Google Sheets Import CSV Issues & How To Fix Them

Your CSV import into Google Sheets isn’t working correctly, columns merge together, special characters break, dates become incorrect, or data appears corrupted.
This usually happens because of delimiter, encoding, or formatting mismatches.

Why the Issue Happens

• Wrong delimiter (comma, semicolon, tab, pipe)
• Incorrect file encoding (UTF-8 vs ANSI)
• Dates automatically reformatted incorrectly
• Numbers imported as text
• Special characters not displaying properly
• Empty rows or inconsistent column structure
• Large CSV file size causing partial imports

Step-by-Step Fixes

Step 1: Use Proper Import Method

Go to:

• File → Import → Upload → Select CSV

Choose:

• Insert new sheet(s)

Avoid copy-pasting CSV data directly.

Step 2: Fix Delimiter Problems

If all data appears in one column:

• Wrong delimiter detected

Fix:

• During import, select correct separator:
  • Comma ,
  • Semicolon ;
  • Tab
  • Pipe |

Or use:

=SPLIT(A2, ",")

after import.

Step 3: Fix Encoding Issues

Problem:

• Special characters appear corrupted (Ã, â, etc.)

Fix:

• Save CSV as UTF-8 before importing

In Excel:

• Save As → CSV UTF-8

Step 4: Prevent Date Corruption

Google Sheets auto-converts dates.

Example:

• 01-02 becomes a date unexpectedly

Fix:

• Format columns as Plain Text before import

Or use apostrophe:

'01-02

Step 5: Fix Numbers Imported as Text

Use:

=VALUE(A2)

For commas/symbols:

=VALUE(SUBSTITUTE(A2,",",""))

Step 6: Remove Hidden Characters

Imported CSV data often contains invisible characters.

Fix:

=TRIM(CLEAN(A2))

Step 7: Handle Inconsistent Columns

If rows shift incorrectly:

• CSV structure is broken

Fix:

• Ensure all rows have same number of delimiters
• Open CSV in text editor to validate structure

Step 8: Split Large CSV Files

Very large CSVs may fail partially.

Fix:

• Split file into smaller chunks
• Import separately

Step 9: Preserve Leading Zeros

Problem:

• 00123 becomes 123

Fix:

• Format column as Plain Text before import

Or use:

=TEXT(A2,"00000")

Step 10: Validate Imported Data

Check:

• Row count
• Totals
• Dates
• Special characters

Example:

=COUNTA(A:A)

to verify imported records.

Common Mistakes

• Using wrong delimiter
• Ignoring encoding format
• Letting Sheets auto-format dates
• Not preserving leading zeros
• Importing corrupted CSV structure
• Not validating imported data

Pro Tips

Use UTF-8 encoding for maximum compatibility

Keep raw imported data in a separate tab

Use QUERY to clean imported data:

=QUERY(A1:C100, "SELECT * WHERE A IS NOT NULL", 1)

Use helper columns for cleaning:

• TRIM
• CLEAN
• VALUE

Bottom Line

Fix CSV import issues in this order:

1. Use correct delimiter
2. Save file as UTF-8
3. Prevent unwanted date formatting
4. Convert text numbers properly
5. Clean imported data

Most issues come from delimiter and encoding mismatches, not the CSV itself.

Other Google Sheets Fixes:

• VLOOKUP not working
• FILTER Function Issues
• Query Errors
• IMPORTRANGE Problems

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