Solved Error importing Outlook 2016 Contacts CSV file into webmail

[Norm777]

I am importing an Outlook 2016 generated .CSV contact list into a webmail email account but keep receiving the following error.

Unknown error for item "(Unknown)": Could not parse csv file - Reason : missing column name for column[92]

There are 92 columns and each one has a column name. 92 columns is what Outlook 2016 generates, most columns are empty, just the name. I had previously tried deleting columns with no data but still got the same error, and always for the last column.

Is there a trick to get this contact list imported successfully? I am trying to create a whitelist filter to reject all email where the FROM name isn't in my contact file. My .CSV file contains 162 rows.

 

[Callender]

Export your date from your webmail account in csv format and compare it side by side with your exported Outlook data. Make sure that you make the order of columns and column headings in your outlook data match those in your webmail data. Then import.

 

[Norm777]

Sorry, I may have misled you a bit. I am exporting Outlook 2016 contacts to a CSV file, then trying to import the CVS file into my webmail account on my ISP. My webmail account is POP3, the CSV. In the CSV file created from Outlook 2016 it shows the Mail type as SMTP. In any case the error given seems to indicate a column heading name is missing, and it points to the last column heading is missing, but it is definitely there is the CSV file.
I have carefully looked at the CSV file to make sure the column names match in the correct order. If columns contain no data should they be deleted? I suspect importing additional contacts would put there data in wrong columns if any columns are missing.

Strangely I can import the contacts into an email contacts file without error, although that probably only uses the email addresses.

I am trying to set up a whitelist that uses my contacts as a go/no go filter, tossing any emails that aren't from a contact in my contact list. The filter allows me to chose only contacts and not email contacts so I doubt if that would work as intended.

Thanks for your quick response, I appreciate it!

 

[Callender]

All I can say id that you should export contacts from both webmail and outlook in csv format then make the outlook csv file match exactly with the headings/ columns shown in your exported webmail data. Empty columns should not cause a problem. If in doubt use Excel or other spreadsheet application and use the "format painter" to transfer formatting. You might also additionally freeze panes for the top row that contains headings.

 

[Norm777]

Thanks for your help. There are no contacts in my webmail. I did export the contacts anyway and got a file with no entries (doh) but it had fewer and different column headers (81) compared to the outlook 2016 contacts (92 columns). I made my outlook 2016 contacts match the columns that the webmail output. I still get the same error but now it refers to column 81 instead of 92.

 

[Callender]

Thanks for your help. There are no contacts in my webmail. I did export the contacts anyway and got a file with no entries (doh) but it had fewer and different column headers (81) compared to the outlook 2016 contacts (92 columns).

Suggest create one of more contacts in webmail then export.

I made my outlook 2016 contacts match the columns that the webmail output. I still get the same error but now it refers to column 81 instead of 92.

Manually copy contacts cell by cell if necessary from your exported outlook file into your exported webmail file then re-import it.

 

[Norm777]

I exported the contacts from Webmail after getting them in matching columns in Outlook to Webmail columns, turns out Outlook has a lot more columns than Webmail. When I exported from Webmail the contacts matched my modified Outlook contacts. Something to think about if I don't create my new contacts withing Webmail, otherwise I might have to match column by column to get them installed in Webmail.

Thanks for all your help. Appreciate it.

Norm