Are you running into issues while importing contacts into HubSpot? You've come to the right place.
HubSpot success starts with clean data. But that's sometimes easier said than done, especially when you have dozens, hundreds or thousands of contacts to process.
→Read Now: How to Import Your Contacts Into HubSpot's CRM
Use this guide to identify and troubleshoot import errors when adding contacts to HubSpot. We've divided our guide into a few of the most common errors you'll run across. Just click to pinpoint and pluck out the pesky problem like a pro.
Skip to a section:
- "Could Not..." / "Invalid..." Errors
- "Failed to.." Errors
- Duplicate and Multiple Errors
- Import File Errors
- Other Errors
➤ Pro Tip: There are a lot of possible import errors. Copy the exact name of the error you're seeing in HubSpot and Ctrl-F (or Command-F for Mac users) to find it on this page without scrolling.
"Could Not..." or "Invalid..." Errors
During Import
There are errors that appear most often during the import stage - when you're on the "map" section of the import screen. They are any of the following:
- Could not find owner - The import file contains a record owner that does not match a user in HubSpot. The affected records were imported, but the Owner field does not contain a value.
- Could not parse date - The import file contains a date value that does not match the format you selected during the import process. The affected records were imported, but the date property does not contain a value.
- Could not parse number - The import file contains a value for a number property with non-numeric characters. The affected records were imported, but the number property does not contain a value.
- Failed validation - The import file contains an email address that does not conform to the format of a typical email address (e.g., name@domain.com) or a value for the Deal Stage, Deal Pipeline, Ticket Status, or Ticket Pipeline property that does not match an existing stage, status, or pipeline name in HubSpot. The import did not create or update the records.
- Invalid domain - The import file contains an invalid domain name. The import did not create or update the record.
- Invalid email - The import file contains an invalid domain email address. The import did not create or update the record.
- Invalid enumeration option - The import file contains a value that does not match an existing option in an enumeration property. This applies to multi-select, dropdown select, radio select, and checkbox type properties. The affected records were still imported, but the enumeration property does not contain a value.
- Invalid record ID - During the import, the checkbox to update existing records using record IDs was selected. However, the record ID listed in the file did not match an existing ID in HubSpot. The records were not imported.
For all of these errors, the fix is the same: look for an exclamation mark icon next to the error, and hover over it until a box appears. Then select "Fix import errors" and you'll be walked through how to troubleshoot the specific error.
These errors indicate an alignment issue between the import file (like a spreadsheet) and properties in the HubSpot database. In most cases, this is a result of a spelling error or a blank cell.
After Import
There are a few additional "invalid" errors that you might encounter after the mapping stage, which are any of the following.
Invalid alternate ID
What it is: The import file contains an invalid value imported as an email address, domain name, or record ID. The import did not create or update the record.
How to fix it: Update your import file with the correct email, domain name, or record ID value, then re-import the file.
Invalid association identifier
What it is: The import file does not contain a proper unique value to associate your records. The data was imported, but the resulting records were not associated in HubSpot.
How to fix it: Update your import file to include a valid association identifier (e.g. Email for contacts, Company domain name for companies, or record IDs), then re-import the file. Learn how to set up your files properly to import and associate multiple objects.
Invalid number size
What it is: The import file contains a numerical value that is too small or too big. The affected rows were imported, but the number property does not contain a value.
How to fix it: Confirm the format requirements of your specific property or the property type, update your file to match the correct format, then re-import. You can also manually update the property value in the affected records.
Invalid required property
What it is: A required property in the import file contains an invalid value. The data in that row was not imported.
How to fix it: Confirm the format requirements of your specific property or the property type, update your file to match the correct format, then re-import. You can also manually update the property value in the affected records.
"Failed to.." Errors
Similar to "could not" errors, "failed to" errors often point to missing or misspelled data.
Failed to create association
What it is: HubSpot is unable to associate your records in their current format. The records were imported but were not associated.
How to fix it: Verify that you have met the file requirements for associating your records. If importing in one file, you may need to add a unique identifier for each object. If importing in two files, you may need to select a different common column to properly associate. Make the changes to your files and re-import, or manually associate your records.
Failed to opt out contact
What it is: HubSpot was unable to opt-out certain contacts in the opt-out file.
How to fix it: Confirm you have an Email value for all contacts on your opt-out list. If any are missing emails, add their email address to the file to properly opt-out the contact from receiving emails. You can also manually create contacts and opt them out from the contact record.
Failed to process object with empty property values
What it is: Your file contains empty values for multiple columns and HubSpot was unable to process the record. Your data in that row was not imported.
How to fix it: Fill in the missing property values of your import file, then re-import the file.
Failed validation of Email, Deal/Ticket stage, or Deal/Ticket pipeline
What it is: The import file contains an email address that does not conform to the format of a typical email address (e.g., name@domain.com) or a value for the Deal Stage, Deal Pipeline, Ticket Status, or Ticket Pipeline property that does not match an existing stage, status, or pipeline name in HubSpot. The import did not create or update the records.
