---
title: "CSV missing longitude or latitude column"
description: "Fix the error that says your CSV is missing a longitude or latitude column. Rename the header to a recognised name and upload the file again."
seo:
  title: "CSV missing longitude or latitude"
sidebar:
  label: "CSV missing coordinates"
---

If import reports a missing longitude or latitude column, the header row has no recognised coordinate name. Rename the column and upload the file again.

The error appears after you click `Save`, in the `Processing failed` dialog. The message names the column that is missing:

- `Your CSV is missing a longitude column. Please include a column named Longitude, Lon, Long, Lng, or X.`
- `Your CSV is missing a latitude column. Please include a column named Latitude, Lat, or Y.`

<img src="/_assets/importing-data/troubleshoot-csv-missing-coordinates--processing-failed.png" alt="Processing failed dialog over the Import data page, with the missing-longitude message and a Try again button" width="1600" height="960" />

## Most likely cause: header name not recognised

MangoMap auto-detects the geometry columns by header name (case-insensitive). The error appears when the header row contains no column matching either list:
| Coordinate | Accepted column names |
| --- | --- |
| Longitude | `Longitude`, `Lon`, `Long`, `Lng`, `X`, `Longtitude` |
| Latitude | `Latitude`, `Lat`, `Y` |

Any other name — `xcoord`, `lng_dd`, `easting`, `gps_x`, etc. — won't be detected.

**How to verify.**

Open the CSV and look at the first row. If the longitude/latitude columns are named anything other than the values above, that's the cause.

**Fix.**

Open the file in a spreadsheet, rename the columns in the first row to one of the recognised names, save as `CSV UTF-8`, and re-upload. The simplest pair to use is `Longitude` and `Latitude`.

If you have many CSVs, a one-line script can rename headers in bulk — for example, in a terminal:

```console
$ sed -i '1s/xcoord/Longitude/; 1s/ycoord/Latitude/' *.csv
```

## Less common: header row is on the wrong line

Some CSVs include a title or blank rows above the actual headers. MangoMap always reads the first line as the header. A title line gives this error. A blank first line gives `The CSV file is empty or has no header row. Please add column headers and try again.`

**Fix.**

Delete any rows above the real header so it sits on line 1.

## Less common: addresses, not coordinates

If your CSV has `Address` and `City` columns but no longitude/latitude, this error is correct — there's nothing to geocode against. MangoMap does not perform address geocoding during import.

**Fix.**

Geocode the addresses to longitude/latitude in another tool first, then re-upload. See [How to import a CSV](/docs/importing-data/import-csv) for the import flow once you have coordinates.

## If none of the above

If the header names look correct but the error persists, check the file's encoding. A UTF-16 file (Excel `Unicode Text`) gives this error even when the columns are named correctly. Save the file as `CSV UTF-8` from a spreadsheet (Excel: `Save As → CSV UTF-8 (comma delimited)`). See [CSV contains invalid characters](/docs/importing-data/troubleshoot-csv-encoding).

## Related

- [How to import a CSV](/docs/importing-data/import-csv)
- [CSV contains invalid characters](/docs/importing-data/troubleshoot-csv-encoding)