

After installing Zillow Data Exporter it is possible that extension does not work straight away. This is expected. The extension should work again once the webpage has been re-loaded.

Nothing happens when you click the "export" button

There is no indication that the extension is working. When you press the export button, nothing happens. The overlay may or may not appear. The file is not automatically downloaded on your computer.

The extension doesn't work when you are on a different website

Zillow Data Exporter only works on the Zillow website. If you try to use it on another website, it will not work.

The extension doesn't work when you are on a different browser

Depending on your Chrome settings, when you install the extension on one browser, it may not be installed in all your browsers.

For example, I have my work computer and my personal computer. Both computers have Chrome and also Firefox installed. Because I am logged with my Google account in Chrome on my work computer and on my personal computer, if I install an extensions in one of the Chrome browsers, the extension will be installed on both.

If you are not logged in Chrome on a second computer, then the extension will not be present. You will need to download it again or log in Chrome with your Google account.

If you are using a computer that does not belong to you, you most likely will have to re-install the extension in Chrome.

The extension is out of date

When a new version of Zillow Data Exporter is released, the extension should be automatically updated but every once in a while, it may not happen properly. Reloading the extension should fix the problem.

You can find a detailed video tutorial on how to update the extension below.

The extension use to work but now doesn't

When Zillow updates their website, the extension may stop working. That is because Zillow Data Exporter may not be able to find the elements that contain the information desired.

If that happens, unfortunately, you will have to wait until I have made some changes to the extension and released a new version before being able to export the listings. This can take up to two or three days in general.

Potential solutions

Check the website

Please make sure that you are on the Zillow website before trying to export listings. The extension only works on the Zillow website.

Check the browser

Is your Chrome browser up to date? If an update is pending, please update your browser before trying again to export listings again.

Check the extension

Is the extension icon showing your extension menu of your Chrome browser?

NOTE: You should pin the extension icon to the top right corner of your browser for easier access.

Reload the webpage

Try reloading the webpage before exporting the listings. Zillow may have updated their website recently. It is also possible that the Zillow had not finished loading when you first tried to export the listings.

Unfortunately Zillow needs to download a lot of data to display the properties properly.

Depending on your download speed, the webpage may be unresponsive for a while. I recommend waiting a few seconds before trying to export the listings again.

I also would advise you to use and ad-blocker when browsing the Zillow website. You will see a faster loading speed when browsing the Zillow website with an ad-blocker.

I can recommend you the AdBlock extension for Chrome.

NOTE: I am not affiliated with AdBlock in any way and I am not getting any financial compensation from this company. I just like their product.

Restart the browser

If the previous steps have not helped, restart your Chrome browser.

Uninstall the extension and install it again

If the previous steps have not helped, uninstall the extension and install it again. Sometimes an extension does not get installed properly. It is a rare event but it has been known to happen.

Once uninstalled, you can download the extension again here.

Restart your computer

If you have seen the IT Crowd, you'll know what you need to do. Try restarting your computer. Its the simplest thing but sometimes a good restart is all that is needed to fix the problem.

Report the problem

Unfortunately sometime, no matter how hard we try, we can't find a way to fix a problem. If you have tried all the steps in the Potential solutions section above, and still have a problems, please report the problem to me.

The more users report the errors and the more information I receive about them, the better the extension will be for everyone. The worst thing you can do as a user when the extension stops working is to not report it.

So, please do not hesitate to contact me if something doesn't work as expected.

Be patient and understanding

I know how frustrating it can be when you are trying to accomplish a task and then suddenly something goes wrong. A broken website or a broken browser extension is a problem for the users as well as for the creator(s)/developer(s)/maintainer(s) of said website or extension.

As an Indiehacker, there isn't a single day when I don't worry about Zillow Data Exporter.

It is always on my mind and I try to do right by my users.

Sometimes when the frustration builds up, it can be tempting to just unleash all your rage and frustration at the person on the other end of a Tweet or an email.

I get it. It is a catharsis but it is not an excuse to not be respectful and forget that the developer behind the product is a human being just like you who is probably trying their hardest to fix the issues that you are currently having.

In the case of Zillow Data Exporter, I am also at the mercy of the Chrome store reviewers. You see, when I want to update Zillow Data Exporter, I have to wait for the Chrome store reviewers to manually review and approve the new version of the extension.

This process happens every time I update the extension. This process is frustrating and to be completely fair despite having gotten better in the last few years, it cannot be bypassed.

If the review process did not exist, the Chrome store would be overrun by scams and malicious extensions.

To give you an idea of how long it takes to release a new version of Zillow Data Exporter, let's assume that a user reports a problem on Monday morning.

During the day, I work at my day job which finishes around 5pm.

I, then start investigating the problem after dinner and even though I may have found a solution, I will usually wait until the next morning to verify that everything is working as expected.

This is not a process that can be rushed. As a developer, there is no worse problem than fixing one bug and creating two new bugs in the process because the fix was actually inadequate/rushed.

Assuming everything goes well, I submit the new version of the extension to the Chrome store around 9am on Tuesday.

Then the wait begins. The reviewers of the Chrome store can request changes to the extension if they feel like it violates the Chrome store guidelines.

That means once again I may have to make more changes and re-submit the new version of Zillow Data Exporter for approval. When you submit the extension for review, you may have to wait a random amount of time depending on the number of people waiting in the queue.

Sometimes the wait can be less than 24 hours and sometimes it can last 3 or 4 days. There is no way to know for sure as we are not told what our position in the queue is.

So in this example, I wouldn't expect the extension to be approved in less than 24 hours.

In the end, that means that a bug that was reported on Monday morning will be fixed at the earliest on Wednesday morning if everything goes well.

In order to avoid this process as much as possible, I try to make Zillow Data Exporter as resilient and as bug-free as possible. Nevertheless, software will always have bugs and since we are humans, we all make mistakes: errare humanum est as the saying goes.

Zillow Data Exporter may stop working properly from time to time, if that happens, please accept my apologies and do not hesitate to report the problem to me.

Be proactive

I am always looking forward to hearing from my users and learn how I can make their lives easier. The more people contact me and report the little issues they encounter, the better the extension will be and the less bugs there will be.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any suggestions or ideas on how to make Zillow Data Exporter better.

I would very much appreciate it.

Get in touch

You can always contact me here if you have any questions or suggestions or on Twitter. I'll try to get back to you as soon as possible.

Conclusion

Thanks for reading this blog post.

I hope that if and when the time comes that Zillow Data Exporter stops working for you, you will be able to find a solution to your problem quickly by following the steps outlined above.