Pokemon Showdown Import and Export Explained

What the Showdown Team Format Is

Pokemon Showdown, the most popular battle simulator, stores teams as human readable text. Because the format is just text, it became the universal way to share sets: forum posts, Discord servers, sample teams from tournament reports, and most team building tools all speak it. If you can copy and paste, you can move a team between Showdown, our team builder, and any other tool that supports it.

Each Pokemon is one block of lines, and blocks are separated by a blank line. A team is up to six blocks. There is no special file type: a .txt file or a chat message works equally well.

The Exact Syntax, Line by Line

Here is a complete single Pokemon example in the standard format:

Garchomp @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Outrage
- Stone Edge
- Iron Head

Breaking that down:

Optional lines you will also see include Level: 50 (common for VGC), Shiny: Yes, Tera Type: for current formats, and IVs: for spreads that deliberately lower IVs, such as IVs: 0 Atk on special attackers. IVs default to 31 when the line is missing. If natures or spreads are new to you, read natures explained and the EV training guide first.

How to Export a Team from Showdown

In Pokemon Showdown, open the Teambuilder, click the team you want, then click the Import/Export button. Showdown displays the whole team as one text block. Select everything, copy it, and you are done. You can also export a single Pokemon by opening its set and using the same Import/Export view for that slot. Save teams you care about in a plain text file so a cleared browser cache never costs you a roster.

Importing into Our Team Builder

Open the team builder and switch to the Import / Export tab. Paste the copied text into the box and click Import. Each valid block becomes a filled team slot with species, item, ability, EVs, nature, and moves already set. From there you can check weaknesses with the type coverage tool, run matchups through the damage calculator, or click any Pokemon, for example Garchomp, to review its full data.

Exporting works the same way in reverse: build or edit a team in the builder, open the Import / Export tab, and copy the generated text straight back into Showdown before you queue for a battle.

Share Links vs Text Exports

Our builder also generates share links, which serve a different purpose than the text format. A share link encodes your team in the URL itself, so one click opens the exact team in the builder with the coverage view ready. Links are ideal for sending a team to a friend or posting in a server where you want people to see the analysis, not just raw text. The Showdown text format remains the right choice when the destination is Showdown itself or any other external tool. Use both: a link for humans, text for simulators.

Common Import Errors and Fixes

Most failed imports come down to a few causes:

Misspelled species names. The species must match exactly, including forms. Garchomp works; Garchmop does not. Form names use hyphens, such as Rotom-Wash or Landorus-Therian.

Illegal or misspelled moves. A move the Pokemon cannot learn, or a typo like Earthqauke, will be flagged or dropped. Check the moves list on the Pokemon's page in our Pokedex pages if unsure.

EV totals over the limit. More than 252 in one stat or more than 510 total is invalid. Trim the spread and reimport.

Formatting damage. Missing blank lines between Pokemon, or extra characters added by chat apps, can merge blocks. Paste into a plain text editor first if a team from Discord behaves oddly.

Where to Go Next

With import and export handled, the format becomes your fastest way to test ideas: grab a sample team, load it into the team builder, and start swapping pieces. If you are building from scratch, follow how to build a Pokemon team, keep the type chart open, and see the VGC section plus the VGC beginners guide if doubles is your format.