Error - "Incoming Variable Library Is Invalid" while uploading a CSV data source file in Illustrator

Report · Jun 23, 2020

Hey all!

I'm trying to make a bunch of business cards using a template en masse with a Excel document.

This contains Inuktitut characters that I would like to remain in the finished product. I've tried it with and without the Inuktitut, all the cells are filled and I've done a search for all empty cells to be sure. Each time, the result is the same: invalid library. What could be going wrong?

Here is what happened when I tried to investigate possible problems listed here: https://helpx.adobe.com/in/illustrator/using/data-driven-graphics-templates-variables.html#Facingiss...

Your CSV file is not blank.
I've checked.

The spreadsheets that you've created using the latest version of Microsoft Excel are saved as CSV (Comma delimited) (*.csv) or CSV (MS-DOS) (*.csv) and those created using Apple Numbers are saved as CSV format with Unicode (UTF-8) encoding. Data source files saved in any other file format such as Macintosh Comma Separated (*.csv) are not supported for data merge.
Done. Both with comma delimited and MS-DOS.

All columns have a data field name. For example, Illustrator displays the error message when a column in your data source file contains data but doesn't have a data field name.
Done. All columns have a data field name.

The data source file doesn't have a blank column in between any filled columns. For example, Illustrator displays the error message when column B and D in your data source file contain data but column C is empty.
There are no blank columns. I've used find and replace to verify.

A. Data field name is missing for a column B. There's a blank column between filled columns
There are no blank field names.

The data field names in your spreadsheet don't contain any blank spaces.
There are no blank spaces.

The paths referring to image and graph files in your source file don't contain any blank spaces.
There are no blank spaces, image files or graphs.

The graph files linked from your data source file are saved as comma-delimited (.csv) files.
There is no graph.

{Renamed by MOD}

Report · Jan 10, 2022

Dear,

My Name is Puneet Agarwal,

I am also facing the same problem and tried checking all the pointers given here, but my problem still persists .

Can anyone help?

Thanks and Regards

Puneet

Report · Jan 20, 2022

this is the ULtimate solution

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vu3tYsWGkc

Report · Jan 20, 2022

It is worth to note that this is a valid solution only when we don't have any longer strings of text with commas inside. Cause commas can't be inside values here. If we have them, the software will interpret separations incorrectly. For a solution with commas, the only possible way to do it is in XML, as far as I know!

Report · Feb 01, 2022

Old thread I know but I was having this issue and nothing here helped.

I figured out what it was for me.

I was copying text with line breaks into the cells but becuase the cells were clipped/wrapped i didn't notice.

Make sure all text in each cell is on one line.

Report · Apr 02, 2023

Esto se puede resolver seleccionando todo, luego en Inicio > Edición > Borrar > Borrar formatos

Report · Jul 31, 2022

Today, I found another problem or may be a key for the error, I found a limit for the number of rows in csv file, which make data sets is limited to 230 set, when I add more rows, illustrator refuse the file and say "invalid.."
for columns, I have reached 103 and still work.

Report · Jul 12, 2023

i am not sure whos fault it is for my case , Either EXCEL or ADOBE because i was working on a doc with Turkish characters and when i export then as csv when i opened the file just only in excel again all turkish charaters lost value and had changed so now when i was trying to import them into illstrator it was giving me the error . so maybe illstrator needs to update to be able to decord it or Excel needs to be able to export them and maintain value , this is the original from Google sheets This is when i downloaded it and opened it on my pc error i was getting. i ended up having to type everything to get the job done

Report · Jul 12, 2023

Try and import it using the Variable Importer Script. https://github.com/Silly-V/Adobe-Illustrator/blob/master/Variable%20Importer/VariableImporter.jsx

Report · Oct 24, 2023

Thank you Monika, this worked. I'd tried everything else for a simple 3 column csv file. Your script was the only thing that worked!

Report · Dec 07, 2023

Hi Monika, Can you help me? how to use your script? I experienced the same problem

Report · Dec 08, 2023

What kind of file are you using as a data source?

Did you read the documentation (Illustrator as well as Variable Importer)

Report · Aug 08, 2023

I still had issues after trying these solutions. I was Downloading as CSV from Google Sheets and everything appeared right. But I finally cleaned and trimmed each cell and got rid of some hidden characters or spaces. My data set was quite large and I did not find these by visual examination at first. I put my data on one sheet and then used the =CLEAN(TRIM(data_range_here)) function to get it working.

Report · Sep 06, 2024

Thanks a lot, it works for me, too

Report · Jan 11, 2024

*** MAKE SURE THERE'S No "Enter" in the information you want to put in the variable. If you press enter and make the information go to the next line it will not work.

Report · Mar 04, 2025