CSV Import Fails With the Error "Please ensure that it is a valid CSV file"
Oct 2, 2025
Lifecycle Management
Okta Classic Engine
Okta Identity Engine
Overview
This article provides a solution for a parsing error that occurs when uploading a Comma-Separated Values (CSV) file to import users. The upload fails even if the file is a valid CSV file, and the following error is displayed:
Unable to parse. Please ensure that it is a valid CSV file
Applies To
- CSV Import
- ChromeOS
Cause
This error occurs because the CSV upload operation is performed on a device running the ChromeOS operating system.
Solution
To resolve this issue, perform the CSV upload operation using a Windows or macOS system. Additionally, ensure the following CSV file requirements are met:
- The file must have a .csv extension and be saved to a local folder.
- The file must be in UTF-8 format.
NOTE: When the CSV UTF-8 (Comma delimited) option is selected in some versions of Microsoft Excel, the UTF-8 character encoding is not recognized, and imports can fail.
