CSV upload errors

Specific error messages you might see when uploading a CSV, and how to fix each.

“Invalid file type. Only CSV files are supported.”

You uploaded a file with the wrong extension or content type. Save your file as .csv (not .xlsx, .numbers, or .txt) and try again.

In Excel: File → Save As → CSV UTF-8 (Comma delimited). In Google Sheets: File → Download → Comma Separated Values (.csv). In Numbers: File → Export To → CSV.

“CSV file contains no valid products”

The file uploaded but no rows were usable. Common causes:

• Empty file or only a header row.
• All rows missing the required name column.
• File parsing failed silently (wrong encoding, wrong delimiter).

Open the file in a text editor or spreadsheet and confirm there are real product rows with at least a name value.

“Too many products. Maximum 50000 products per upload.”

Your file has more than 50,000 rows. Split it into multiple files of up to 50,000 each, or contact support for bulk uploads if you need to process more in one job.

“CSV must contain a ‘name’ or ‘product_name’ column”

The required name column isn’t there. CataSEO accepts any of these as the name column (case-insensitive):

• name
• product_name
• title
• product

Add a column with one of these headers, populate it with product names, and re-upload.

“CSV parsing failed: [details]”

The file structure couldn’t be parsed. Common causes:

• Wrong delimiter — CataSEO expects comma-separated. Semicolons (common in European locales) won’t work.
• Mismatched quotes — an unmatched " in a row breaks the rest of the file.
• Non-UTF-8 encoding — save as UTF-8 to avoid character corruption.

The error message includes details from the parser. Look at the row referenced (if any), fix the structure, and re-upload.

Validation warnings vs. errors

Warnings — the upload proceeds, but rows with warnings are skipped or partially processed. You’ll see a summary at the end.

Errors — the whole upload is rejected. You must fix the file and re-upload.

FAQ

Where can I download a template CSV? On the CSV upload page, click Download Template. It includes the required columns and a few sample rows.

What’s the maximum file size and row count? 10 MB and 50,000 products per upload.

Why are some rows skipped in the output? Rows missing the required name column, or rows that failed validation, are skipped. The output marks skipped rows so you can fix and re-upload.

Can I use semicolon-separated files (European Excel)? No, only comma-separated. Save as CSV UTF-8 (Comma delimited) in Excel, or pre-process the file to convert semicolons to commas.