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Why CSV File Not Importing Correctly: Troubleshooting Guide

Learn why CSV files don't import correctly and how to fix import issues. Discover common causes, solutions, and best practices for successful CSV imports.

RowTidy Team
Nov 19, 2025
12 min read
CSV, Import, Troubleshooting, Excel, Data Quality

Why CSV File Not Importing Correctly: Troubleshooting Guide

If your CSV file isn't importing correctly—data in wrong columns, missing rows, or import errors—you're dealing with a common but frustrating problem. 68% of users experience CSV import issues that break their workflows.

By the end of this guide, you'll understand why CSV imports fail and how to fix them—ensuring your data imports correctly every time.

Quick Summary

  • Encoding issues - Wrong character encoding causes import failures
  • Delimiter problems - Wrong or mixed delimiters break column structure
  • Quote issues - Unescaped quotes break row boundaries
  • Format problems - Data type mismatches cause import errors

Common Reasons CSV Files Don't Import Correctly

  1. Wrong encoding - File not in UTF-8, shows garbled characters
  2. Wrong delimiter - Using semicolon instead of comma (or vice versa)
  3. Unescaped quotes - Quotes within cells breaking row structure
  4. Line break issues - Wrong line breaks (CR vs LF vs CRLF)
  5. Special characters - Line breaks, tabs, quotes within cells
  6. Extra headers - Multiple header rows confusing import
  7. Data type mismatches - Numbers as text, dates as text
  8. Missing delimiters - Incomplete rows breaking structure
  9. Large file size - File too big for import tool
  10. BOM (Byte Order Mark) - UTF-8 BOM causing first column issues

Step-by-Step: Fix CSV Import Issues

Issue 1: Encoding Problems

Wrong encoding causes garbled characters and import failures.

Symptoms

Signs of encoding issues:

  • Weird characters: , é, â€"
  • Question marks: ????
  • Boxes: ▯▯▯
  • Text looks scrambled
  • Import shows error

Solution

Fix encoding before import:

Method 1: Convert to UTF-8

  1. Open CSV in text editor
  2. Save As
  3. Choose encoding: UTF-8
  4. Save file
  5. Try import again

Method 2: Use Import Wizard

  1. Excel: Data > From Text/CSV
  2. Select file
  3. Choose encoding from dropdown
  4. Try: UTF-8, Windows-1252, ISO-8859-1
  5. Preview to verify
  6. Click Load

Method 3: Use RowTidy

  1. Upload CSV to RowTidy
  2. AI detects encoding
  3. Converts to UTF-8
  4. Download fixed file
  5. Import fixed file

Issue 2: Delimiter Problems

Wrong delimiter causes data in wrong columns.

Symptoms

Signs of delimiter issues:

  • All data in one column
  • Data in wrong columns
  • Extra columns created
  • Import shows wrong structure

Solution

Fix delimiter issues:

Method 1: Use Import Wizard

  1. Excel: Data > From Text/CSV
  2. Select file
  3. Click Delimiter dropdown
  4. Try different delimiters:
    • Comma (,)
    • Semicolon (;)
    • Tab
    • Space
  5. Preview to verify
  6. Click Load

Method 2: Change Delimiter in File

  1. Open CSV in text editor
  2. Find and replace delimiter
  3. Example: Replace ; with ,
  4. Save file
  5. Import again

Method 3: Detect Delimiter

  • Check first few rows
  • Count separators
  • Identify most common delimiter
  • Use that in import

Issue 3: Quote Issues

Unescaped quotes break row boundaries.

Symptoms

Signs of quote issues:

  • Rows split incorrectly
  • Data in wrong rows
  • Import shows fewer rows than expected
  • Error messages about quotes

Solution

Fix quote issues:

Method 1: Escape Quotes

  1. Open CSV in text editor
  2. Find unescaped quotes
  3. Replace " with "" (double quotes)
  4. Save file
  5. Import again

Example:

"Product with "quote" inside"

Should be:

"Product with ""quote"" inside"

Method 2: Use Import Wizard

  1. Excel import wizard
  2. Set Text qualifier to "
  3. Excel handles quotes automatically
  4. Preview to verify

Method 3: Use RowTidy

  1. Upload CSV
  2. AI fixes quote escaping
  3. Downloads valid CSV
  4. Import fixed file

Issue 4: Line Break Problems

Wrong line breaks cause rows to merge or split incorrectly.

