Common concerns with importing a CSV file into beehiiv

If you’re seeing an error or unexpected result after uploading your CSV, this article covers the most common reasons an import may produce fewer subscribers than expected, including rejected emails, count mismatches, and missing fields. If your CSV was rejected outright or your import won't complete, start with the CSV Best Practices section below to verify your file is formatted correctly.

When importing a CSV file into beehiiv, you might encounter a few common issues. Here’s how to address them:

If your final subscriber count in beehiiv is lower than in your original CSV (some emails may have been rejected or filtered out), don't worry. beehiiv automatically removes inactive and duplicate emails to maintain a clean list. This is normal and helps ensure better deliverability. If you import the same list more than once, beehiiv will overwrite existing data, which might also affect the count. To update a list with the same emails, include additional custom fields to avoid deleting existing data.

It's common for your final count to be lower than your original CSV. Emails may be rejected for several reasons:

• Typos or invalid syntax: Misspelled domains, missing @ symbols, or improperly formatted addresses.
• Duplicate entries: The email already exists in your subscriber list. beehiiv does not store duplicate addresses, so re-importing the same email updates the existing record rather than creating a new one.
• Blocked or invalid domains: Domains associated with spam or disposable email services are automatically rejected.
• Recipient mailbox issues: The mailbox is full, disabled, or no longer exists.
• Mail server problems: The recipient's mail server is unreachable or temporarily down.

Removing these addresses helps reduce bounce rates and protect your domain reputation and deliverability.

The system does not provide a list of specific rejected email addresses. However, you can identify which contacts were not imported by exporting your current subscriber list and comparing it to your original CSV.

If an imported subscriber appears as accepted but isn't receiving emails, their address may be on your publication's Suppression list. Suppressed addresses are accepted during import but are automatically skipped at send time, including for welcome emails and automations. To check, go to Subscribers > Suppressions and search for the address. If it appears there, refer to Understanding your Suppression list for details on suppression types and next steps.

After an import completes, you can review the detailed breakdown at Settings > Subscribers Import. Scroll to the Historical Imports section to see:

• Date and time of import.
• File name.
• Import status (Queued, Processing, Completed, or Failed).
• Uploaded count (total rows in your CSV).
• Accepted count (subscribers successfully added or updated).
• Rejected count (emails that were filtered out).

The system does not provide a list of specific rejected email addresses or individual rejection reasons per email. However, you can identify which contacts were not imported by exporting your current subscriber list and comparing it to your original CSV.

During periods of high platform volume, CSV imports can take longer than expected to complete validation. Small imports (under 100 rows) typically finish within a few minutes, while larger imports typically complete within an hour, but may occasionally take longer depending on size and platform load.

If your import has been taking longer than expected to complete, here's what may be happening:

• Platform queue backlog: Validation runs during busy periods can cause temporary delays. Most imports will complete on their own as the queue clears.
• Email validation delay: During import, each subscriber email is validated through an external service. Occasionally, validation for one or more emails can stall, which prevents the import status from updating to "Completed"  even though your subscribers were successfully added. Check your subscriber count or visit Settings > Subscribers Import to confirm.

If your import remains stuck, please use the chatbot to help you reach out to beehiiv support, or access the Help page in your account. 

Some custom fields are missing from the import: 
beehiiv has reserved fields that cannot be used as custom fields (e.g., city). If your CSV includes these reserved fields, they will not be imported. To work around this, rename the CSV column to something like “import_city” to avoid it being recognized as a reserved field.

To avoid issues with your CSV upload, ensure the following:

• The first column header is an email field: Your CSV must have one of these headers in the first column: "email", "email address", or "emailaddress" (case-insensitive). Other variations may cause the import to fail.
• The Email column contains no blank cells: Every row must have a valid email address in the first column.
• Column titles match your custom fields and tags in beehiiv: Field names must correspond exactly to avoid mapping errors.
• Each cell contains only one value: Do not include multiple entries in a single cell.
• Delete any blank columns. Any blank columns or columns with custom field data you don't intend to import should be deleted.
• Save your file as a CSV: If you're using Excel on Windows or macOS, ensure the file is saved with the correct format. In rare cases, Excel exports CSV files with an incompatible file type that may trigger a "not valid" error. If this happens, try re-saving the file in a different spreadsheet application (such as Google Sheets) or contact support for assistance.

If you encounter other issues with your CSV upload or import, please use the chatbot to help you reach out to beehiiv support, or access the Help page in your account.