AppFolio Property Manager: Fix CSV Import Formatting Errors

Most AppFolio CSV import failures that look like “formatting” come from the file not being a true CSV, wrong column headers/order, hidden characters, bad dates, bad amounts, or IDs/required fields not matching what AppFolio expects. Re-save as a plain CSV (UTF-8), match the template exactly, remove commas/line breaks inside fields, standardize dates, and validate required fields and unique IDs. If everything already looks correct, the issue is usually invisible characters, encoding, or a single bad row—find it by importing a small subset and narrowing down.

 

Quick checks that fix most failures

 

• Re-save correctly: Open in Excel/Sheets, then “Save as” CSV (not XLSX). If possible, export as CSV UTF-8. Avoid “CSV (Macintosh)” or other variants.
• Use AppFolio’s template: Column names, order, and required fields must match the import type. Do not add extra columns unless the importer allows it.
• No commas or line breaks inside cells: A comma in an address or a pasted note with a line break can shift columns. Remove line breaks; replace commas with spaces if the importer can’t handle quoted text.
• Dates must be consistent: Use one format like YYYY-MM-DD. Avoid mixed formats (03/04/2026 vs 4/3/26).
• Amounts must be plain numbers: No $, no parentheses, no thousands separators. Use 1000.00 not 1,000.00.
• Remove leading/trailing spaces: Especially in emails, unit numbers, and IDs. Spaces can make “matches” fail.

 

Common “looks fine” problems (invisible issues)

 

• Encoding/BOM: Some files include hidden markers. Re-export as UTF-8 and try again.
• Smart quotes and special characters: Replace curly quotes and long dashes with plain characters.
• Hidden tabs: Copy/paste from PDFs can insert tabs. Paste values only, then clean.
• Leading zeros: ZIP codes or account codes like 0012 get turned into 12. Format those columns as text before saving.

 

Validation steps when all requirements are already met

 

• Test a tiny file: Import only 5–10 rows. If it works, the format is fine and one row is bad.
• Binary search the bad row: Import half the rows, then half again, until the failing row is found.
• Check duplicates: Duplicate emails, unit identifiers, or external IDs can cause rejection depending on the module.
• Confirm matching keys: If the import links to existing records, the “match field” must be exact (same unit code, same owner name format, same ID).

 

When to contact AppFolio support

 

• No row-level error details appear and the same file fails across devices.
• The import tool accepts the file but creates wrong mappings even with correct headers.
• You suspect an account permission or feature flag issue for that import type.