How to fix it: For contacts, update your import file with the correct email, then re-import the file. For deals or tickets, update your import file with the correct stage, status, and pipeline name, or add the custom deal stage or ticket status to HubSpot. Once you’re done, re-import the file.
Duplicate and Multiple Errors
Most duplicate and multiple errors need to be fixed in order to avoid incorrect associations and messy data.
Duplicate alternate ID
What it is: The same alternate ID was used multiple times within your files. Your data was imported but there may be duplicates of the same record in HubSpot. If you were trying to associate, your records were not associated.
How to fix it: Choose a different column header to act as your alternate ID, then re-import the files.
- To avoid duplicates, use Email for contacts, Company domain name for companies, or Record ID for any object.
- To associate records, use Email, Company domain name, Record ID, or choose a one-to-many property where one value is unique for the many records associated with it (e.g. Company name as the one, which will be associated with many contacts who work at the same company.) Refer to the sample import files for further guidance.
Duplicate association ID
What it is: The association ID you chose to associate your records is not unique.
How to fix it: Choose a different column header to act as the common column between your two files. For best results, choose a one-to-many property where one value is unique for the many records associated with it (e.g. Company name as the one, which will be associated with many contacts who work at the same company.) Refer to the sample import files for further guidance. Once you’ve selected a new association ID, re-import your files.
Duplicate record ID
What it is: The same record ID was used multiple times within your files. The affected records were not updated or associated in HubSpot.
How to fix it: Update your import file so that there is only one row with that record ID. Keep the row with the most up-to-date information that you want included in HubSpot. Once you’ve removed duplicates, re-import the files.
Duplicate row content
What it is: HubSpot detected that the import file contains duplicate records. The import did not create a new record.
How to fix it: Remove the duplicate in your import file and re-import.
Duplicate unique property value
What it is: The same unique value was used multiple times within your files. Your data was imported but there may be duplicates of the same record in HubSpot. If you were trying to associate, your records were not associated.
How to fix it: Choose a different column header to act as your unique value, then re-import the files.
- To avoid duplicates, use Email for contacts, Company domain name for companies, or Record ID for any object.
- To associate records, use Email, Company domain name, Record ID, or choose a one-to-many property where one value is unique for the many records associated with it (e.g. Company name as the one, which will be associated with many contacts who work at the same company.) Refer to the sample import files for further guidance.
Multiple companies with this domain
What it is: The import file contains a Company domain name value that matches multiple companies in your HubSpot account. The import did not update the company record.
How to fix it: CSearch for the specific Company domain name value in your companies home to find the duplicate domains. Merge the company records or delete one of them, then re-import the file.
Multiple owners found
What it is: The import file contains an Owner value that matches more than one user in the account. This usually occurs for names (e.g., there are two John Doe users in your HubSpot account, and the import file contained the name "John Doe"). The affected records were imported, but the Owner property does not contain a value.
How to fix it: Replace the name of the owner with their email address in your import file, then re-import the file. You can also manually update the Owner property value in the affected records.
Import File Errors
Some errors may need to be fixed at the file level and will be flagged during the import phase.
File not found
What it is: The file you selected was not found. Your data was not imported.
How to fix it: Verify that you have saved your file to your computer and that it is the correct file type. Once you’ve done that, re-upload the file.
Incorrect number of columns
What it is: The import file contains at least one column without a header. The data in columns without headers was not imported.
How to fix it: Confirm whether or not the data in the columns should be imported, add appropriate headers or remove the columns, then re-import the file.
Invalid file type
What it is: The import file is the incorrect file type for importing into HubSpot. Your data was not imported.
How to fix it: Convert your file to a .csv, .xls, or .xlsx file, then re-import. Review additional file requirements for importing into HubSpot.
Invalid sheet count
What it is: The import file contains more than one sheet. Your data was not imported.
How to fix it: Remove any additional sheets from your import file, then re-import. Review additional file requirements for importing into HubSpot.
Invalid spreadsheet
What it is: The import file is not a valid spreadsheet file. Your data was not imported.
How to fix it: Convert your file to a .csv, .xls, or .xlsx file, then re-import. Review additional file requirements for importing into HubSpot.
Limit exceeded
What it is: HubSpot is unable to create the record due to a limit. Your file may be too large or you may have reached an account limit, such as reaching your max number of lists. Your data was not imported.
How to fix it: Confirm that your file is smaller than 150 MB, 1,000 columns, and 1,048,576 rows. The number of rows that you can import each day is also limited by your account's subscriptions:
- If you're using HubSpot's free tools, you can import up to 500,000 rows per day.
- For all other subscriptions, you can import up to 10,000,000 rows per day.
These limits apply to a rolling 24-hour period and do not reset at a specific time of day. If the file is larger, separate your data into multiple files. Then, re-import over multiple days. If the file is the correct size, learn more about your HubSpot subscription and its limitations.
Outside valid term range
What it is: The import file contains a value for a time period that is outside of the accepted term range. The affected records were imported, but the term property does not contain a value.
How to fix it: Update the term values in your file to be within the accepted time range (a whole number greater than or equal to 1 month), then re-import the file. You can also manually update the property value in the affected records.
