How to solve data import errors?

Spotzi offers users the option to visualize their own data by converting Excel or CSV files into ready-to-go maps. There are, however, a number of obstacles that a user might encounter when attempting to import their own data files into Spotzi’s interface. Your most efficient approach to a file import might differ depending on the specific type of file or data you’d like to visualize.

Keep reading to learn about how to troubleshoot your import of a shapefile, a geoJSON, a csv/excel file with geometry, and a KML — as well as how to use Spotzi’s Geocoder to geographically plot data from csv/excel files which don’t include any geometry data of their own.

Importing and mapping a dataset without geometry (csv/excel)

Please use Spotzi Geocoder when plotting data from csv or excel files that do not contain geometry. Has your Geocoder import failed? See below for some troubleshooting tips:

• Importing a dataset with too many rows may cause an import timeout. If this is the case, simply split your dataset into smaller files and try again.
• If the XLS/XLSX archive could not be opened — or if it contains data that cannot be imported — simply try exporting it as a csv file and re-uploading the csv instead.
• In some import cases it’s helpful to save your CSV as a CSV (MS-DOS).
• If your excel file includes hidden fields they may interfere with your import process.
• When dealing with multi-tabbed excel files please keep in mind that the Spotzi Geocoder will only geocode the data from the file’s first available tab.
• Make sure that the table headers in your CSV/Excel files do not contain numbers or special characters (%, &, @) as these might interfere with the import process.
• Ensure that your file’s first row uses correct headers; the Spotzi Geocoder can then determine which fields contain the right kinds of data. For more information about how this geocoding process works, please visit our page on importing location data.
• Does your file only contain a list of ZIP codes? Please add an extra “country” column to your Excel/CSV. This country column gives the Spotzi Geocoder more information to work with and therefore leads to better geocoding results.

Read more about the process of importing addresses and data here.