Fixing import errors#

If your file fails to import, Fillet will tell you which row has a problem. Almost every failure comes down to the file deviating from the expected format — and all of them are fixable.

The fastest way to diagnose any error is to open the sample file alongside your own and compare them directly.

Two kinds of errors#

File-level errors prevent the import from starting at all. Fillet can’t read the file as valid price data. Fix these first.

Row-level errors occur during the import. Fillet processes your file but finds a problem on a specific row and reports it as “error with row X”. These mean your file structure is correct but one or more rows contain bad data.

Before you upload: checklist#

Run through this before every import. Most failures are caught here.

• File is saved in CSV format (.csv) — not .xlsx, .numbers, or .ods
• Exactly 4 columns — no extra columns left over from your original spreadsheet
• Columns are in this exact order: Ingredient name → Amount → Unit → Price
• No currency symbols or codes anywhere in the Price column ($, €, £, AUD, USD, etc.)
• No empty rows between data rows
• File was exported by your spreadsheet app, not hand-edited in a text editor

File-level errors#

File is not in CSV format#

The import tool only accepts CSV files. Files saved as .xlsx, .numbers, .ods, or any other spreadsheet format will be rejected.

Fix: In your spreadsheet app, use File → Export (or Save As) and choose CSV format. Do not rename a non-CSV file to .csv — the format must actually change.

Extra columns#

If your spreadsheet has columns beyond the required four — notes, supplier codes, internal references, checkboxes — the import will fail. Fillet expects exactly this structure:

Ingredient name,Amount,Unit,Price

Fix: Delete any columns that are not Ingredient name, Amount, Unit, or Price. Then re-export as CSV.

Columns in the wrong order#

The column order is fixed. Even if all four columns are present, having them in a different order will cause an error. For example, placing Price before Unit, or Amount before Ingredient name, will produce incorrect or failed imports.

Fix: Rearrange your columns to match the required order — Ingredient name, Amount, Unit, Price — then re-export as CSV.

Junk or garbled content#

This is the most common cause of mysterious failures. It happens when ingredient names or other fields contain characters that didn’t survive copy-pasting from another source — supplier emails, PDFs, invoicing software, or non-UTF-8 encoded files. Symptoms include:

• Ingredient names with strange symbols or question marks
• Invisible characters at the start or end of cells
• “Smart” or curly quotes (" ") instead of straight quotes
• A byte-order mark (BOM) prepended by some Windows applications

Fix: Re-type affected cells manually in your spreadsheet app rather than pasting. If the whole file looks garbled, open a fresh copy of the sample file, paste your data in as plain text (Paste Special → Plain Text in most apps), and re-export as CSV.

Row-level errors#

These appear as “error with row X” — where X is the row number in your CSV file (row 1 is the header, so row 2 is your first data row).

Currency symbols in the Price column#

The Price column must contain a plain number only. Currency symbols and codes — $, €, £, ¥, AUD, USD, etc. — are not allowed, even though the column represents a monetary amount.

Causes: Copy-pasting prices directly from an invoice, website, or accounting software often carries the currency symbol along.

Fix: Remove all currency symbols and codes from the Price column. The value AUD 12.50 should become 12.50.

Price is missing#

Every row must have a price. A row with an empty Price cell will fail.

Fix: Enter a price for every row. If you don’t yet know the price for an ingredient, either leave that ingredient out of the import file and add it manually later, or enter a placeholder and update it after import.

Amount is missing#

Every row must have a quantity in the Amount column. This is the pack size or quantity that corresponds to the price — for example, 5 if the price is per 5 kg.

Fix: Enter a positive number in the Amount column for every row. The Amount column must contain numbers only — no letters or symbols.

Unit is missing#

Every row must specify a unit of measurement.

Fix: Enter a unit for every row. You can use standard abbreviations (kg, g, L, mL, oz, lb) or any custom unit name (e.g., each, case). Custom unit names will create a new abstract unit for that ingredient.

Ingredient name is missing#

Every row must have an ingredient name. A row with an empty Ingredient name cell will fail.

Fix: Enter a name for every row. If you have rows at the bottom of your file with no data, delete them entirely — don’t just leave the name cell blank.

Empty rows#

A completely empty row — no data in any column — will cause an error. This often happens when a spreadsheet has trailing blank rows that aren’t visible on screen.

Fix: Select and delete any empty rows in your spreadsheet before exporting. In most spreadsheet apps, pressing Ctrl+End (or Cmd+End on Mac) will jump to the last cell that contains data — anything below that can be deleted.

If your import still fails#

If you’ve worked through every error above and the import is still failing, the safest approach is to start fresh:

1. Download a new copy of the sample file.
2. Re-enter your data directly into it — don’t copy-paste from a source that may be introducing bad characters.
3. Export as CSV and try the import again.

If the problem persists, contact support with your CSV file attached.