Troubleshooting: "Account not set for row X" Error When Uploading CSV Files

Written By Umar Khan

Last updated About 1 month ago

This error message appears when you're trying to bulk upload posts via CSV file, but the system cannot find the required "account" column or the account value is missing/empty in one or more rows of your CSV file.

Error messages you might see:

  • "Account not set for row 1"

  • "Account not set for row 2"

  • "account type" not set for row X

  • "publish at" not set for row X

The error indicates that a required column is either missing from your CSV file header, misspelled, or has empty (not accurate or misspelled) values in the specified row(s).

This error occurs when using the Bulk Upload feature to import multiple posts at once via CSV file.

WHEN THIS ERROR OCCURS

  • When you upload a CSV file through the bulk import feature

  • If your CSV file is missing required column headers

  • If required columns have empty values in any row

  • If column names are misspelled (though they are case-insensitive)

Your CSV file must include these three required columns:

  1. "account" - The name of the social media account (must match exactly as it appears at Accounts page)

  2. "account type" - The type of social media account (see supported types below)

  3. "publish at" - The date and time to publish the post (format: dd/mm/yyyy hh:mmam/pm)

Note: If you're using the "add to queue" option instead, the account/account type/publish at columns are not required, but you must include an "add to queue" column with the queue name.

HOW TO FIX IT

Solution 1: Check Your CSV Column Headers (Most Common Fix)

  1. Open your CSV file in a spreadsheet application (Excel, Google Sheets, etc.)

  2. Verify the first row contains these exact column headers:

    • account (or Account, ACCOUNT - case doesn't matter)

    • account type (or Account Type, ACCOUNT TYPE - case doesn't matter)

    • publish at (or Publish At, PUBLISH AT - case doesn't matter)

  3. Check for typos - Common mistakes:

    • accounts instead of account (plural)

    • account_type instead of account type (underscore instead of space)

    • publish_at instead of publish at (underscore instead of space)

    • publish date instead of publish at

  4. Remove any extra spaces before or after column names

  5. Save your CSV file and try uploading again

Solution 2: Fill Empty Values in Required Columns

  1. Open your CSV file in a spreadsheet application

  2. Check each row to ensure:

    • The account column has a value (must match an account name in SocialBu)

    • The account type column has a value (must be one of the supported types)

    • The publish at column has a value (format: 16/03/2020 01:30pm)

  3. Fill in any empty cells in these required columns

  4. Remove rows that you don't want to import (don't leave them with empty required fields)

  5. Save and re-upload your CSV file

Solution 3: Verify Account Names Match

  1. Go to your SocialBu accounts page and note the exact account names

  2. Open your CSV file and verify the account column values match exactly

  3. Common issues:

    • Extra spaces before/after account names

    • Different capitalization (though this should be handled automatically)

    • Account name changed in SocialBu but CSV still has old name

    • Account disconnected or removed from SocialBu

  4. Update your CSV with the correct account names

  5. Ensure the account is active - disconnected accounts will cause errors

Solution 4: Check Date Format

  1. Correct format: dd/mm/yyyy hh:mmam or dd/mm/yyyy hh:mmam

    • Example: 16/03/2020 01:30pm

    • Example: 25/12/2024 09:15am

  2. Common mistakes:

    • Using mm/dd/yyyy (US format) instead of dd/mm/yyyy (day/month/year)

    • Missing AM/PM indicator

    • Using 24-hour format instead of 12-hour format

    • Wrong date separator (must use / not - for the date part)

  3. Fix the date format in your CSV and try again