Validate a Square CSV and fix import errors
Square only checks a file once you upload it. Check yours here first, and see bad GTINs, duplicate SKUs and missing names grouped with a fix for each.
Supplier file
Drag and drop your supplier file hereChoose your supplier file
How do I check a Square import file before uploading?
Drop the file in the box above and read the issue list before you upload to Square. CatalogRoute knows Square's own headers by name, such as Item Name, SKU, GTIN and Price, so a file made from the Square template maps with little or no work.
Each problem goes into a group with a count and a one line fix. If 3 rows in a file of 600 have no item name, you see one group of 3 and never scroll through the rest. A group marked Blocked keeps its rows out of the Square file until you fix them. Rows with only a warning can still be exported.
| GTIN 36000291452 | UPC with 11 digits: add the leading zero |
|---|---|
| SKU 268435456789012345 that Excel shortened to 2.68435E+17 | Scientific notation: save the column as text |
| Item Name left empty | Empty item name: Square needs a name |
What does "Item import spreadsheet cannot be read" mean?
This is the message Square shows for its most common import errors (opens in a new tab), and most of them are problems inside the rows. Look in the error report for reasons that repeat, because one fix often clears many rows.
The file itself can also be the problem. Square's import tool takes .xlsx and .csv files only, so an .xls or .xlsm file fails. Reordering or deleting template columns fails the file too, even when the columns are empty. If you changed the template a lot, start again from a fresh one (opens in a new tab). In the item library, open Actions, then Export Library, choose Blank import library and paste your rows in.
Why does Square say a GTIN must be 8, 12, 13 or 14 digits?
Count the digits in the cell. Eleven usually means a spreadsheet dropped the leading zero from a 12 digit UPC. If a code looks right and still fails, it often has dashes or spaces in it, and Square takes only the digits 0 to 9 (opens in a new tab).
The tool strips dashes and spaces, and lists every code it cannot repair along with its row. For the lost zero, read how an 11 digit UPC is repaired. The other cases are in GTIN must be 8, 12, 13 or 14 digits.