If your CSV import stays on Contact import in progress for an unusually long time, this usually means the file is waiting in the import queue or CloudTalk is taking more time than expected to process the data. This article explains what is happening behind the scenes, why imports may take longer, and what you can do to resolve the issue.
User level: Agent
Symptoms
You may experience one or more of the following:
The status remains Contact import in progress for a long time
The import screen does not show any progress
Your file stays in the “processing” state even after re-uploading
A similar file imported quickly before, but this one takes longer
Only part of the file appears in Contacts, while the rest seems frozen
Sometimes these symptoms are temporary and resolve automatically once the queue moves.
How CSV imports work
When you upload a CSV file, CloudTalk processes it in the background. The process includes several steps, but most of it is not visible in the interface.
CloudTalk checks whether the file meets the basic requirements
(CSV format, size limit, required headers)
The file enters a shared processing queue
When your turn comes, CloudTalk processes the file and validates each row
Contacts that pass validation are added directly to your Contacts
There is no step-by-step progress indicator.
Instead, you will see:
"Contact import in progress" while the file is waiting or being processed
"We couldn’t import your contacts" if the system cannot process the file
If the import is successful, CloudTalk does not show a "Completed" message. The contacts simply appear in your Contacts list once processing finishes.
Because CSV imports happen quietly in the background, any delay in the queue looks very similar to a "stuck" import.
Root Causes
⚠️ Your CSV import is waiting in the shared queue
This is the most common reason for delays.
CloudTalk processes all CSV imports for all customers through one shared queue based on a simple rule:
First uploaded, first processed.
This means:
Large files uploaded by other customers can delay your import
Your file may wait until earlier jobs finish
If your team uploads several CSVs, they will be processed strictly in order
Uploading during high-traffic hours can increase waiting time
What you might notice during queue delays
The status stays on Contact import in progress
You do not see new contacts appearing
Re-uploading the file results in the same waiting state
This behavior is normal during peak times.
⚠️ The file is large and requires more processing time
CloudTalk supports CSV files up to 8 MB.
Even when the file is within this limit, processing may take longer if it contains:
A large number of rows
Many columns
Several custom fields
Long text values
Complex or diverse character sets
Larger files require more time to parse and validate.
⚠️ The file contains elements that slow down validation
The import may complete successfully but still take longer if the file includes:
Phone numbers CloudTalk needs to normalize
Missing country codes that require automatic prefix handling
Many invalid phone numbers
Column formats CloudTalk needs to interpret
Very large or complex rows
Extra whitespace around values
Very long names or free-text fields
These do not stop the import but may increase processing time.
⚠️ The file cannot be processed due to structure or encoding issues
If the import never starts, or fails immediately after processing begins, the file may contain structural or encoding problems.
For example:
Incorrect encoding
Wrong delimiter
Hidden or stray characters from Excel or Numbers
Broken or empty rows inside the table
Unsupported symbols or emoji
Header names that do not match CloudTalk requirements
Missing required columns (
name,phone)Headers with uppercase letters instead of the required lowercase format
This issue is covered more thoroughly in Upload of CSV File Fails
For general instructions on how to prepare a CSV file, including file size limits, required columns, and formatting guidelines, see How to import contacts to CloudTalk from a file.
⚠️ Hidden Excel formatting
Even if the file looks correct visually, Excel or Numbers may add hidden formatting that slows down processing:
Hidden characters
Formatting copied from other spreadsheets
Extra delimiters
Encoded symbols
Invisible empty columns
These issues often make imports slower or cause them to appear stuck, even if they eventually complete.
Step-by-Step Solution
Below are practical steps that help you identify whether the import is genuinely stuck or simply waiting its turn.
1. Check whether new contacts have appeared
Because CloudTalk does not display detailed import progress, the simplest way to check if the import is moving is to:
Go to Contacts
Search for several contacts from your file
Refresh the Contacts page
If new contacts begin to appear, the import is progressing.
2. Give the import some time
During busy periods, CSV imports may take longer than usual.
The waiting time depends on how many CSV files are currently being processed across all CloudTalk workspaces.
Even if nothing seems to change in the interface, the system continues processing in the background. Most imports start automatically once earlier files finish.
3. Try uploading outside busy hours
If you work with CSV files regularly:
Try uploading early in the morning or later in the evening
Avoid uploading several large files in a row
Avoid peak hours for your team or workspace
This often speeds up the start of the import.
4. Reduce the file size
CloudTalk supports importing large CSV files, including files with tens of thousands of rows. However, very large datasets require more processing time. As a general guideline:
Files above 5 MB may take longer to process
Files with hundreds of thousands of rows should be split into smaller batches
For extremely large imports (for example 250,000+ rows), splitting the data into multiple files will significantly improve performance and reduce the chance of timeouts
Tips to optimize large imports
To help your import process faster:
Remove columns you do not need
Shorten long free-text fields
Reduce the number of custom attributes (if not required)
Split very large files into several smaller CSV files
Example: instead of one file with 200,000 rows, use four files of 50,000 rows
Maximum number of characters allowed for columns
Each field in CloudTalk has a maximum allowed number of characters. Exceeding these limits can cause import errors or field truncation.
Column | Max characters |
name | 150 |
zip | 15 |
title | 255 |
company | 100 |
industry | 100 |
website | 100 |
address | 255 |
city | 255 |
state | 255 |
5. Use the CloudTalk CSV template
If your import never progresses or always gets stuck at the same point:
Download the CloudTalk CSV template
Open it in Google Sheets
Copy your data into the template
Export as CSV (UTF-8)
Try importing again
Google Sheets automatically cleans hidden formatting.
6. Re-upload the file
Sometimes a re-upload triggers a fresh queue position.
This is especially useful if:
You uploaded during a peak traffic moment
Another import was blocking the queue
You made changes to the file
Faster alternatives to CSV import
If you regularly handle large amounts of contact data, CSV may not be the fastest option. Consider:
Native integrations
HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, Zoho, and others sync contacts automatically and bypass the CSV queue.
CloudTalk API
Ideal for large or frequent imports. The Bulk Requests endpoint supports high-throughput operations.
Zapier or Make
Best for dynamic sources such as Google Sheets. Once configured, updates flow into CloudTalk automatically.
When to contact Support
You should contact Support if:
The import stays on Contact import in progress for more than one hour
The import never begins, even during low-traffic hours
Re-uploading produces the same result
No contacts appear after repeated attempts
The file stalls consistently, even when split into smaller parts
Include:
Your CSV file
A screenshot of the import window, if available
The approximate time of upload
The size of the file