Unrecognized Variable Data Upload Error

Fixing “Unrecognized Variable: [variable name]”

Click here for a complete list of contact upload errors and how to fix them!

If your contact upload fails with the error:

“Unrecognized Variable: [variable name]”

it means Message does not recognize one of your column headers.

This usually happens for one of three reasons:

1. The field hasn’t been created yet.

2. The header name doesn’t exactly match the field’s variable name.

3. There are hidden spaces or blank columns in the file.

Step 1: Confirm the field exists

1. In Message, go to Programs → Manage Fields.

2. Look for the field under the Variable Name column (not the label).

Does the field exist?

✅ If the field exists

Your spreadsheet header must match the variable name exactly.

That means:

• No capital letters

• No spaces

• No extra characters

• Exact spelling

If the name in your spreadsheet is different, rename the column header to match the variable name shown in Manage Fields.

Example:
If the variable name is grad_year, your header must be grad_year — not Grad Year or grad year.

Save the file and try importing again.

❌ If the field does not exist

You’ll need to create it.

1. Go to Programs → Manage Fields.

2. Create a new custom field.

3. Use the variable name you want to appear in your spreadsheet.

4. Save.

5. Re-upload your file.

Step 2: Check for hidden formatting issues

If the error persists, check for these common issues:

Extra spaces in headers

Sometimes there’s a space before or after the column name.

Click directly into the header cell and check for:

• A space before the first letter

• A space after the last letter

Delete any extra spaces.

Blank or extra columns at the end of the file

If the error shows a blank name or quotation marks (""), Message may be interpreting empty columns as real data.

To fix:

1. Scroll to the far right of your spreadsheet.

2. Select any empty columns by clicking the column letter and dragging to highlight multiple columns.

3. Right-click and choose Delete.

4. Save the file.

5. Re-upload.

Quick Checklist Before Re-Uploading

• Headers match the variable name exactly

• No capital letters or spaces in variable names

• No extra spaces in headers

• No blank columns at the end

• File saved