When importing an audience file into Acoustic Campaign, you may encounter a situation where the import appears to complete — the list is created and the job is submitted — but fails with zero records loaded. This article walks you through how to diagnose and fix the issue.

Common symptoms

• The audience list is successfully created in Acoustic
• The import job is submitted but fails during processing
• Import history shows a status of Failed
• Zero records appear in the newly created list
• Error messages are vague or reference database-level issues
• The same file may have imported successfully in the past

What causes this

Missing required fields (most common)

The most frequent cause is that your CSV contains rows with missing or empty values in required fields — particularly the primary key field (typically Email). Even a single empty value in a required field will cause that row to fail validation and may cause the entire import to fail. The error report will show: VALIDATION_ERROR: The field Email is required!

This can happen when:

• The Email column contains blank cells, empty strings, or only whitespace for certain rows
• Required fields are mapped but the corresponding columns are completely empty
• Data was corrupted or lost during export from your source system
• The CSV has an irregular structure with missing columns in some rows

Duplicate records in your data file

Duplicate values in your primary key field (typically email address) can prevent the system from processing the file correctly. In earlier versions of the platform, duplicate records were automatically filtered and noted in a report. However, system changes may now cause duplicates to trigger import failures rather than being handled automatically.

Database-level index issues

In rare cases, a platform-side database issue on a specific data center or pod can cause imports to fail at the database layer with SQL errors related to index unavailability — such as ORA-01502: index is in unusable state. These require backend intervention and cannot be resolved by modifying your file.

Data structure or format issues

Import failures can also result from:

• Malformed CSV formatting (unexpected line breaks, unusual character encoding)
• Column mapping mismatches (missing required fields, incorrect field names)
• Data type incompatibilities (dates in unexpected formats, non-numeric values in numeric fields)
• Special characters that aren't properly escaped in the CSV file
• File encoding issues (non-UTF-8 encodings causing parsing errors)

Temporary platform issues

Transient issues affecting a specific data center may prevent imports from processing. These typically resolve within minutes to hours.

How to fix it

Step 1: Download and review the error report

After a failed import, Acoustic generates an error report file. This is your most valuable diagnostic tool and should always be your first stop.

1. Navigate to your import history in Acoustic.
2. Locate the failed import job.
3. Download the error report file.
4. Open the file and review the following columns: Row Number, Error Code, Error Message, and Failed Column.

Use the error codes to guide your next step:

• VALIDATION_ERROR: The field [FieldName] is required! → Rows have empty or missing required field values. Go to Step 2.
• DUPLICATE_KEY or similar → Duplicate records are present. Go to Step 3.
• Database or index-related errors → This is a platform-side issue. Go to Step 6.

Step 2: Remove rows with missing required fields

1. Open your CSV file in Excel or Google Sheets.
2. Locate the column referenced in the error message (usually Email).
3. Filter to find all rows with blank or empty cells in that column:
   • Excel: Use Data > Filter > Blanks
   • Google Sheets: Use Data > Create a filter, then filter to show blanks
4. Review the empty rows: delete them if the data is truly missing, correct the mapping if data exists in another column, or restore from your source system if the data is corrupted.
5. Save the cleaned file and re-import.

Step 3: Deduplicate your audience file

1. Open your CSV file in Excel or Google Sheets.
2. Identify your primary key field (usually Email or Email Address).
3. Remove duplicate entries:
   • Excel: Use Data > Remove Duplicates and select the email column
   • Google Sheets: Use Data > Data cleanup > Remove duplicates and select the email column
4. Save the cleaned file and re-import.

Note: You only need to remove duplicates within the import file itself. If a contact already exists in your list, Acoustic will update the existing record rather than create a duplicate.

Step 4: Retry the import

If Steps 2 and 3 don't apply, try submitting the import again. If several hours have passed since your first attempt, a transient platform issue may have already resolved.

Step 5: Validate your CSV file structure

If the import still fails, check your file formatting.

1. Open the CSV in a text editor (Notepad, VS Code, or similar).
2. Verify that:
   • The header row contains the expected field names
   • All rows have the same number of comma-separated values
   • There are no unexpected line breaks or blank rows within the data
   • Special characters (quotes, apostrophes, commas) within data fields are properly escaped with quotes
3. Confirm the file encoding is UTF-8. In most text editors, check or change this via File > Encoding.
4. Re-save the file as a properly formatted CSV and re-import.

Also verify your column mapping in Acoustic: confirm all required fields are present, columns are mapped correctly to list fields, and there are no data type mismatches.

Step 6: Contact Acoustic Support

If none of the above steps resolve the issue, contact Acoustic Support with the following information:

• Your organization name and account
• The specific list name you're importing to
• The filename of the CSV
• The exact timestamp of the failed import attempt
• Screenshots of the error report showing error codes and messages
• A sample of your CSV file (redact sensitive data if needed)
• A summary of the troubleshooting steps you've already completed

Frequently asked questions

What does VALIDATION_ERROR mean?

It means one or more rows in your CSV failed to meet data validation requirements. The most common cause is a required field (like Email) containing an empty or blank value. The error report will specify which rows failed and which field caused the issue.

Where do I find the error report file?

Navigate to your import history in Acoustic and locate the failed job. The error report is typically available as a downloadable attachment or link next to the failed import status.

Why did this file import successfully before but fails now?

Platform updates or data center changes may have altered how the system handles edge cases like duplicate records or empty fields. If your source system recently changed how it exports data, it may now be including blank rows or missing values. Contact Support if this becomes a recurring issue.

Is my data lost if the import fails?

No. A failed import does not affect data in existing lists. The empty list created during the failed attempt can be deleted, and you can retry with a corrected file.

How long does an import typically take?

Most imports of standard audience files (under 100,000 records) complete within 5–15 minutes. Very large files may take longer. If an import is taking longer than expected, check back in a few minutes — it may still be processing.

Can I import while the system is processing another import?

Yes. Acoustic supports concurrent imports, so you can submit multiple import jobs simultaneously. A failure in one import will not affect others already in progress.

Should I remove all duplicate email addresses or just duplicates within this import?

Remove all duplicate emails within your import file. If a contact already exists in your list with the same email, Acoustic will update the existing record rather than create a duplicate. However, the same email should not appear more than once within the single import file you're submitting.

Can I import partial data if some rows have errors?

No. If your import contains validation errors, the entire import will fail and no records will be loaded. Remove all problematic rows from the file before retrying. You can troubleshoot the removed rows separately.

What should I do if the error message mentions a database index?

This is a platform-side issue that cannot be resolved by modifying your data file. Contact Acoustic Support immediately with the full error message from your error report.

Prevention tips

• Deduplicate source data in your upstream systems before exporting to CSV
• Use ETL tools or spreadsheet functions to automatically remove duplicates before scheduled imports
• Test imports with a small sample file first, then proceed with the full file once verified
• Keep backups of successfully imported files for comparison if future imports fail
• If using automated import workflows, build in a deduplication step