Fix Notion CSV Import Cannot Detect Currency Symbol in Number Column

When you import a CSV file into a Notion database, the Number column type should automatically detect and format values that include a currency symbol such as $, €, or £. Many users find that after import, the column remains a plain text type or shows the currency symbol as part of a text string instead of converting to a number with the correct currency format. This problem occurs because Notion’s CSV parser reads the currency symbol as a non-numeric character, causing it to treat the entire column as text. This article explains why this detection fails and provides step-by-step fixes to ensure your currency values are imported correctly as numbers with the appropriate currency symbol.

Why Notion Fails to Detect Currency Symbols During CSV Import

Notion’s CSV import engine uses a simple heuristic to determine column types: if every value in a column can be parsed as a number, the column is created as a Number type. When a currency symbol like $ or € is present, the parser sees the symbol as a non-numeric character and falls back to creating a Text column. The symbol is imported as part of the string, so a value like $1,234.56 becomes the text string “$1,234.56” instead of the number 1234.56 with a currency format.

This detection failure is not a bug in Notion but a design limitation. Notion does not offer a per-column type override during the CSV import wizard. You cannot tell Notion that a particular column should be treated as Number with a currency symbol. The only way to get a Number column with currency formatting is to either pre-process the CSV to remove symbols or to convert the column after import.

Three Methods to Import Currency Values as Numbers with Symbols

Each method below works for a different scenario. Choose the one that matches your workflow and the size of your data.

Method 1: Pre-process the CSV to Remove Currency Symbols

This method works best when you control the CSV file before import. You remove all currency symbols and thousand separators so that Notion sees only digits and a decimal point.

1. Open the CSV file in a text editor or spreadsheet
   Use Notepad, Visual Studio Code, Excel, or Google Sheets. Avoid saving in a binary format like .xlsx if you need to keep the .csv extension.
2. Remove all currency symbols and thousand separators
   Use find-and-replace to delete $, €, £, ¥, and commas used as thousand separators. Replace $1,234.56 with 1234.56. If your locale uses a period as a thousand separator and a comma as a decimal, adjust accordingly: remove the period and replace the comma with a period. Example: €1.234,56 becomes 1234.56.
3. Save the CSV file
   Save the cleaned file with a new name to avoid overwriting the original.
4. Import the cleaned CSV into Notion
   Go to your Notion workspace, click Import in the left sidebar, select CSV, and upload the cleaned file. Notion will now detect the column as Number.
5. Apply the currency format after import
   Click the column header, select Number as the property type, then choose the currency symbol from the Number Format dropdown. The values will now display with the currency symbol.

Method 2: Manually Change Column Type After Import

If you have already imported the CSV and the column is stuck as Text, you can convert it manually. This method works only if the text values contain a consistent pattern you can remove.

1. Open the imported database in Notion
   Navigate to the page that contains the database.
2. Click the column header
   The column currently shows as Text. Click its name at the top of the column.
3. Change the property type to Number
   In the dropdown menu, select Number. Notion will try to convert existing text values. If all values contain a currency symbol, the conversion will fail and the column may remain Text or show empty values.
4. If conversion fails, use find-and-replace to remove symbols
   Click the three-dot menu on the database, select Find and Replace. Replace $ with nothing. Repeat for any other symbol. After removing symbols, change the column type to Number again.
5. Apply the currency format
   After the column is Number, click the column header and set the Number Format to the desired currency.

Method 3: Use a Formula Column to Extract the Numeric Value

This method is best when you cannot modify the original CSV or when the column contains mixed formats. You keep the original text column and create a formula that extracts the number.

1. Create a new formula column
   Click the + button on the rightmost column of the database. Select Formula as the property type.
2. Enter the formula to extract the number
   Use this formula, replacing “Amount” with the name of your text column: toNumber(replaceAll(prop("Amount"), "[^0-9.]", "")). This removes all characters except digits and the period, then converts the result to a number.
3. Apply the currency format to the formula column
   Click the formula column header, set Number Format to the currency symbol you need. The column now shows the numeric value with the currency symbol.
4. Hide or delete the original text column
   If you no longer need the raw text, you can hide the original column by clicking its header and selecting Hide. Do not delete the original column if other formulas depend on it.

If Notion Still Cannot Detect the Currency Symbol After These Fixes

CSV file contains non-breaking spaces or hidden characters

Some spreadsheet applications insert non-breaking spaces or invisible characters when you export to CSV. These characters prevent Notion from recognizing numbers. Open the CSV in a hex editor or use a text editor that shows all characters. Replace any non-breaking space (ASCII 160) with a regular space, then remove the space. After cleaning, re-import the file.

Currency symbol appears after the number instead of before

Notion expects the currency symbol before the number. If your CSV uses a trailing symbol like 1234.56€, the formula method still works because the formula removes all non-numeric characters. For direct import, remove the trailing symbol in the CSV before importing.

Negative values with parentheses are not detected

If your CSV uses accounting notation like ($1,234.56), the parentheses and dollar sign together prevent number detection. Replace the entire pattern with a minus sign before the number, for example -1234.56. Use find-and-replace with a regular expression if your text editor supports it: replace \(\$(.?)\) with -$1.

Notion Number Format Options vs Manual Text Conversion

Item	Number Column with Currency Format	Text Column with Manual Currency Symbol
Data type	Number	Text
Currency symbol	Displayed automatically via format setting	Part of the text string
Sorting	Numerical order correct	Alphabetical order, 100 comes before 20
Arithmetic formulas	Works directly	Requires conversion via formula
Rollup and aggregation	Works correctly	Does not work or gives wrong results
Export to CSV	Exports as number without symbol	Exports as text with symbol

Using a Number column with a currency format is always the better choice. It ensures correct sorting, arithmetic, and aggregation. The text approach should only be used as a temporary workaround when the number conversion is not possible.

You can now import CSV files with currency symbols into Notion and have the values correctly stored as numbers with the proper currency format. Start by pre-processing the CSV to remove symbols if you want the simplest path, or use the formula method if you need to preserve the original text column. For large datasets, use a spreadsheet tool’s find-and-replace feature to strip symbols before import in bulk. After applying the fix, test sorting and a simple sum formula to confirm the column behaves as a number.