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Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions and troubleshooting tips for Magpie.
Account & Sign-In
How do I create an account?
Go to magpie.services and click Sign Up. You can register with an email and password, or sign in with Google, Apple, or Discord.
I forgot my password. How do I reset it?
On the sign-in page, click Forgot Password. Enter your email address and you'll receive a reset link. Follow the link to set a new password.
What are the password requirements?
Passwords must be at least 8 characters long.
Can I sign in with multiple social accounts?
Yes. You can link Google, Apple, and Discord accounts to your profile. Go to Profile > Security > Linked Accounts to manage them. See the Account Settings guide for details.
Can I change my email address?
Yes. Go to Profile and update your email. You'll receive a confirmation email at the new address to verify the change.
What happens if I delete my account?
Account deletion is permanent and cannot be undone. The following is removed:
- All collections, items, and custom templates
- All uploaded images (covers, item photos, avatar)
- Your profile information and preferences
- Any active premium subscription (cancelled automatically)
- Shares, comments, activity history, and notifications
Collections
How many collections can I have?
Up to 500 collections per account, regardless of plan.
Is there a limit on items?
Yes, limits depend on your plan:
| Free | Premium ($6/mo) | |
|---|---|---|
| Items per collection | 50 | 10,000 |
| Total items (all collections) | 500 | 10,000 |
These limits apply equally to standard collections, wishlists, and smart collections. See Subscriptions & Billing for more.
What happens if I'm over the limit after downgrading?
Your existing items are preserved — nothing gets deleted. You just won't be able to add new items until you're back under the free tier limits.
How many tags can I add to a collection?
Up to 50 tags per collection.
Can I reorder my items?
Yes. Drag and drop items to reorder them within a collection. Your custom order is saved automatically.
Images & Uploads
What image formats are supported?
JPEG, PNG, WebP, and GIF.
What's the maximum image file size?
- Collection covers and item photos: 10 MB per image
- Profile avatars: 5 MB
Why was my image rejected?
Magpie validates the actual file content, not just the file extension. If your file is corrupted, in an unsupported format, or exceeds the size limit, the upload will be rejected. Try converting the image to JPEG or PNG and ensuring it's under 10 MB.
Importing & Exporting
What file formats can I import?
CSV (.csv) and Excel (.xlsx) files. Column headers are automatically mapped to item fields (case-insensitive). Legacy .xls files (Excel 97–2003) aren't supported — re-save them as .xlsx first.
Is there a limit on how many items I can import at once?
Yes, up to 500 items per import batch. For larger collections, split your file and import in batches.
What fields can I import?
Name, description, tags, purchase price, current value, currency, purchase date, acquisition source, and value notes — plus any custom fields defined by your collection's template.
How do I format tags in my import file?
Separate multiple tags with semicolons or commas. For example: rare; first edition; signed or rare, first edition, signed.
What export formats are available?
- CSV — Spreadsheet format with all fields and image URLs, good for importing into other tools
- XLSX — Excel format with the same fields as CSV, including image URLs
- PDF — Styled catalog with your collection name, item details, and up to 4 embedded photos per item
- Backup (ZIP) — Complete backup with a CSV file and an
images/folder containing all your photos
On mobile, exports are shared via your device's share sheet (email, AirDrop, save to files, etc.).
How do I back up my collection with photos?
Use the Backup (ZIP) export option. It downloads a ZIP file containing a CSV with all your item data plus every photo in an images/ folder. This is a self-contained archive you can store offline. A full account export covering all collections at once is planned for a future update.
Sharing
How many people can I share a collection with?
Up to 100 users per collection.
Can I share with someone who doesn't have an account?
Not directly — shared users need a Magpie account. However, you can make a collection public and share the link with anyone. Public collections are viewable without an account.
What's the difference between read and write access?
- Read — Can view the collection and items but cannot make changes
- Write — Can add, edit, and delete items
Only the collection owner can change settings, share with others, or delete the collection. See the Sharing guide for a full permissions table.
Search
What can I search for?
Global search finds items and collections by name, description, and tags. For queries of 3 or more characters, Magpie uses full-text search with relevance ranking. Shorter queries use simple pattern matching.
Can I filter search results?
Yes. You can filter by:
- Type — Collections, items, or both
- Tags — Match specific tags
- Date added — Last 7 days, 30 days, 90 days, or all time
Can I save searches?
Yes. After running a search, click Save Search to save the query and filters. Saved searches are accessible from the Saved Searches screen and can be set up with notification alerts.
Templates
Can I modify a pre-built template?
Not directly, but you can duplicate any template to your library and then edit the copy. See the Templates guide.
Can I change a collection's template after creating it?
The template fields are set when the collection is created. To use different fields, create a new collection with the desired template and move or re-import your items.
Can I share my custom templates?
Yes. You can share templates with specific users by email, or publish them to the community for all users to discover. See the Templates guide.
Mobile App
Does the mobile app work offline?
Yes. Items and collections you've previously loaded are available offline. Changes you make offline (adding, editing, deleting items) are saved locally and synced automatically when you reconnect.
What if my offline changes conflict with web changes?
The app shows a sync conflict screen where you can review each conflict and choose to retry or discard individual changes.
How do I scan barcodes?
Open a collection and tap the barcode scanner icon. Point your camera at a barcode or QR code. Magpie searches multiple product databases to auto-fill item details.
Is biometric authentication available?
Yes. Enable Face ID or Touch ID from Settings in the mobile app. You can set an auto-lock timeout so the app requires biometric authentication when reopened.
Billing & Subscription
How do I upgrade to premium?
Go to Profile > Subscription and click Upgrade to Premium. You'll be redirected to a secure Stripe checkout page. See Subscriptions & Billing for details.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. There are no long-term commitments. Cancel from the Stripe billing portal (accessible via Profile > Subscription > Manage Billing). Premium access continues until the end of your current billing period.
How do I update my payment method?
Go to Profile > Subscription > Manage Billing & Invoices to open the Stripe billing portal, where you can update your card or billing details.
Is my payment information secure?
Yes. All payments are handled by Stripe, a PCI Level 1 certified payment processor. Magpie never sees or stores your card details.
Browsers & Compatibility
What browsers does Magpie support?
Magpie works in modern versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. For the best experience, keep your browser up to date.
Is there a desktop app?
Not currently. Magpie is a web app accessible at magpie.services and a mobile app for iOS and Android.
Troubleshooting
My images aren't loading
- Check your internet connection
- Try refreshing the page
- Clear your browser cache (Settings > Clear browsing data)
- If on mobile, check that the app has permission to access the network
I'm not receiving email notifications
- Check your spam/junk folder
- Verify your email address is correct in Profile settings
- Make sure email notifications are enabled in Profile > Preferences > Notification Settings
Import isn't mapping my columns correctly
- Make sure your column headers match the expected field names (e.g., "Name", "Description", "Tags", "Purchase Price")
- Headers are case-insensitive, so "name" and "Name" both work
- For custom template fields, use the exact field label as the column header
The app feels slow
- Large collections (thousands of items) may take a moment to load — try switching to list view for better performance
- On mobile, check Settings for cache management and image quality options
- Clear your browser cache if the web app feels sluggish
I can't unlink a social account
You cannot remove your last login method. If a social account is your only way to sign in, set a password first (or link another provider) before unlinking.
Still have questions? Report issues or request features at github.com/jphegley/magpie-services.