Outside valid time range
What it is: The import file contains a value for a time period that is outside of the accepted term range. The affected records were imported, but the term property does not contain a value.
How to fix it: Update the time range values in your file to be within the accepted time range (less than 1000 years), then re-import the file. You can also manually update the property value in the affected records.
Property definition not found
What it is: The import file contains a column header that does not match a HubSpot property. The data in that column was not imported.
How to fix it: During the import, match your columns correctly by selecting an existing property or by creating a new property on the Map columns in your file to [object] properties page. You can also choose to skip importing unmatched columns.
Property value not found
What it is: The import file is missing a value for a required property. The data in that row was not imported.
How to fix it: Update your import file to include a value for the required property, then re-import the file.
Property validation rule error
What it is: The import file contains a value that doesn't meet the requirements for a property's validation rules (e.g., the value contains special characters, is too long, too short, etc). The affected records were imported, but the property doesn't contain a value.
How to fix it: View or edit the property's validation rules in your settings. Update your import file to include a value that follows the property's rules, then re-import the file. You can also manually update the property value in the affected records.
Unknown association record ID
What it is: During the import, the checkbox to update existing records using record IDs was selected. However, the required record IDs were not included in the files. The data was imported, but the resulting records are not associated in HubSpot.
How to fix it: Update your import file to include the record IDs, then re-import the file. You may need to export your existing records to get the correct record IDs. Learn how to set up your files properly to import and associate multiple objects.
Ambiguous enumeration option
What it is: The same record matches more than one of the existing options defined for an enumeration property. This applies to multi-select, dropdown select, radio select, and checkbox type properties.
You may also see this error if the value in your file is the property option's label rather than its internal value. This applies to enumeration property options where the label is different than the internal value.
The affected records were imported, but the enumeration property does not contain a value.
How to fix it: Identify the incorrect value by comparing your import file against the property in HubSpot. Update the value in your import file to match only one existing option, or the option's internal value if the label is different from its internal value. Once you've updated the value, then re-import the file.
You can also manually update the property value in the affected records.
If your records should match multiple options, learn how to format your file to correctly import data to multiple checkbox properties.
Unknown bad request
What it is: The import file contains an invalid record ID that does not match any existing record in your HubSpot account. The import did not update the record, as the data does not match any existing record.
How to fix it: Verify you have the correct record ID. If you find an incorrect ID, update your import file with the correct record ID, then re-import the file.
→Read Now: 10 Common HubSpot Implementation Mistakes New Users Make
Other Errors
GDPR blacklisted email
What it is: The import file contains one or more emails that have been blocked from communication due to GDPR. These contacts were not imported.
How to fix it: The import file will still import your other contacts, but you can not add the blocked contacts via import. You can add these contacts manually, but they will be automatically opted-out of marketing communication.
Unknown error
What it is: HubSpot is unable to process the file due to an unknown error. Your data was not imported.
How to fix it: Confirm that your file meets all requirements. Try to re-import after clearing your browser cache or using another browser. If you are still seeing an error, post on the Community (all users) or contact the support team (Starter, Professional, and Enterprise account only).
Salesforce import errors
If you're importing from Salesforce, import errors will display differently from other import errors.
- Navigate to your records:
- Contacts: In your HubSpot account, navigate to Contacts > Contacts.
- Companies: In your HubSpot account, navigate to Contacts > Companies.
- Deals: In your HubSpot account, navigate to Sales > Deals.
- Tickets: In your HubSpot account, navigate to Service > Tickets.
- Custom objects: In your HubSpot account, navigate to Contacts > Contacts, then click the dropdown menu in the top left and select the name of the custom object.
- Products: In your HubSpot account, click the settings icon settings in the main navigation bar. In the left sidebar menu, navigate to Objects > Products & Quotes.
- In the upper right, click Import. If you're on the products index page, click the Actions dropdown menu, then select Import.
- Hover over the Salesforce import that has errors, then click View import errors.
- In the Import Errors table, hover over an error and click View details to see more information.
- The right panel will show a description of the error, along with resolution information. You'll also see a list of records affected by the error. Click a record link to access the record and make changes as needed.
This covers all of the import errors you may run into. Of course - you could also bypass the headache and have a HubSpot expert do onboarding for you.
Get the Most out of HubSpot Pro with a HubSpot Partner Agency
BizzyWeb is a HubSpot Platinum Partner: we offer full-service HubSpot onboarding, enablement and strategy for all hubs. Our team has over 196 certifications in HubSpot (and constantly growing). No matter what your HubSpot needs are, our team is ready to handle them.
Plus, we are the only agency in Minnesota with a Platform Enablement Accreditation from HubSpot - sounds fancy, but it means we're top-notch in making HubSpot work within your business.
BizzyWeb is a Minneapolis-based digital marketing and web design agency that helps companies get the high-quality leads they need to grow and thrive. Our tactics include inbound marketing, SEO, advertising, web design, content creation and sales automation. We are an accredited HubSpot Platinum Partner and we offer full-service HubSpot onboarding, enablement and strategy for new and current users.
Source: Review and troubleshoot import errors - Hubspot Knowledge Base
