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Zoho CRM Import Errors and How to Fix Them

Zoho CRM's import tool brings in contacts from a CSV or Excel file, and tells you afterwards which rows it skipped. These are the problems that skip rows, duplicate contacts or wipe details, with Zoho's fix for each.

Zoho's import rules

A CSV, XLS, XLSX or VCF file of up to 25 MB and 500 columns
Column names in the first row
Every mandatory field filled in on every row: Last Name for contacts
Rows within your edition's limit: 1,000 on Free
Lookup columns, such as Account Name, using one kind of value throughout
Multi-select values separated by semicolons, tags by commas

How to import

In Contacts, click the arrow next to Create Contact and choose Import Contacts. A sample CSV or XLSX file can be downloaded there. Drop in your file, choose whether to add, update or both, map each column to a Zoho field (Auto Map matches them by name), then choose what happens after the import and click Submit. Zoho suggests importing a small part of a large file first.

Common errors and their fixes

Rows were skipped

Cause: Records missing a mandatory field aren't imported. For contacts that's Last Name, but your organisation can make other fields mandatory too.

Fix: To see which fields are mandatory, open Contacts, click Create Contact, then Save on the empty form: Zoho flags each one. Then check the import's skipped rows under Setup, Data Administration, Import, Import History, which lists the error for each row for seven days.

Contacts were duplicated

Cause: Adding records only skips rows that match an existing contact on the unique field you chose for the import. Without one, every row becomes a new contact.

Fix: When adding, pick a unique field such as Email and map your email column to it. If duplicates got in, undo the import from Import History within 30 days and run it again. The duplicate rows guide covers finding them in the file first.

Blank cells wiped existing details

Cause: When updating, an empty cell in the file empties that field in Zoho, unless you choose to skip updating empty values. Updates can't be undone.

Fix: Tick the option to skip empty values when choosing Update existing contacts or Both, and remove columns you don't mean to change.

Contacts aren't linked to their account

Cause: Account Name is a lookup: Zoho finds the account by the value you choose during mapping, such as its name or record ID. Every row in the column must use the same kind of value, and the account has to exist.

Fix: Import or create the accounts first, use the account names exactly as they are in Zoho, and pick Account Name as the lookup's match when mapping.

Dates or numbers came in wrong

Cause: For date, currency and number fields Zoho asks which format the file uses, while mapping. A file in day-month order read as month-day swaps them.

Fix: Hover over each date and number field on the mapping page and choose the format your file actually uses, then check a few dates with a day above 12. More in the CSV date formatting guide.

Multi-select values or tags arrived as one value

Cause: Several picklist options in one cell are separated by semicolons, and several tags by commas.

Fix: Write multi-select picklist values as Option 1;Option 2 and tags as Tag 1,Tag 2, and choose whether to replace or append them when Zoho asks during mapping.

A column couldn't be mapped

Cause: Data in a column with no matching field in Zoho isn't imported.

Fix: Create the custom field first, or use Create New Fields on the mapping page to add fields for unmapped columns.

Rows near the end are missing

Cause: Zoho treats more than 10 empty rows in a row as the end of the file, so anything after them is ignored.

Fix: Delete empty rows from the middle of the file before importing.

The file is too big

Cause: Each file can be up to 25 MB and 500 columns. The number of rows depends on your edition: 1,000 on Free, 20,000 on Standard, 50,000 on Professional, 100,000 on Enterprise and 200,000 on Ultimate.

Fix: Split the file, and delete columns you aren't importing.

Names with accents are garbled

Cause: Zoho guesses the file's character set. Usually that works, but a file saved in one encoding and read as another turns é into é.

Fix: Save the file as CSV UTF-8, and if names still look wrong in the preview, choose the character set yourself when uploading. See the CSV special characters guide.

There's no Import option

Cause: Importing needs the Import Records permission on your profile.

Fix: Ask your Zoho CRM admin to enable it for the Contacts module.

Add, update or both

Add as new creates contacts, skipping rows whose unique field, such as Email, already exists. Update existing only changes contacts that match on the unique field you choose and never creates new ones. Both does each, as needed.

Added contacts can be undone from Import History for 30 days. Updates can't be reverted, so when updating, export the contacts first as a backup, and choose to skip empty values unless you mean to clear fields.

Checklist before you import

Last Name, and any other mandatory field, on every row
First names in First Name, not in Last Name
A unique field, such as Email, chosen when adding
Skip empty values ticked when updating
Accounts set up before contacts are linked to them
Date and number formats chosen to match the file
No runs of more than 10 empty rows
Saved as CSV UTF-8
A small test import first

Collecting contacts from someone else?

Send them a form instead of a spreadsheet. The Zoho CRM Contacts template requires a last name on every row, keeps first and last names apart, checks emails and phones as they're entered and flags repeated emails. Moving from another CRM? See the CRM data migration guide.

Try the Zoho CRM template

Related Guides

Relevant Templates

Import Builder is an independent product and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Zoho Corporation. Zoho is a trademark of Zoho Corporation. Import rules as described in Zoho CRM help, October 2026.