Troubleshooting Contact Import Errors

When importing contacts via CSV, you might encounter errors that prevent some or all contacts from being added. Here are common issues and how to fix them:

1. Complete Import Failure

If the entire file fails to upload or process:

  • Incorrect File Format: Ensure you saved the file specifically as CSV (Comma Separated Values), not as an Excel (.xlsx), Numbers, or other spreadsheet format.
  • Missing `email` Header: The CSV file *must* have a header row (the first row) and it *must* contain a column with the exact header `email`. Check for typos or variations like `Email Address`. It usually needs to be lowercase `email`.
  • Incorrect Delimiter: While CSV stands for Comma Separated Values, some regions or software might export using semicolons (;) or tabs as delimiters instead of commas. BuffSend likely expects comma-delimited files. Open your CSV in a plain text editor (like Notepad or TextEdit) to see what character separates the values. If it's not a comma, adjust your spreadsheet's export settings or use a find-and-replace function (carefully!) to change the delimiter to a comma.
  • Encoding Issues: Files not saved in UTF-8 encoding might cause problems, especially if they contain special characters or accents. Try re-saving your file explicitly with UTF-8 encoding.
  • File Size Limits: Very large files might exceed upload limits. Try splitting your list into smaller CSV files and uploading them separately.

2. Partial Import / Skipped Rows

If the import process finishes but indicates some rows were skipped or failed:

  • Invalid or Missing Email Addresses: Rows lacking a valid email address in the `email` column will be skipped. Review the skipped rows (BuffSend might provide a downloadable error report) and correct or remove contacts with invalid/missing emails.
  • Duplicate Email Addresses:
    • Within the file: If the same email appears multiple times in your CSV, BuffSend might import the first instance and skip subsequent duplicates within that file. Clean your CSV for duplicates before uploading.
    • Already in BuffSend: If an email address being imported already exists in your BuffSend account (perhaps on a different list), the system might skip the duplicate to avoid creating multiple entries for the same person, or it might update the existing contact with data from the new import (behavior depends on BuffSend's specific import logic - check documentation).
  • Formatting Errors within Rows: An extra comma, unescaped quote, or other formatting issue within a specific row can sometimes cause that row (and potentially subsequent rows) to fail. Review the data in the rows around where the skipping started in your original file.

3. Data Mapped to Wrong Fields

If the import succeeds but contact data appears incorrect (e.g., company name in the last name field):

  • Incorrect Column Mapping: During the import process, you likely mismatched a CSV column header to the wrong BuffSend field.
  • Solution: You may need to delete the incorrectly imported contacts (if they were newly added) and re-import the CSV file, paying very close attention during the column mapping step. Alternatively, you might be able to manually edit the affected contacts within BuffSend if there aren't too many.

General Tips for Smooth Imports

  • Use a Template: If BuffSend provides a CSV template, use it.
  • Clean Data First: Spend time cleaning and formatting your data *before* uploading.
  • Start Small: For large lists, try importing a small sample (e.g., 10-20 rows) first to ensure formatting and mapping work correctly before uploading the entire list.
  • Review Error Reports: If the import provides an error report, download and review it carefully to identify specific issues.

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