# ERROR in read\_any\_format validator: File 'my jsonl file' does not exist

**URL:** <https://community.openai.com/t/error-in-read-any-format-validator-file-my-jsonl-file-does-not-exist/274292>\
**Category:** API\
**Tags:** api\
**Created:** [June 21, 2023, 11:23pm UTC](https://community.openai.com/t/error-in-read-any-format-validator-file-my-jsonl-file-does-not-exist/274292 "2023-06-21T23:23:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![driveresearchnu](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/openai1/user_avatar/community.openai.com/driveresearchnu/32/146581_2.png) [@driveresearchnu](https://community.openai.com/u/driveresearchnu)\
**Post date:** [June 21, 2023, 11:23pm UTC](https://community.openai.com/t/error-in-read-any-format-validator-file-my-jsonl-file-does-not-exist/274292/1 "2023-06-21T23:23:37Z")

</div>

Hello, I am working on fine-tuning gpt-3 for chatbot use case, my jsonl data is in this format as recommended by openai

```auto
{"prompt":"Summary: <summary of the interaction so far>\n\nSpecific information:<for example order details in natural language>\n\n###\n\nCustomer: <message1>\nAgent: <response1>\nCustomer: <message2>\nAgent:", "completion":" <response2>\n"}
{"prompt":"Summary: <summary of the interaction so far>\n\nSpecific information:<for example order details in natural language>\n\n###\n\nCustomer: <message1>\nAgent: <response1>\nCustomer: <message2>\nAgent: <response2>\nCustomer: <message3>\nAgent:", "completion":" <response3>\n"}

```

Now when i run this line:

```auto
!openai tools fine_tunes.prepare_data -f 'C:/Users/Salma/Downloads/FB_Messages2.jsonl'

```

it gives me this error:

Analyzing… ERROR in read\_any\_format validator: File [C:/Users/Salma/Downloads/FB\_Messages2.jsonl](file:///C:/Users/Salma/Downloads/FB\_Messages2.jsonl) does not exist. Aborting…

I made sure of the location of the file, I tried with removing the quotation, I tried to give it json instead of jsonl file. I am not quite sure what is the problem .

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Foxalabs](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/openai1/user_avatar/community.openai.com/foxalabs/32/738355_2.png) [@Foxalabs](https://community.openai.com/u/Foxalabs)\
**Post date:** [June 22, 2023, 8:25am UTC](https://community.openai.com/t/error-in-read-any-format-validator-file-my-jsonl-file-does-not-exist/274292/2 "2023-06-22T08:25:06Z")

</div>

Just as a sanity check, is the file on your drive called blah-blah.json or .jonsl ?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![driveresearchnu](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/openai1/user_avatar/community.openai.com/driveresearchnu/32/146581_2.png) [@driveresearchnu](https://community.openai.com/u/driveresearchnu)\
**Post date:** [June 29, 2023, 12:24pm UTC](https://community.openai.com/t/error-in-read-any-format-validator-file-my-jsonl-file-does-not-exist/274292/3 "2023-06-29T12:24:14Z")

</div>

Sorry for my late reply, I actually solved the error, I was working on ubuntu subsystem and the file is in my windows.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Tetramatrix](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/openai1/user_avatar/community.openai.com/tetramatrix/32/178162_2.png) [@Tetramatrix](https://community.openai.com/u/Tetramatrix)\
**Post date:** [August 10, 2023, 3:14pm UTC](https://community.openai.com/t/error-in-read-any-format-validator-file-my-jsonl-file-does-not-exist/274292/4 "2023-08-10T15:14:07Z")

</div>

Hey, I have the same issue. I generate a .jsonl. file from .json with the open ai tool fine\_tunes.prepare\_data but when I tried to use it it says not a valid .jsonl file but it starts with { and it’s a pair of values. It gives (HINT: line starts with: "b’{“pr’…”). what is thsi b’ ? I don’t see it in my file. Charset ANSI-1252 on Windows.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![driveresearchnu](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/openai1/user_avatar/community.openai.com/driveresearchnu/32/146581_2.png) [@driveresearchnu](https://community.openai.com/u/driveresearchnu)\
**Post date:** [August 12, 2023, 9:28pm UTC](https://community.openai.com/t/error-in-read-any-format-validator-file-my-jsonl-file-does-not-exist/274292/5 "2023-08-12T21:28:01Z")

</div>

I think the problem here might be in the formatting of the json file, maybe there is a special character at the beginning of the file, or the encoding, did you try the UTF-8 encoding instead of ANSI-1252 ?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Tetramatrix](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/openai1/user_avatar/community.openai.com/tetramatrix/32/178162_2.png) [@Tetramatrix](https://community.openai.com/u/Tetramatrix)\
**Post date:** [August 14, 2023, 7:30am UTC](https://community.openai.com/t/error-in-read-any-format-validator-file-my-jsonl-file-does-not-exist/274292/6 "2023-08-14T07:30:21Z")

</div>

Hi, I saved the file as UTF-8 (without BOM) and it worked. Thanks for the help!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![gkmwebss](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/openai1/user_avatar/community.openai.com/gkmwebss/32/171078_2.png) [@gkmwebss](https://community.openai.com/u/gkmwebss)\
**Post date:** [August 14, 2023, 9:41am UTC](https://community.openai.com/t/error-in-read-any-format-validator-file-my-jsonl-file-does-not-exist/274292/7 "2023-08-14T09:41:59Z")

</div>

![IMG_0626](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/openai1/original/3X/c/2/c240f5043dc3457433a380adab1f8a9f7671030c.jpeg)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![EricGT](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/openai1/user_avatar/community.openai.com/ericgt/32/20571_2.png) [@EricGT](https://community.openai.com/u/EricGT)\
**Post date:** [December 25, 2023, 11:39pm UTC](https://community.openai.com/t/error-in-read-any-format-validator-file-my-jsonl-file-does-not-exist/274292/8 "2023-12-25T23:39:08Z")

</div>