How to Import a CSV File Into a Notion Database

You need to bring data from a spreadsheet into Notion, but copy-pasting each row is slow and error-prone. Notion can import CSV files directly into a new database, preserving columns as properties and rows as pages. This article explains the exact steps to import a CSV file, how to handle common formatting issues, and what to do if the import fails.

What the CSV Import Feature Does and What You Need Before Starting

Notion’s CSV import feature creates a brand new database from your file. It does not merge data into an existing database. Each column in the CSV becomes a property in the Notion database. Each row becomes a new page inside that database. The property types are auto-detected based on the values in each column. For example, a column with dates becomes a Date property, and a column with URLs becomes a URL property.

Before you begin, make sure your CSV file meets these requirements:

• The file must use a comma as the delimiter. Semicolon-delimited files may not import correctly.
• The first row must contain column headers. These become the property names.
• The file must be saved with a .csv extension. Excel .xlsx files are not supported.
• The maximum number of rows is 5,000. Larger files cause the import to fail.
• Special characters such as commas inside a cell must be enclosed in double quotes.

Notion supports these property types during import: Text, Number, Select, Multi-select, Date, Email, Phone, URL, Checkbox, and Relation. If a column contains mixed types, Notion assigns it as a Text property.

Steps to Import a CSV File Into a New Notion Database

1. Open the workspace import menu
   In the left sidebar, click Settings & Members at the top. Then click Settings in the menu that appears. From the Settings page, click Import in the left panel. You can also open this menu by going to the top-left corner of any page, clicking the three-dot menu, and selecting Import.
2. Choose the CSV import option
   On the Import page, click the CSV button. A file picker dialog opens. Locate your CSV file on your computer and select it. Notion supports files up to 5 MB in size. If your file is larger, compress it or split it into multiple files.
3. Review the preview and set import options
   Notion shows a preview of the first 10 rows of your data. Below the preview, you can choose a name for the new database. You can also set the First row as header toggle. This option is enabled by default. If your CSV does not have a header row, disable this toggle. In that case, Notion assigns generic property names like “Column 1,” “Column 2,” and so on.
4. Confirm and start the import
   Click the Import button at the bottom of the preview window. Notion processes the file and creates a new database in your workspace. A confirmation message appears when the import is complete. The new database appears in your sidebar under the page you were on when you started the import.
5. Verify the imported data and adjust property types
   Open the new database and check a few rows. Notion may have assigned incorrect property types. For example, a column with numbers might be set to Text if some rows contain letters. To fix this, click the property name at the top of the column. In the dropdown menu, click Edit property. Then change the Type to the correct option, such as Number or Date.

If the Import Fails or Data Looks Wrong

Import button is grayed out or does nothing

This usually means the CSV file is corrupted, too large, or uses an unsupported delimiter. Open the file in a text editor like Notepad. Confirm that values are separated by commas and that text containing commas is wrapped in double quotes. If the file uses semicolons, save it with commas instead. In Excel, go to File > Save As and choose CSV (Comma delimited).

Property names are missing or wrong

If your CSV does not have a header row, the first row of data is used as property names. This creates confusing property names like “John” or “2024-01-15.” To fix this, delete the imported database and re-import with the First row as header toggle enabled. If your CSV has a header row but the import still treats it as data, the file may have blank rows above the header. Remove those blank rows in a spreadsheet editor and save again.

Some rows are missing after import

Notion skips rows that contain invalid data, such as a date format it cannot parse. Check the original CSV for cells with inconsistent formatting. For example, a Date column should use YYYY-MM-DD or MM/DD/YYYY consistently. If a cell has the text “N/A” in a Date column, that entire row may be skipped. Replace invalid values with blank cells or a consistent placeholder like “Unknown.”

Relations and rollups are not preserved

The CSV import does not create Relation or Rollup properties. If your CSV contains IDs that reference another database, you must create the Relation property manually after the import. Then use the Relation property to link imported rows to the target database. You can do this by adding a Relation column and selecting the related pages.

Import Method	CSV Import	Copy-Paste From Spreadsheet
Creates new database	Yes	No, pastes into existing database
Preserves property types	Auto-detected, may need manual correction	Uses existing property types
Supports Relation properties	No, must add manually	Yes, if target property exists
Maximum rows	5,000	Unlimited, limited by browser memory
Handles special characters	Must be quoted	Handled automatically

You can now import CSV files into Notion databases in a few clicks. After importing, check the property types and correct any that were auto-detected incorrectly. If you frequently import data, consider using Notion’s API or a tool like Zapier to automate the process. A useful next step is to create a database template that matches your CSV columns, then import into that template for consistent formatting.