Why Validate Files Before Importing?

A single data error can cause your entire import to fail. Worse, bad data that gets imported corrupts your records and creates reconciliation nightmares. Validation catches these issues before they reach your system.

Common Data Errors That Break Imports

• Date format errors — Dates in wrong format or invalid dates like February 30th
• Missing required fields — Empty cells where data is mandatory
• Number format problems — Text in number columns, wrong decimal separators
• Invalid values — Amounts that don't match totals, negative quantities where prohibited
• Character encoding — Special characters that break import parsers
• Duplicate records — Same transaction appearing multiple times
• Column mismatches — Headers renamed or columns in wrong order

How Validation Tools Work

1. Upload your file — CSV, Excel, or export file from any system
2. Schema detection — We identify the data type and required format
3. Automated checks — Run comprehensive validation rules
4. Error report — Get detailed list of issues with row numbers
5. Auto-correction — Fix common formatting problems automatically
6. Download clean file — Get validated, import-ready data

What Gets Validated?

• Required fields — Check that mandatory columns aren't empty
• Data types — Verify numbers are numeric, dates are valid dates
• Format consistency — Ensure dates and amounts use same format throughout
• Value ranges — Check amounts are positive where required, dates in valid range
• Cross-field validation — Verify totals match line items, tax calculations correct
• Business rules — Platform-specific requirements (customer exists, valid account codes)

Validation by Data Type

Different types of data require different validation checks:

• Transaction files — Date, amount, customer, product/service validation
• Customer records — Email format, required contact fields, unique identifiers
• Product catalogs — SKU uniqueness, price validation, inventory checks
• Bank statements — Running balance validation, transaction type codes
• Payment data — Fee calculations, currency codes, payment method validation

What Happens After Validation?

You get three outputs:

1. Validation report — Detailed list of errors with row numbers and suggested fixes
2. Error summary — Count of issues by type and severity
3. Clean file — Auto-corrected version ready for import (for fixable errors)

Validation vs Manual Checking

Privacy & Security

All validation happens in your browser. Your data never gets uploaded to our servers. The file stays on your computer while our validation engine runs locally using WebAssembly technology.