Why Are My Contacts Not Importing?

Contact imports can fail for various reasons. This guide helps you identify and fix the most common import problems.

Import validation errors show which rows failed and why

Common Issues

1. File Format Problems

Symptoms: "Invalid file format" error

Solutions:

• Ensure your file is saved as .csv (not .xlsx or .xls)

• Open in a text editor to verify it's comma-separated

• Re-save from Excel as "CSV UTF-8"

2. Column Mapping Failures

Symptoms: Fields importing into wrong columns or showing as empty

Solutions:

• Check that column headers match expected names

• Use the field mapping screen to manually assign columns

• Download the template and reformat your data to match

3. Invalid Data in Cells

Symptoms: Some rows fail while others succeed

Solutions:

• Check for invalid email formats

• Ensure phone numbers are in valid format

• Remove special characters that might cause issues

• Check date formats match expected format (MM/DD/YYYY)

Use the column mapping screen to correctly assign CSV headers to Pulsar fields

4. Duplicate Detection

Symptoms: "X duplicates skipped" message

Solutions:

• This is normal - duplicates are matched by email or phone

• Existing contacts are updated rather than duplicated

• Check the "Update existing" option if you want to overwrite

5. File Too Large

Symptoms: Upload times out or fails

Solutions:

• Split large files into smaller batches (10,000 rows max recommended)

• Remove unnecessary columns to reduce file size

• Use a stable internet connection

6. Encoding Issues

Solutions:

• Save your CSV with UTF-8 encoding

• In Excel: Save As → CSV UTF-8

• Avoid copying from PDFs or Word documents

Checking Import Results

View Import Log

After import, click View Details to see row-by-row results.

Download Error Report

If rows failed, download the error report to see specific issues.

Import results summary with detailed breakdown and error report download

Pro Tip

Test with a small sample (10-20 rows) before importing large files. This helps catch issues early.

• How to Import Contacts via CSV

• Understanding Contact Fields