---
id: troubleshooting.dataset-upload
title: Case upload troubleshooting
summary: Repair uploads with rejected rows, missing inputs, incorrect column mapping, or Cases that arrive without usable context.
kind: error
product_area: troubleshooting
status: stable
updated: 2026-09-07
canonical: /docs/troubleshooting/dataset-upload
---

# Case upload troubleshooting

## Symptoms

- The file is rejected before column mapping.
- Required input fields are absent or cannot be selected.
- The preview puts outputs, metadata, or conversation context in the wrong fields.
- The upload completes but expected Cases are not visible in the Case Pool.
- Imported Cases are visible but cannot be reviewed or classified reliably.

## Likely causes

- The source file has unusable headers, duplicate columns, or blank input rows.
- Required Case input is unmapped or mapped from the wrong column.
- Conversation context, output identity, or metadata was flattened into the wrong field.
- The import completed, but the operator expected candidate Cases to become Benchmark members automatically.

## Diagnose the upload in order

1. Confirm the selected file is the intended source and uses a supported tabular shape for the upload surface.
2. Inspect headers and several real rows outside Teammately. Remove blank header rows, merged presentation cells, duplicate column names, and records that contain no usable input.
3. Return to **Map columns**. Map the Case input first, then candidate or reference output only when that identity is known. Map contextual columns as context or metadata rather than concatenating them into the input.
4. Review the preview for nulls, truncated objects, serialized JSON, and swapped user/assistant fields.
5. Submit a small representative file before importing the whole source.
6. After completion, open the Case Pool and verify row counts, a simple Case, a boundary Case, a conversation Case, and a row with missing optional data.

## Fix

- **No required input:** choose the correct input column or add a normalized input field to the source file.
- **Conversation collapsed into text:** preserve the structured turn context supported by the Project instead of guessing a public conversation schema.
- **Output mapped as input:** correct the mapping and re-upload; do not silently edit already selected benchmark evidence.
- **Missing context:** map supporting columns, then decide whether the existing imported Cases should be superseded or retained as an identifiable attempt.
- **Duplicate Cases:** compare stable source identifiers and Case content before adding candidates to a Benchmark.

## Prevention

Keep an untouched source file, a documented mapping decision, and a small QA sample. Treat database or internal representation details as implementation, not as the upload contract. The product preview is the last checkpoint before rows become Case Pool candidates.

{% example-demo title="Example: transcripts import without account tier" %}
The upload succeeds, but reviewers cannot explain why enterprise exceptions apply. The operator finds that `account_tier` was left unmapped. They add it as context, re-upload a representative sample, confirm the field in Case presentation, and only then import the full set. The incomplete candidates are not added to a Benchmark.
{% /example-demo %}

## Source confidence

Code-backed: the Case Pool upload, column-mapping, queue, and Case Pool surfaces establish file selection, mapping, submission state, and post-upload visibility. Supported customer file details remain whatever the current UI validates; this page does not create a public ingestion schema.

## Related task pages

{% related-card-grid title="Related workflows" %}
- [Import and prepare Cases](/docs/operating-manual/import-and-prepare-cases)
- [Case Pool](/docs/coverage-engineering/case-pool)
- [Metadata and context](/docs/reference/metadata-and-context)
- [Unclear Cases](/docs/troubleshooting/unclear-cases)
{% /related-card-grid %}

## Related reference pages

{% related-card-grid title="Related reference" %}
- [Cases](/docs/object-model/cases)
- [Case Pool](/docs/object-model/case-pool)
- [Metadata and context](/docs/reference/metadata-and-context)
{% /related-card-grid %}