Encoding issues
Fix common CSV formatting and encoding headaches
ImportFix focuses on the structural cleanup that often shows up alongside CSV encoding and export issues.
What this problem usually means
Not every CSV import error is pure encoding, but encoding problems often show up alongside other structural issues like hidden whitespace, odd delimiters, or headers polluted by byte-order marks. ImportFix focuses on the pre-import cleanup work that commonly sits next to those problems.
Why it happens
- The source system exported the file with a byte-order mark or a different text encoding expectation.
- Spreadsheet apps and browser downloads can preserve odd formatting around headers or line endings.
- Encoding problems are often discovered only after a target importer starts rejecting or misreading the file.
What ImportFix checks
- Header cleanup after BOM-style artifacts
- Delimiter and line-ending consistency
- Whitespace, empty rows, and malformed structure around the text data
- Whether the file still looks structurally import-ready after normalization
Common repairs
Normalize the file structure and export format
Remove blank rows and trim surrounding whitespace
Repair duplicate headers or inconsistent row lengths that often appear next to encoding-related mess
Export a cleaner CSV for the next import attempt
When to review manually
If text characters themselves are still corrupted after the structural cleanup, the issue may be deeper than the CSV shape. In that case, review the source export settings in addition to the repaired file.
Related guides
Keep exploring the most common import problems, or jump into the repair workspace directly.