When an import finishes, some rows may fail or come in with blank fields. The error log tells you exactly which rows had problems and why, so you can fix and re-import only those rows.
Find the errors
- Go to Contacts, then Bulk Actions.
- Find the import and click Show Stats.
- Open the Error tab or download the error log.
Common errors and fixes
| Error | What it means | How to fix it |
|---|---|---|
| Invalid sheet count | The file has more than one sheet. Nothing was imported. | Delete the extra sheets and re-import. |
| File not found or unknown error | The file could not be read. | Re-save as .csv, clear your browser cache or try another browser. |
| Failed validation of email | An email is not formatted correctly. | Fix the address so it looks like name@domain.com. |
| Could not parse the phone number | The phone has letters or an unusual format. The contact imported without a phone. | Use +15551234567 format and add country codes for numbers outside your account's country. |
| Could not parse the date | The date does not match the format chosen. | Use one consistent format, such as MM/DD/YYYY. |
| Invalid option | A dropdown or checkbox value does not match an existing option. | Match the spelling exactly or add the option to the field first. |
| Owner not found or multiple owners found | The owner name does not match one user. | Use the user's email address instead of their name. |
| Invalid or duplicate Contact ID | The ID does not exist or appears more than once. | Export current contacts to get correct IDs and keep one row per ID. |
| Empty or duplicate unique value | Rows are missing the matching column or share the same value. | Fill in the matching column or choose a different one, such as email. |
| Missing identifying information | A row has no name, email or phone. | Add at least one of these. |
Prevent errors next time
- Keep only one sheet in the file.
- Format emails, phones and dates consistently.
- Match dropdown values exactly.
- Use team members' emails in the Owner column.
- Pick a matching column that never repeats, such as email.
Common questions
- Some contacts have email only and some have phone only. Set your first matching preference to Email and the secondary preference to Phone. The system checks the second if the first is missing.
- My old system's phone numbers will not import. Remove parentheses, dashes and spaces from the whole phone column, then re-import.
- I can only import one note per contact. That is the limit, up to 5,000 characters. Use a large text custom field for more.
Still stuck? Submit a ticket and attach your error log.
Have a question about your own account? Submit a ticket and our team will follow up.
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