Symptoms

Signs of line break issues:

  • Rows merged together
  • Data in wrong rows
  • Import shows wrong row count
  • Text editor shows wrong structure

Solution

Fix line breaks:

Method 1: Standardize Line Breaks

  1. Open CSV in text editor
  2. Replace line breaks:
    • Find: \r\n (Windows)
    • Replace: \n (Unix)
    • Or vice versa
  3. Save file
  4. Import again

Method 2: Use Import Wizard

  1. Excel import wizard
  2. Set line break handling
  3. Preview to verify
  4. Adjust if needed

Issue 5: Special Characters in Cells

Line breaks, tabs, quotes within cells break structure.

Symptoms

Signs of special character issues:

  • Rows split at wrong places
  • Data in wrong columns
  • Import structure broken

Solution

Fix special characters:

Method 1: Remove or Escape

  1. Open CSV in text editor
  2. Find special characters
  3. Remove or escape them
  4. Save file

Method 2: Use Excel Formulas

  1. Import to Excel (even if wrong)
  2. Use CLEAN() to remove special chars
  3. Re-export as CSV
  4. Import clean file

Method 3: Use RowTidy

  1. Upload CSV
  2. AI handles special characters
  3. Downloads clean CSV
  4. Import fixed file

Issue 6: Data Type Mismatches

Numbers/dates as text cause import issues.

Symptoms

Signs of data type issues:

  • Numbers show as text
  • Dates show as text
  • Can't perform calculations
  • Sorting doesn't work correctly

Solution

Fix data types:

Method 1: Use Import Wizard

  1. Excel import wizard
  2. Preview data
  3. Click column headers
  4. Choose data type:
    • General
    • Text
    • Date
    • Number
  5. Apply to all columns
  6. Click Load

Method 2: Convert After Import

  1. Import file (even if types wrong)
  2. Select columns
  3. Convert data types:
    • Text to Columns for dates
    • VALUE() for numbers
  4. Re-export as CSV

Issue 7: Large File Size

File too big for import tool.

Symptoms

Signs of size issues:

  • Import times out
  • Error: "File too large"
  • Import fails
  • Program crashes

Solution

Handle large files:

Method 1: Split File

  1. Split CSV into smaller chunks
  2. Import each chunk
  3. Combine in Excel
  4. Or process separately

Method 2: Use Power Query

  1. Excel: Data > From Text/CSV
  2. Power Query handles large files better
  3. Load to data model
  4. Process efficiently

Method 3: Use RowTidy

  1. Upload large CSV
  2. Processes in cloud
  3. No size limits
  4. Download cleaned file
  5. Import in chunks if needed

Issue 8: BOM (Byte Order Mark)

UTF-8 BOM causes first column issues.

Symptoms

Signs of BOM issues:

  • First column name has weird character
  • First column data shifted
  • Import shows extra character

Solution

Remove BOM:

Method 1: Text Editor

  1. Open CSV in text editor
  2. Save As
  3. Choose "UTF-8 without BOM"
  4. Save file
  5. Import again

Method 2: Remove Manually

  1. Open in hex editor
  2. Remove first 3 bytes (EF BB BF)
  3. Save file
  4. Import again

Method 3: Use RowTidy

  1. Upload CSV
  2. AI removes BOM automatically
  3. Downloads clean file
  4. Import fixed file

Real Example: Fixing CSV Import

Problem:

CSV file imports with issues:

  • All data in column A
  • Garbled characters
  • Wrong row count

Diagnosis:

  1. Checked encoding - File was Windows-1252, needed UTF-8
  2. Checked delimiter - File used semicolons, Excel expected commas
  3. Checked quotes - Had unescaped quotes

Solution:

  1. Converted encoding - Saved as UTF-8
  2. Changed delimiter - Replaced ; with ,
  3. Fixed quotes - Escaped internal quotes
  4. Re-imported - File imported correctly

Best Practices for CSV Imports

1. Use UTF-8 Encoding

Always use UTF-8:

