Skip to main content

Why does my CSV import fail with a “Could not import list – Invalid data format” error?

Symptom​

You have …

  • …created a Data Collection,
  • …converted it into a List,
  • …and used the Export List Items to CSV file action to download it onto your computer.

However, when you open it in Excel, add more rows, and try to upload it again using the "Import List Items from CSV file" action, you encountered an error message saying "Could not import list - Invalid data format".

Explanation​

In Case You Didn't Know: It’s Unicode All the Way Down

HELIO uses Unicode to display a wide range of characters, making it possible to work with languages that use non-Latin scripts.

To display special characters in HELIO, all files need to be encoded using UTF-8. HELIO requires files to be encoded in UTF-8 and also creates them in this format.

However, when editing these files using tools like Microsoft Excel, it might change the default encoding of the files created by HELIO. This is especially true if you have customers who entered data in languages that contain special characters.

Resolution​

When Using Microsoft Excel (Windows):

  1. Open your CSV file with Microsoft Excel.

  2. Click on File.

  3. Select Save As from the dropdown menu.

  4. Click on the dropdown menu next to File Format.

  5. Choose CSV UTF-8 (Comma delimited) (.csv) from the dropdown menu.

  6. Click on Save.

Your new CSV file is now encoded in UTF-8 format and can be imported into HELIO.

When Using Numbers (macOS):

  1. Open your CSV file with Numbers.

  2. Click on File at the top of your screen.

  3. Select Export -> CSV... from the dropdown menu.

  4. Click on the triangle symbol next to Advanced Options.

  5. Select Unicode (UTF-8) from the dropdown menu.

  6. Click Next.

  7. Choose a Name and Location for your file.

  8. Click Save.

Your new CSV file is now encoded in UTF-8 format and can be imported into HELIO.