6 common CSV & XLSX import issues (and how to fix them)

These are the import problems support sees most often. Each one has a specific cause, and the fix is usually in the file rather than in Sessionboard. The full procedure is in Importing data.

1. “All records valid” but the import still fails

Symptoms. Validation shows 0 invalid records and a green check → you click Continue → File upload was unable to be processed. Please check your records and try again. → nothing is imported.

Why. Validation checks each cell’s format. Some checks only run when the rows are written — duplicate detection, file size, a temporary service problem — so a clean validation does not guarantee a clean import.

Fix.

1. Keep the file at or under 1,000 rows. Split larger files and import them in parts.
2. Check for special characters. Open the CSV in a text editor and look for ", &, <, and > inside values. They are allowed, but a stray unclosed quote breaks the row that follows it.
3. Start from a fresh template — Options → Import → Generate Template — and paste your data into it.
4. Try another browser or an incognito window.
5. If it still fails, send the CSV, the event name, and the page URL to support (see below).

2. Date and time fields fail after editing in Google Sheets

Symptoms. You export a CSV, open it in Google Sheets, edit, and re-import. Every Starts At and Ends At cell is rejected even though the dates look right.

Why. Google Sheets reformats date and time values on the way in and writes them back as, for example, 3/25/2026 9:00 AM. Sessionboard needs YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm (2026-03-25 09:00).

Fix — Option A, fix the format in Sheets. Select the date columns → Format → Number → Custom date and time → clear the existing pattern and rebuild it as YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm, choosing the zero-padded day, month, hour, and minute elements:

The pattern should read year, hyphen, month, hyphen, day, space, hour, colon, minute before you apply it:

Then File → Download → Comma-separated values (.csv).

Option B. Edit in Excel, which leaves text-formatted date columns alone.

Option C. Skip the re-import: in Program → Sessions, select the sessions and use Edit in the bar above the table to bulk-set start and end times.

3. Existing data is overwritten or wiped by an update

Symptoms. After an import meant to change only the dates, descriptions and custom fields on those sessions are blank.

Why. Every mapped column writes its value. A column that is present but empty means “set this field to empty”, not “leave it alone”.

Fix.

1. Export first — Options → Export .CSV — so you have a backup and a file that already contains Session Friendly ID (or, for contacts, Email).
2. Add a column Update record if already exists (sessions: Update session if already exists) and set it to TRUE on every row you are updating. Without it, rows create new records.
3. Make your changes.
4. On the mapping step choose Ignore this column for every column you are not intentionally changing.
5. Continue with the import.

4. What is the Session Friendly ID column?

Session Friendly ID is the identifier Sessionboard assigns when a session is created (it appears in the sessions table and every export). The importer uses it to match a row to an existing session.

• Creating new sessions: leave it blank; IDs are assigned on import.
• Updating sessions: keep the value from your Sessionboard export so the right session is updated.
• Never type your own values into it. If your source system has its own IDs, put them in Client Session ID instead — see matching sessions on import.

5. Importing session times and rooms from Excel

1. Download the template: Program → Sessions → Options → Import → Generate Template.
2. Paste your data under the template’s headers. Headers must match exactly, in English.
3. Dates: YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm, for example 2026-03-25 18:00.
4. Rooms: use the room name exactly as it appears under Program settings → Rooms.
5. Phone numbers: include the country code, for example +1 (123) 456-7891.
6. Save as CSV UTF-8 rather than .xlsx where you can.
7. On the mapping step, Ignore this column for anything you are not setting.

6. Custom fields missing from the mapping step

Symptoms. You created custom fields, but they are not offered as mapping targets when you import.

Why. The import template and the mapping list are built from the fields in your current table view. A custom field that is not a visible column is not offered.

Fix.

1. Open the module (Contacts, Sessions, Sponsors…) and click Columns.
2. Turn on the custom fields you want to import into.
3. Download the template again — Options → Import → Generate Template — and the fields are now columns.
4. Re-run the import.

Before you import — checklist

• Export a backup of the existing data.
• Start from the template Sessionboard generates, not your own spreadsheet.
• Session dates and times: YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm. Date fields on awards and interest form imports take the date only: YYYY-MM-DD.
• Ignore this column for every field you are not intentionally updating.
• Stay under 1,000 rows per file.
• Watch for stray ", &, <, > in values.
• Save as CSV (UTF-8) rather than .xlsx where you can.

Still stuck?

Note

Email support@sessionboard.com with:

• the CSV or XLSX file
• the name of the event you are importing into
• a screenshot of the error
• which columns you were trying to update
• the URL of the page you were importing from