You try to import a CSV file into Notion, but the process stops with an error or produces incorrect data. This usually happens because the CSV file does not match Notion’s strict column, encoding, or delimiter requirements. This article explains the specific format rules Notion expects and shows you how to fix the most common problems so your data imports correctly.
Key Takeaways: Fix Notion CSV Import Errors
- UTF-8 encoding in the CSV file: Notion only reads UTF-8 encoded CSV files. Files saved with ANSI or UTF-16 encoding cause character corruption or import failure.
- Comma as the delimiter: Notion expects commas to separate columns. Using semicolons or tabs breaks the column mapping during import.
- Header row in the first line: Notion uses the first row as column names. Missing headers or extra blank rows before the header cause the import to misinterpret data.
Why Notion CSV Import Fails Due to Format Problems
Notion’s CSV import tool is designed to read files that follow a strict set of rules. When your CSV file breaks these rules, the tool cannot parse the data correctly. The root cause is almost always a mismatch between how your spreadsheet software saves the file and what Notion expects.
Notion requires three specific format conditions:
UTF-8 Encoding
Notion reads only UTF-8 encoded CSV files. If you save a file with ANSI encoding in Excel on Windows, special characters such as accented letters, em dashes, or curly quotes become garbled. The import may complete, but the data will contain replacement characters like question marks or boxes.
Comma Delimiter
Notion expects a comma to separate each column. Many regional versions of Excel default to a semicolon delimiter because the comma is used as a decimal separator. When Notion sees semicolons, it treats the entire row as a single column.
Header Row on the First Line
Notion uses the first row of the CSV file as column names. If you have blank rows at the top, or if the header row is missing, Notion will either create generic column names like “Column 1” or fail to map your data at all.
Steps to Fix a CSV File for Notion Import
Method 1: Save the CSV with UTF-8 Encoding in Excel
- Open your CSV file in Microsoft Excel
Double-click the file to open it. If Excel launches with a preview screen, select “From Text/CSV” and choose the file. - Click File > Save As
In the Save As dialog, click the “Save as type” dropdown and select “CSV UTF-8 (Comma delimited) (csv)”. - Click Save and confirm
If Excel warns about losing features, click Yes. The file is now saved with UTF-8 encoding. - Reimport the file into Notion
In Notion, click Settings & Members > Settings > Import, select CSV, and upload the new file.
Method 2: Change the Delimiter to a Comma
- Open the CSV file in Notepad or any text editor
Right-click the file and choose Open with > Notepad. You will see the raw data with semicolons or other separators. - Press Ctrl+H to open Find and Replace
In the “Find what” field, type a semicolon (;). In the “Replace with” field, type a comma (,). - Click Replace All
Notepad replaces every semicolon with a comma. Save the file with Ctrl+S. - Test the import in Notion
Upload the file again. If columns still do not separate, check for other delimiters like tabs or pipes and replace them with commas.
Method 3: Add or Correct the Header Row
- Open the CSV file in Notepad
Look at the first line. It should contain column names separated by commas. Example: “Name”,”Email”,”Company”. - Delete any blank lines above the header
If there are one or more empty lines at the top, remove them so the header is on line 1. - If no header exists, add one
Type the column names as the first line. Use the same number of columns as the data rows. Save the file. - Reimport the file
Upload the corrected CSV to Notion. The column names should now appear correctly in the database.
If Notion Still Has Issues After the Main Fix
Imported Data Shows All Values in One Column
This means the delimiter is still not a comma. Open the file in Notepad and confirm the separator character. If you see tabs, use Find and Replace to change tabs to commas. To enter a tab in the Find what field, copy a tab from the file and paste it.
Special Characters Like Accents Show as Question Marks
The file was saved with ANSI encoding instead of UTF-8. Re-save the file using the CSV UTF-8 format in Excel as described in Method 1. If the data already contains corrupted characters, you must fix them manually or re-export the original data.
Notion Creates Extra Columns Named “Column 1”
The first row of the CSV file was blank or contained empty cells. Open the file and verify that the header row has meaningful text in every column. If a column has no header, add a descriptive name such as “Notes” or “ID”.
Numbers Are Imported as Text
Notion treats any value enclosed in double quotes as text. If your CSV file wraps numeric fields in quotes, remove the quotes from those fields. In Notepad, replace ” with nothing only for number columns. Do not remove quotes around text that contains commas.
Notion CSV Import: Common Format Issues Compared
| Issue | Symptom in Notion | Root Cause |
|---|---|---|
| Wrong encoding | Special characters become question marks or boxes | File saved as ANSI or UTF-16 instead of UTF-8 |
| Wrong delimiter | All data appears in one column | File uses semicolons or tabs instead of commas |
| Missing header row | Columns named “Column 1”, “Column 2” | First row is blank or contains data instead of headers |
| Quoted numbers | Numbers treated as text, cannot be used in formulas | Numeric values wrapped in double quotes |
This table summarizes the four most common format issues. Use it to quickly identify which problem your CSV file has and apply the corresponding fix from the steps above.
You can now prepare a CSV file that Notion will import without errors. Always save your file as CSV UTF-8, use commas as delimiters, and include a header row on the first line. For advanced users, consider using a tool like Notepad++ to inspect the raw file before importing.