Import Builder
Import Builder/Guides/QuickBooks CSV import errors
Accounting

QuickBooks Online CSV Import Errors and How to Fix Them

Importing customers or suppliers into QuickBooks Online saves hours of typing, as long as the file follows a few strict rules. These are the problems that stop an import, or leave you with duplicates to clean up afterwards.

QuickBooks's file rules

An Excel or CSV file of at most 1,000 rows or 2 MB
Column headers in the first row, on the first sheet
No blank rows, blank cells or extra headings above the headers
Every name different from every other customer, supplier and employee
No colons or quotation marks in names
No formulas, charts or error values such as #REF!

Where to import

Customers are imported from the customer list and suppliers (vendors in the US) from the supplier list, each with its own Import option. During the import you match each column to a QuickBooks field. Addresses go to the billing address.

Common errors and their fixes

File too large

Cause: QuickBooks Online imports up to 1,000 rows or 2 MB per file.

Fix: Split the list into several files of at most 1,000 rows and import them one after another.

Name already in use

Cause: A customer can't have the same name as another customer, supplier or employee. A supplier who's also a customer, or two people with the same name, clash.

Fix: Make each name different, for example Jane Smith (Supplier) or Jane Smith - London.

Names with colons or quotation marks

Cause: QuickBooks doesn't accept colons (:) or quotation marks (") in names.

Fix: Remove them or replace them, for example Smith & Co rather than Smith: Co.

Headers not recognised

Cause: QuickBooks expects the column headers in the first row of the first sheet, with no blank rows, blank cells or extra headings above them.

Fix: Delete anything above the header row, keep the list on Sheet1, and match each column to a QuickBooks field during the import, choosing No Match for anything extra.

Formulas and error values

Cause: Formulas, charts and cells showing #REF!, #NAME?, #N/A or #VALUE! cause the import to fail.

Fix: Copy the data and paste it back as values only, and fix or clear any error cells.

Only one email address imported

Cause: The import supports one email address per contact.

Fix: Import the main address, and add others in QuickBooks afterwards.

Fixing a bad import created duplicates

Cause: Importing a corrected file again doesn't overwrite the entries already created.

Fix: Delete the contacts from the first import, or edit them individually, before importing the corrected file.

Phone numbers and account numbers changed

Cause: If the list passed through Excel, long numbers can turn into scientific notation (4.47E+11) and leading zeros disappear, before QuickBooks ever sees them.

Fix: Format those columns as Text before entering or pasting data. See the leading zeros guide and scientific notation guide.

After the import

Check a few imported contacts before doing anything else: names, billing addresses, emails and phone numbers. If something went wrong, remember that importing again won't replace what's there. Delete the imported contacts first, or correct them one by one, then import the fixed file.

The safest habit is a test import of five or ten rows before the full list. Mistakes in a small import take a minute to undo.

Checklist before you import

1,000 rows or fewer per file
Headers in row 1 of the first sheet, nothing above them
Every name unique across customers, suppliers and employees
No colons or quotation marks in names
Values only: no formulas or error cells
One email address per contact
Phone and account numbers stored as text
A small test import worked first

Collecting customer details from clients?

Send them a form instead of a spreadsheet. The QuickBooks Customers template requires a unique customer name on every row, checks emails, phones and websites as they're entered, and keeps codes as text. Moving to Xero instead? There's a Xero Contacts template too.

Try the QuickBooks template

Related Guides

Relevant Templates

Import Builder is an independent product and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Intuit Inc. QuickBooks is a trademark of Intuit Inc. Import rules as described in QuickBooks Online help, October 2026.