When importing a CSV file, either as a one-time upload or through a business adapter, you might encounter an error stating that a required column is missing.
This issue is often caused by hidden Byte Order Mark (BOM) characters at the beginning of the file. A BOM is an invisible marker that indicates a file’s encoding, and it can interfere with how column headers are recognized during import. Microsoft Excel adds a BOM when you save a file using the CSV UTF-8 (Comma-delimited) format. These extra bytes can alter the header row, making it unrecognizable to the import process.
The following screenshot is an example of what a column looks like with BOM characters that have been unexpectedly added in front of the Purchase Order Number Column in the Purchase Order import template.
Common causes
- CSV saved with UTF-8 BOM: Saving a CSV file in Excel using the UTF-8 format inserts a BOM, which becomes part of the first column’s name.
- Manual file edits: Editing a CSV in other programs may retain BOM characters even after saving.
To avoid import errors caused by BOM characters:
- Save as a standard CSV
Open the file in Excel and choose CSV (Comma delimited) instead of CSV UTF-8 (Comma delimited). This prevents Excel from adding a BOM. - Use a clean template
If the BOM persists, download a fresh copy of the import template. Copy your data (excluding the header row) into the new file and save it as a standard CSV.
For this example, you’d download a copy of the Purchase Order import template from Data Collection > IT Assets Inventory Tasks > Data Imports.
Once downloaded, copy your data (excluding the header row) into the new template and save it as CSV (Comma delimited) to avoid BOM-related errors.
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Case id: 00001065
Activity: Status change: 2 hours ago