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Can someone please advise on how to troubleshoot the item import tool?

Tried importing CVS file. Did not work. Which items in template should I edit please?

 

Downloaded CVS template and filled it out. I think I filled out too much. Can someone please advise which colums I should be editing? Thank you.

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Hi @Sugree, glad we got in touch here! Sorry to hear about the trouble with the item import. Do you recall if you changed anything in the Item ID column? This may cause an error when you try to import the template.

 

These troubleshooting steps typically resolve any issue right away. I know that there's a lot — thanks for bearing with me:

  1. Make sure you're using the template from your Square Dashboard. To access it, visit Itemsclick Import Items, and select your option. Click Next and download our template.
  2. Be sure to save the file as a CSV. The item import tool won't work with XLSX , XLS , XLSM or any other file type.
  3. When editing the template, don't change any information in the Item ID column or delete any empty columns.
  4. Don't change the file name.
  5. Remove any commas from text you've added to the CSV (you can add them back to your item names, descriptions, or modifiers once they've been imported to your library).

If this doesn't get you where you need to be, please reply here or I'd recommend contacting our Support Team directly. We'll get this sorted out — thank you for your patience!

️ Tom | he/him
Seller Community Manager | Square, Inc.
Find step-by-step help in our Support Center

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Every time we try to import our Items List in CSV format and error message pops up prompting us to try again. The error message reads Cell A1. We have tried "try again" however the same error comes up every time, after trying with two different CSV formats. (one for MAC and one for PC)

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Alumni

Sorry for the trouble here! Are you trying to upload a brand new item library, or are you updating an existing library? Cell A1 refers to the Item ID within the Square system. If you're adding new items, leave that column blank as the Item ID will be updated automatically. Hopefully that helps sort things out for you! If not, let me know and I'll continue to help troubleshoot.

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I had the same problem.  Uploading a new library to a new square with same error message A1.  I tried deleting the column, clearing the contents of the column (escept title id) and clearing "ALL" of the column but none seemed to work.  It's my first time working with CSV.  It works in mac excel.  Any suggestions?

Jeff

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Admin

Best Answer

Hi @Sugree, glad we got in touch here! Sorry to hear about the trouble with the item import. Do you recall if you changed anything in the Item ID column? This may cause an error when you try to import the template.

 

These troubleshooting steps typically resolve any issue right away. I know that there's a lot — thanks for bearing with me:

  1. Make sure you're using the template from your Square Dashboard. To access it, visit Itemsclick Import Items, and select your option. Click Next and download our template.
  2. Be sure to save the file as a CSV. The item import tool won't work with XLSX , XLS , XLSM or any other file type.
  3. When editing the template, don't change any information in the Item ID column or delete any empty columns.
  4. Don't change the file name.
  5. Remove any commas from text you've added to the CSV (you can add them back to your item names, descriptions, or modifiers once they've been imported to your library).

If this doesn't get you where you need to be, please reply here or I'd recommend contacting our Support Team directly. We'll get this sorted out — thank you for your patience!

️ Tom | he/him
Seller Community Manager | Square, Inc.
Find step-by-step help in our Support Center
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Hi there--

I am a new Square user, trying to upload item inventory. I am getting a "row without item name" error message.

I have read the previous posts on this thread and am still seeking a solution. thanks.
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Square

@HE - I'd suggest downloading a fresh template, and then copying and pasting the information you already entered into the new one. The template is very delicate, so no headers can be changed or columns deleted. If you're still having issues, just reach out directly and a supporter can take a closer look at your .CSV. 


Sean
he/him/his
Product Manager | Square, Inc.
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I have numerous problems using the dashboard to export from one account and import to another.  To troubleshoot, I tried one item and even that created errors.  The exported cvs table has Token at location A1 and values in this column.  I deleted the values only, leaving A1 heading.  Also sales tax was removed from the account prior to export as it caused problems too.  Import worked very well after requesting a price format.  Adding sales tax is a manual process for each account with imported data.  Clearly, the dashboard Import/Export process has some bugs requiring fixing.  If just starting out, try adding item information to the downloaded CSV template leaving Token column empty.  Save as a CSV, then import items to one or more accounts.  I found this process to work well.

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I ended up having to manually delete my entire library of items. It was much faster to do it through the App than on the computer. Just a tip if anyone else runs into the same problems with deleting in bulk.

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Square

@JPoldo - Sorry to hear about the trouble. If you can reach out directly, we'd be happy to take a closer look. Our engineering team did make some changes over the end of the week that might have also addressed this issue. 

 

@primordialsoup - Thanks for sharing. The "Replace" library tool has been restored for .CSV import. We had a bug that caused it to be temporarily unavailable. Going forward, this process should be easier. 


Sean
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Product Manager | Square, Inc.
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Love your He/Him/His pronouns. 😉 Thanks for promoting awareness! Happy Pride

Ben E Moore
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Hello - I used your template, followed all of the rules but it is giving me an errors. unfortunalty it isn't any specific column error. Just says "There was an issue uploading all of your items. Please refresh the page, verify your item library and try again. If you are unable to resolve your issue, please contact support for additional assistance."

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Square

@loveatfirstsmoo - Please use a fresh copy of your own template. You can download it using the "Export" button on the Items tab of your Square Dashboard. Let me know if that doesn't work! 


Sean
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Product Manager | Square, Inc.
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It was a fresh download of the Excel. Are you suggesting to start all over? I'm confused, I've done this twice already. Could you explain what might be the issue, it seems that no one is able to clearly provide me an answer. I've emailed as well, provided the error and the email I received back was "pleas provide me the error" smh

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Square

@loveatfirstsmoo - Apologies for the confusion.  For troubleshooting issues with specific .CSVs, we will need to know the exact error message. Would you mind importing it again, and then reporting back to me? Thanks a ton! 


Sean
he/him/his
Product Manager | Square, Inc.
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Similar Issue, but the error message is "invalid character in row 17." No idea which character in row 17 is invalid. How do I fix this issue? I tried downloading a fresh template and importing again. But same error. Ideas/tips please! 

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This was my error as well. Row 17. May be an invalid token string?

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Admin

Hey @aledbetter and @Freakybuttrue, thanks for flagging this. Sounds strange that you're both getting this message.🤔

 

Would you mind contacting our Support Team and include the CSV that's encountering this error? We'll be able to escalate from there.

️ Tom | he/him
Seller Community Manager | Square, Inc.
Find step-by-step help in our Support Center
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Admin

Hey @frankBMC — thanks for reaching out and sorry to hear about the trouble. It sounds like another seller ran into some issues with importing items as well. Have a look at this post. If you're still having trouble after giving those tips a try, please contact our Support Team. Hope that helps!

️ Tom | he/him
Seller Community Manager | Square, Inc.
Find step-by-step help in our Support Center
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So I found the upload inventory button and after downloading square template, and changing colums to match template headers in Square. I am still having trouble uploading my inventory items to square.

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Square Community Moderator

@Robynn Check out the troubleshooting tips in this existing thread. It should have some information that can help. 

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