If your CSV file isn’t importing properly into AskNicely, this guide will help you identify and resolve common issues so you can get your contact data uploaded smoothly.
💡 Introduction
CSV Importers are powerful tools—but they require clean formatting and consistency to work properly. This article walks through the key file requirements, how Importers recognize matching files, and what to check if you're seeing errors.
📝 Editing Individual Importers
📄 Download a CSV Template to Match Your Importer
🔧 Adjusting for Extra Header Rows
✅ File Requirements
Before importing, make sure your CSV meets these technical requirements:
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Required columns: Your CSV must include
EmailandNameheaders -
Header format: The header row (usually row 1) must contain only letters, numbers, or underscores
-
Unique headers: Every column header must be distinct
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No special characters: Avoid
!,@,#,%, etc., in any part of the file -
File format: Must be saved as
.csvusing UTF-8 encoding -
File size: Must be under 6MB
📂 Understanding Importers
Each Importer is a reusable, saved instance of import settings, used to match future CSV uploads. You can see them in the CSV Importer App.
⚠️ Matching Column Headers
If you plan to reuse an existing Importer:
- Double check the Importer settings to ensure that these are the setting you wish to use with the new import
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Ensure your column headers are in the exact same order
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AskNicely uses these headers to detect matching importers
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Do not include extra columns, empty rows, or random notes outside the contact data
- To help you with this, download the Template for that specific Importer
📝 Editing Individual Importers
You can make changes to existing CSV Importers directly from the Importer dashboard:
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Click the three dots to the right of the Importer you want to edit
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Select View Details
From the Importer Details page:
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Under both the Settings and Mapping sections, click View Details to open and edit their configurations
🔒 Note:
Some parts of an Importer cannot be edited after creation, such as:
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Trigger field rules
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Contact deactivation settings
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Primary function (e.g., Import Only vs. Import & Survey)
If you need to change any of these, you’ll need to create a new Importer with the updated logic.
📄 Download a CSV Template to Match Your Importer
AskNicely provides built-in tools to help ensure your CSV file is properly formatted:
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On the CSV Importer page, click Download CSV Template to generate a file showing all the fields AskNicely currently recognizes (including default fields and any Custom Fields you've previously created).
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You can add additional columns or remove any fields you don't need to update.
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This ensures the CSV you upload matches AskNicely’s expected structure.
📌 Tip:
There are two ways to download helpful templates:
-
Global CSV Template (bottom of Importer page):
Includes all fields used across your Contact list. -
Individual Importer Template:
Click the three dots next to any saved Importer and select Download CSV Importer Template to view the exact structure that Importer expects.
These tools help eliminate guesswork and reduce formatting errors during upload.
🔧 Adjusting for Extra Header Rows
If your CRM-generated CSV has content above the column headers (like report titles or export metadata), use the "Header Row" selector when configuring your Importer.
This tells AskNicely which row contains your actual field names.
🎯 Template Matching Tips
If you’re using:
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A trigger field to fire off surveys, or
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The “Use a column to identify my template” setting
…then the cell values must match the exact name of your survey templates—spelling, spaces, and case included.
🔗 Visit the Template Manager to verify your template names