  • Best compatibility
  • Handles all characters
  • Standard for CSV files

2. Use Commas as Delimiters

Standard delimiter:

  • Commas are standard
  • Most tools expect commas
  • Use semicolons only if needed

3. Escape Quotes Properly

Double quotes for internal quotes:

  • "Text with ""quote"" inside"
  • Prevents import errors

4. Use Consistent Line Breaks

Standardize line breaks:

  • Use \n (Unix) or \r\n (Windows)
  • Be consistent throughout file

5. Validate Before Import

Check file structure:

  • Open in text editor
  • Verify structure
  • Fix issues before import

Mini Automation Using RowTidy

You can fix CSV import issues automatically using RowTidy's intelligent cleaning.

The Problem:
Fixing CSV import issues manually is time-consuming:

  • Encoding problems need conversion
  • Delimiter issues need fixing
  • Quote problems need escaping
  • Special characters need handling

The Solution:
RowTidy fixes CSV import issues automatically:

  1. Upload CSV file - Drag and drop
  2. AI detects issues - Finds encoding, delimiter, quote problems
  3. Auto-fixes everything - Converts encoding, fixes delimiters, escapes quotes
  4. Downloads fixed file - Get import-ready CSV
  5. Import works perfectly - File imports without errors

RowTidy Features:

  • Encoding detection and fix - Converts to UTF-8 automatically
  • Delimiter detection - Identifies and standardizes delimiters
  • Quote escaping - Fixes unescaped quotes automatically
  • Special character handling - Removes or escapes special chars
  • BOM removal - Removes UTF-8 BOM if present
  • Import validation - Ensures file will import correctly

Time saved: 1 hour fixing import issues → 2 minutes automated

Instead of struggling with CSV import issues, fix them automatically with RowTidy. Try RowTidy's CSV import fix →

FAQ

1. Why is my CSV file not importing into Excel?

Common causes: wrong encoding, wrong delimiter, unescaped quotes, line break issues, or special characters. Use Excel's import wizard to adjust settings, or fix file with RowTidy.

2. How do I fix CSV encoding for import?

Convert file to UTF-8 encoding. Open in text editor, Save As with UTF-8 encoding. Or use Excel's import wizard to select correct encoding. RowTidy converts encoding automatically.

3. Why is all my CSV data in one column?

Wrong delimiter. File may use semicolons instead of commas. Use Excel's import wizard to select correct delimiter, or change delimiter in file. RowTidy detects and fixes delimiter issues.

4. How do I fix CSV quotes breaking import?

Escape internal quotes by doubling them: "" instead of ". Or use Excel's import wizard with text qualifier set to ". RowTidy fixes quote escaping automatically.

5. Why does my CSV import show wrong row count?

Line break issues or unescaped quotes breaking row boundaries. Fix line breaks in text editor, or escape quotes properly. RowTidy handles both automatically.

6. How do I import large CSV files?

Split file into smaller chunks, use Power Query (handles large files better), or use cloud-based tools like RowTidy that process large files efficiently.

7. What encoding should CSV files use?

UTF-8 encoding is standard and has best compatibility. Most import tools expect UTF-8. RowTidy ensures UTF-8 encoding.

8. How do I fix CSV delimiter issues?

Use Excel's import wizard to select correct delimiter (comma, semicolon, tab). Or change delimiter in file using find/replace. RowTidy detects and standardizes delimiters.

9. Why does my CSV first column have weird character?

UTF-8 BOM (Byte Order Mark) issue. Remove BOM by saving as "UTF-8 without BOM" in text editor. RowTidy removes BOM automatically.

10. Can I prevent CSV import issues?

Yes. Always use UTF-8 encoding, use commas as delimiters, escape quotes properly, use consistent line breaks, and validate file structure before import. Use RowTidy to ensure import-ready files.

Related Guides

Conclusion

CSV files don't import correctly due to encoding issues, delimiter problems, quote issues, line breaks, or special characters. Use Excel's import wizard to adjust settings, fix files manually, or use tools like RowTidy to automatically fix import issues. Understanding causes helps prevent future problems.

Try RowTidy — automatically fix CSV import issues and ensure your files import correctly every time.