Fixing CSV import errors

Fixing CSV import errors

When you upload a CSV to Zestly, it validates the file before importing. Here are the most common validation errors and how to fix each one.

"Invalid date format in row X"

The scheduled_at column must be in ISO 8601 format: YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM

Examples of correct format:

• •2026-05-15T09:00 (9am on 15 May 2026)
• •2026-12-31T17:30

Common mistakes:

• •Using 15/05/2026 9:00 AM (Australian format — not supported)
• •Using 2026-05-15 09:00 (space instead of T)
• •Leaving seconds in (e.g. 2026-05-15T09:00:00) — remove the seconds

Fix: Open the CSV in a text editor and correct the date format in the flagged rows.

"Account not found: @handle"

The account_handle in that row doesn't match any connected account in your Zestly workspace.

Common mistakes:

• •Typo in the handle
• •The account is connected to a different Zestly workspace
• •You used a display name instead of the handle

Fix: Go to Social Accounts in Zestly and copy the exact handle shown there. Handles are case-sensitive.

"Platform not recognised"

The platform column value must be exactly one of: instagram, facebook, linkedin, x, tiktok, pinterest (all lowercase).

Fix: Check for typos or uppercase letters (e.g. change Instagram to instagram).

"Caption is empty in row X"

The caption column cannot be blank.

Fix: Add a caption, or if this is an image-only post, put a space character in the caption column.

"Media URL is not accessible"

Zestly tried to fetch the image at the provided URL but couldn't access it.

Common causes:

• •The URL is behind a login or private share link
• •The URL has expired (common with Dropbox/Google Drive temporary links)
• •The URL contains special characters that weren't URL-encoded

Fix: Upload the media directly to Zestly's Media Library and use the permanent URL from there, or use a publicly accessible URL (e.g. a public Cloudinary or Imgur link).

"Too many rows (max 500)"

Each CSV import supports a maximum of 500 posts.

Fix: Split your spreadsheet into multiple files of 500 rows or fewer.

General tips

• •Always use Zestly's official CSV template (Download Template button on the import page)
• •Open CSVs in a plain text editor (not Excel) to check for hidden characters
• •Save your spreadsheet as CSV UTF-8 encoding to avoid character encoding issues