Resolve bulk import CSV upload errors

Ben Pemstein Ben Pemstein
· Updated

When you upload a CSV to the bulk import tool, the Preview import screen may display an error that prevents the file from being processed. This article covers the most common errors and how to fix them.

Encoding error: "Can not decode file"

Error message: "Oops! Your file was not successfully uploaded. Please make the corrections and try again. Can not decode file. Please ensure file is ASCII or UTF-8 encoded."

Diagnose

Check: File is not saved as UTF-8 CSV → Open your file. Check the format used when you last saved it. → If true: the file is saved as a standard Excel workbook (.xlsx), a non-UTF-8 CSV, or another spreadsheet format — proceed to Fix. → If not: confirm the file extension is .csv before uploading again.

Fix

Re-save from Microsoft Excel

  1. Open your file in Excel.
  2. Click File in the top menu.
  3. Click Save As.
  4. Choose a save location.
  5. Open the File Format (Mac) or Save as type (Windows) dropdown.
  6. Select CSV UTF-8 (Comma delimited) (.csv).
  7. Click Save.
  8. Return to the bulk import page and upload the new file.

Re-save from Google Sheets

  1. Open your file in Google Sheets.
  2. Click File in the top menu.
  3. Click Download.
  4. Select Comma Separated Values (.csv).
  5. Return to the bulk import page and upload the downloaded file.

Google Sheets exports CSV files in UTF-8 by default.

Group admin eligibility error

Error message: "This user can not be a group admin given their current status. Please update the user to be active and either a company admin or a reviewer."

Diagnose

This error appears when the group_admin field in your CSV assigns a user as a group admin, but that user does not meet the eligibility requirements. To be a group admin, a user must be:

  • Active (not deactivated or pending)
  • Either a Company Admin or a Reviewer

The error message identifies the specific group and CSV line number where the issue occurs.

Fix

  1. Find the line number referenced in the error message.
  2. Check the user listed in the group_admin column on that line.
  3. Confirm the user is active in 15Five and has either a Company Admin or Reviewer role.
  4. If the user does not meet these requirements, either update their role and status in 15Five first, or replace them with an eligible user in the CSV.
  5. Re-upload the corrected file.

What Resolution Looks Like

After uploading a correctly formatted file, the bulk import tool advances to the Preview import screen. No error banner appears.

If It Still Fails

Contact 15Five Support. Provide the following when you reach out:

  • The exact error message text
  • The file format you used when saving (e.g., "CSV UTF-8 in Excel for Mac")
  • The operating system and spreadsheet application you used

Not Covered Here

This article covers specific bulk import errors. For all import steps and field formatting rules, see Add Users via Bulk CSV Import.

Related Articles

Was this article helpful?

Sorry to hear that. Tell us what was missing →