When you import third-party devices with a CSV file and one or more rows don't import, the results file lists which devices failed and why. This article covers the common reasons a row fails and how to fix it. For the full import steps, see Import third-party external devices.
Before you troubleshoot
Open the results file from the import and read the failure reason for each row. Confirm the CSV still has its original header row — the import needs the header row exactly as the template provides it.
Causes and resolutions
| Failure reason | Cause | Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| A required field is missing or invalid | The row is missing a required value | Fix required fields |
| The device already exists | A device with the same MAC or Unique ID is already in your account | Resolve a duplicate device |
| A value is too long | A tag value is over the character limit | Shorten tag values |
| Too many tags | A device has more than 20 tags | Reduce the number of tags |
| Numbers changed to scientific notation | A spreadsheet reformatted long numbers | Preserve the original data |
Fix required fields
Every external device needs a valid MAC address, a Product Name, a Device category (TAG or INFRASTRUCTURE), and a Deployment Status (TO_BE_DEPLOYED, DEPLOYED, or END_OF_LIFE).
- Add any missing values to the row.
- Confirm the MAC address uses the format
XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX. - Save the CSV and import it again.
Resolve a duplicate device
You can't add a device that already exists in your account. The import rejects a row whose MAC address or Unique ID matches a device you already have.
- Search Device Management for the MAC address or Unique ID to find the existing device.
- To change that device, update it from its device profile or with the export and import options — not through Import External. See Update multiple devices with a CSV file (bulk edit).
Shorten tag values
Each value in the tags column can be up to 32 characters, and each device can have up to 20 tags.
- Shorten any tag value over 32 characters.
- If a device has more than 20 tags, remove the extra ones.
- Save the CSV and import it again.
Preserve the original data
Spreadsheet apps sometimes convert long numbers (such as a MAC address) into scientific notation, which the import can't read.
- Re-create the CSV with every column set to a text format. See the guidelines in Import third-party external devices.
- Import the corrected file.
If the issue persists
If a row keeps failing after you correct it, contact Kontakt.io support. Include the failure reason from the results file and the row's MAC address.