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Why Am I Getting An Error When Uploading A New Contact List?

Oct 9 2026 | By: PhotoBiz Knowledge Base

How to Troubleshoot CSV Contact Import Errors in PhotoBiz

Overview

If you're having trouble importing contacts into PhotoBiz, the issue may be related to your CSV file format, spreadsheet size, email addresses, or browser connection. Large CSV files can also cause the import process to time out before it finishes.

This guide explains how to check your file, correct common formatting problems, reduce the amount of data being imported, and troubleshoot upload errors. You'll also learn why some contacts may appear as failed imports even when their tags are successfully updated.

For instructions on the complete import process, see How to Import Contacts into PhotoBiz.

Confirm Your File Is in CSV Format

PhotoBiz only supports CSV files for importing contacts.

If your contact list is saved as an Excel spreadsheet (.XLS or .XLSX), PDF, Word document, or another file type, you'll need to export or save it as a CSV file before importing.

Your CSV file must also be 4 MB or less.

Open your contact list in your spreadsheet application, save or export it in .CSV format, and try uploading it again.

Helpful Tip: Changing a file's extension to .CSV does not convert it into a CSV file. Use your spreadsheet application's export or save options to create the correct file format.

Check Your Column Headings and Contact Information

Your CSV file must have column headings in English, and the first row must include a column labeled Email.

PhotoBiz uses the Email field to identify individual contacts in your CRM. Each contact must have a valid email address to be imported successfully.

PhotoBiz supports the following CSV columns:

  • First Name

  • Last Name

  • Email

  • Phone

  • Work Phone Number

  • Company Name

  • Birthday

  • Facebook

  • Address Line 1

  • Address Line 2

  • City

  • Country

  • State or Province

  • Zip Code

  • Shipping Address

  • Shipping City

  • Shipping Country

  • Shipping State or Province

  • Shipping Zip Code

  • Notes

Review your spreadsheet and correct any missing or incorrectly labeled columns. Remove unsupported, unnecessary, or blank columns to reduce the amount of data being uploaded.

Make sure each contact's information appears under the appropriate column heading.

Example of a Properly Formatted CSV File

You do not need to include every available column. If you're importing existing contacts to apply new tags, your CSV file can contain only the Email column.

Reduce Your CSV File Size to Prevent Timeouts

One of the most common reasons a contact import times out is that the CSV file contains too much data.

For the best results, we recommend keeping each CSV file to 5,000 total spreadsheet cells or fewer.

A spreadsheet cell is one field in your CSV file. The total number of cells depends on how many rows and columns your spreadsheet contains.

For example:

  • 1,000 contacts with 5 columns = 5,000 cells

  • 500 contacts with 10 columns = 5,000 cells

  • 2,000 contacts with 5 columns = 10,000 cells

A CSV file containing 2,000 contacts and 5 columns has 10,000 cells, which may cause the import process to time out.

If your CSV file contains more than 5,000 cells, divide your contacts into smaller files and import them separately.

You can also reduce the amount of data by removing unnecessary columns.

Important: The 5,000-cell recommendation is intended to reduce import timeouts. It is not a maximum limit of 5,000 contacts per import.

Understand Duplicate Contacts and Failed Imports

PhotoBiz uses the Email field as the unique identifier for each contact in your CRM. An email address can only be associated with one contact.

When you import a CSV file, PhotoBiz checks whether each email address already exists in your account.

If an email address already belongs to a contact:

  • PhotoBiz will not create a duplicate contact.

  • The existing contact will appear as a failed import in the import summary.

  • Any tags selected during the import will still be applied to the existing contact.

This means you can use CSV imports to add new tags to contacts already saved in PhotoBiz without creating duplicate records.

For example, if you export a list of contacts who opened a recent email campaign, you can import those email addresses and apply a tag such as Opened October Campaign.

Although these existing contacts will appear as failed imports, their new tags will still be applied.

What If an Email Address Is Missing or Invalid?

Contacts without an email address or with an invalid email address will not be successfully imported.

Check your spreadsheet's Email column for missing addresses, formatting errors, or incomplete information before attempting another import.

Important: A failed import does not always mean that nothing happened. If the email address already exists in PhotoBiz, the contact will not be imported again, but its tags will still be updated.

For more information, see How to Tag Multiple Contacts in PhotoBiz.

Clear Your Browser Cache

If your CSV file is formatted correctly and contains a manageable amount of data, but the upload still fails, try clearing your browser cache.

Your browser stores temporary website files to help pages load faster. Occasionally, outdated cached information can interfere with how a website functions.

Clear your browser cache, restart your browser, log back into PhotoBiz, and try importing your contacts again.

Use the instructions for your browser:

Check Your Internet Connection

An unstable or interrupted internet connection can cause problems when uploading CSV files.

If your import stops unexpectedly or your browser loses its connection, check that your device is connected to the internet.

You can test your connection using Speedtest by Ookla.

If your connection is slow or unstable, try reconnecting to your network or restarting your router before uploading your file again.

For the best results, use a stable internet connection when importing contacts.

Update Your Browser and Operating System

If your CSV file is properly formatted and your internet connection is working, make sure your browser and operating system are up to date.

Outdated software can occasionally cause compatibility issues with web-based tools.

Use the following resources to check for updates.

Operating Systems

Web Browsers

After installing any available updates, restart your browser, log back into PhotoBiz, and try importing your contacts again.

Helpful Tip: We recommend using the latest version of Google Chrome for the best experience with your PhotoBiz account.

How to Confirm Your Contacts Imported Successfully

After your import finishes, click VIEW SUMMARY to review the results.

Your import summary includes information about the number of contacts imported, the contact type assigned, tags applied, and contacts that could not be imported.

Remember that existing contacts with duplicate email addresses will appear as failed imports, even though the tags selected during the import will still be applied.

To check your results, return to CONTACTS and use the filtering options to locate contacts assigned to a particular tag.

For more information, see How to Filter Contacts in PhotoBiz.

Need Help?

If you've checked your CSV formatting, reduced your file size, and tried the troubleshooting steps above but still cannot import your contacts, our PhotoBiz Support Team is happy to help.

Support Hours: Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm EST

Phone: 866.463.7620

Support Channels: Phone, Live Chat, Support Ticket

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