The Adopt-a-Pet integration publishes PawPlacer pets through Adopt-a-Pet's AutoUpload service. An administrator can configure and operate it from Settings > Listing Integrations.
Configure Adopt-a-Pet AutoUpload
Sign in to Adopt-a-Pet's Shelter Zone and open Manage My AutoUpload Account. Use the FTP username and password shown there, and configure AutoUpload to expect pets.csv without a header line.
In PawPlacer, find the Adopt-a-Pet connection and select Connect Adopt-a-Pet. Enter the Shelter Zone FTP credentials and choose whether to enable scheduled sync. PawPlacer uploads both pets.csv and the accompanying import.cfg field map, so do not substitute your normal Adopt-a-Pet website password unless it is also the FTP password shown by AutoUpload.
PawPlacer stores the password securely and never displays it again.
Map PawPlacer Statuses
The Adopt-a-Pet status mapping determines how PawPlacer records affect Adopt-a-Pet listings:
- Available (A) publishes or updates a visible adoptable listing.
- Adopted (X) marks the listing adopted.
- Hidden (H) hides the listing without marking the pet adopted.
- Deleted (D) tells Adopt-a-Pet to remove the listing.
New connections default the PawPlacer system Available and Adopted statuses to their matching Adopt-a-Pet statuses. Review the mapping before the first sync, especially if the organization uses custom statuses. Each PawPlacer status can map to one Adopt-a-Pet status, and one Adopt-a-Pet status can include several PawPlacer statuses. Fostered pets always upload as Available.
After a successful first sync, PawPlacer also includes deletion records for pets that were deleted in PawPlacer or moved out of a mapped listing status. This keeps previously uploaded Adopt-a-Pet listings from remaining stale.
Set Listing Defaults
Account-wide upload defaults fill supported listing fields when a pet has not set its own value. They include altered, shots, house-trained, declawed, compatibility, adoption-fee display, and fee-waiver values. Auto derives a value from the PawPlacer record when possible.
These defaults are shared with Petfinder. A value set on an individual pet takes priority.
Review the Upload Preview
After Adopt-a-Pet is connected, the synchronization workspace loads its current upload preview. If both listing services are connected, select the Adopt-a-Pet tab first.
Use:
- All pets to review every record in the upload, including adopted, hidden, or deleted records
- With Issues to focus on records with errors or warnings
- A field badge or Manual Fix action to correct supported source data inline
- The row details to inspect every value that will be sent
- Refresh Data after changing pets, mappings, fees, or defaults
PawPlacer checks the upload against Adopt-a-Pet's requirements for animal types, breeds, colors, ages, sizes, dates, and other listing fields. It sends as many as four public photo URLs and omits fields Adopt-a-Pet does not accept for that animal type.
Missing required values, unsupported primary breeds, invalid animal types, and invalid statuses are errors that block synchronization. Unsupported secondary breeds or colors are warnings; PawPlacer may omit those optional values, and warnings alone do not block a sync.
Synchronize Adopt-a-Pet
Select Sync to Adopt-a-Pet after the preview has no blocking errors. PawPlacer builds pets.csv and import.cfg, then uploads both files with the saved AutoUpload credentials.
Each upload updates the matching Adopt-a-Pet listings. A pet that must be removed, hidden, or marked adopted needs the corresponding status in the upload; simply omitting a pet does not reliably remove its existing Adopt-a-Pet listing. PawPlacer preserves those outcomes through status mappings and deletion records after the first successful sync.
When scheduled sync is enabled, PawPlacer checks active listing integrations hourly, at approximately 10 minutes past the hour. It skips accounts that synced recently or have no relevant changes. A validation or connection failure is recorded instead of uploading invalid data. Adopt-a-Pet may need additional time to process a successful upload.
The connection card shows the last successful sync, the last attempt, and its status. Turn scheduled sync off during a large cleanup or import, then run a manual sync and re-enable it when the preview is ready.
Common Problems
- Authentication failed: Re-enter the FTP credentials from Manage My AutoUpload Account in Shelter Zone.
- Import format is rejected: Confirm AutoUpload expects
pets.csvwithout a header line. PawPlacer supplies theimport.cfgmapping file. - Pet is missing before the first sync: Confirm its PawPlacer status is mapped and its species is supported, then refresh the preview.
- An old listing remains: Map the current PawPlacer status to Adopted, Hidden, or Deleted, refresh the preview, and sync again.
- Sync is blocked: Open With Issues, correct every error, and refresh the data. Warnings can be reviewed without blocking the upload.
- Breed or color is omitted: Select a supported value offered by the inline editor when the field is required.
- Photos are missing: Confirm the pet has accessible public image URLs no longer than Adopt-a-Pet's supported URL limit. PawPlacer sends at most four photos.
Removing Adopt-a-Pet credentials stops future uploads. It does not change PawPlacer pets or remove listings already held by Adopt-a-Pet.
See Adopt-a-Pet Settings for the shorter settings reference, or Petfinder Integration to connect the other supported listing service.