Why Won't My CSV Import?

Start with structure, not the error message

Messages such as “invalid CSV,” “bad row,” or “could not parse file” describe a failed outcome, not a cause. The useful evidence is the first physical position where the parser loses the expected record shape. An unclosed quote on row 18 can make rows 19 through 200 look malformed even though they are innocent.

Run a structural check before opening and saving the file in a spreadsheet. Confirm whether every logical record has the expected field count and whether quoted fields close correctly. RFC 4180 describes the common convention: commas, quotes, and line breaks inside a field require the whole field to be quoted, and a literal quote inside it is written twice.

Then identify the CSV dialect

CSV is a family of related formats. A file named .csv may use commas, semicolons, tabs, or pipes. It may use CRLF or LF line endings and may be UTF-8, Windows-1252, Shift_JIS, or UTF-16. The W3C tabular-data guidance calls these choices a dialect; a receiver that assumes a different dialect can put an entire row into one column or split values at the wrong character.

Compare the detected separator and encoding with the import documentation. If the preview shows one very wide column, the delimiter is likely wrong. If the columns look right but names are garbled, fix the character encoding separately rather than changing separators and text in one operation.

Check headers and destination rules

A structurally valid file can still violate an application's schema. Look for blank or repeated headings, spelling and capitalization differences, missing required columns, unexpected columns, or data that exceeds a documented length. Some importers require a specific header order; others match names. Verify the destination's sample template instead of guessing.

File limits are a separate class of failure. Check byte size and logical record count, not just the number of lines shown by a text editor. A quoted address or note can legitimately contain several line breaks while remaining one CSV record.

Use a controlled retry

Keep the source export unchanged. Make one category of correction, download to a new filename, and re-run the checker. Record the first failing row reported by the destination and compare it with the local diagnosis. Changing delimiter, encoding, quotes, and whitespace simultaneously makes it difficult to know which change fixed the import—or damaged the data.

If the checker marks a row for review, consult the source system. Adding an empty cell to a short row is safe only when you know which field is missing. Tools For CSV deliberately does not invent that decision.

How to fix it safely

1. Open the untouched file in CSV Checker & Fixer and note the detected encoding, delimiter, record count, and column count.
2. Review malformed quoting and uneven records before applying cleanup such as trimming or duplicate removal.
3. Compare headings, required fields, size limits, and delimiter requirements with the destination's current import template.
4. Download a new copy, run the checker again, and retry the import while retaining the original and the destination error log.