# Importing COI data from BOLD
**URL:** https://forum.qiime2.org/t/importing-coi-data-from-bold/32708
**Category:** User Support
**Tags:** taxonomy
**Created:** [March 5, 2025, 5:05pm UTC](https://forum.qiime2.org/t/importing-coi-data-from-bold/32708 "2025-03-05T17:05:44Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@kcn35](https://forum.qiime2.org/u/kcn35)
#### Post date: [March 5, 2025, 5:05pm UTC](https://forum.qiime2.org/t/importing-coi-data-from-bold/32708/1 "2025-03-05T17:05:44Z")
I ran into the same issue and fixed it by following these commands:
1. check the maximum allowed size of arguments: `getconf ARG_MAX`
2. check myval length: `echo ${#myval}`
3. write the contents of `$myval` into a separate `.sed` file. `echo "$myval" > commands.sed`
4. Then, use `sed` with the `-f` (file) option: `sed -f commands.sed bold_allrawSeqs.fasta > cleaned_bold_allrawSeqs.fasta`
This last line takes a few minutes to run (~ 10 min)
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### Author:  [@kcn35](https://forum.qiime2.org/u/kcn35)
#### Post date: [March 8, 2025, 10:02pm UTC](https://forum.qiime2.org/t/importing-coi-data-from-bold/32708/2 "2025-03-08T22:02:33Z")
Hi @devonorourke and @Toan .
I also used Chris Fields suggestion with seqkit `seqkit seq -w0 -g bold_rawSeqs_forQiime.fasta > bold_rawSeqs_forQiime.degapped.fasta`
But when trying to import the file to qiime it gets me using the type 'FeatureData[Sequence]' and this commands, i get an error message.
qiime tools import
--input-path /workdir/kcn35/bold\_rawSeqs\_forQiime.degapped.fasta
--output-path bold\_rawSeqs.qza
--type 'FeatureData[Sequence]'
There was a problem importing /workdir/kcn35/bold\_rawSeqs\_forQiime.degapped.fasta:
/workdir/kcn35/bold\_rawSeqs\_forQiime.degapped.fasta is not a(n) DNAFASTAFormat file:
Multiple consecutive descriptions starting on line 1096
I also tried importing it following the “EMP protocol” multiplexed single-end fastq but i would get an error message saying that the quality scores do not match the length of the sequences, and it does not, because when i check the file, there are no quality scores
I have been struggling with this in the last days and have not get a clue yet. Any help would be highly appreciated.
FYI I am using a cluster with 24 cores and 128 RAM, that I access with Putty and this version qiime2-amplicon-2024.10
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### Author:  [@SoilRotifer](https://forum.qiime2.org/u/SoilRotifer)
#### Post date: [March 8, 2025, 10:20pm UTC](https://forum.qiime2.org/t/importing-coi-data-from-bold/32708/3 "2025-03-08T22:20:32Z")
Hi @kcn35,
I think the issue is this:
> Multiple consecutive descriptions starting on line 1096
This tells me it is a parsing error of some kind. Often this results form multiple ID lines without sequence , _i.e._:
```auto
>seq01
>seq02
...
```
It could be something else too. Can you tale a look at that line, and paste it along with several of the following lines of output here?
The FASTA labels `1.1e+07` & `1.7e+07` also makes me think this is a parsing issue too.
You can also DM me a link to the FASTA file you are trying to import.
Importing via the “EMP protocol” will not work as that is only for FASTQ files.
-Mike
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### Author:  [@system](https://forum.qiime2.org/u/system)
#### Post date: [April 9, 2025, 4:20am UTC](https://forum.qiime2.org/t/importing-coi-data-from-bold/32708/4 "2025-04-09T04:20:42Z")
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