Fixing Column Mapping Issues in Google Sheets

Every so often a scanned phone number lands in the email column, or a job title shows up under company. This is almost always a column-mapping issue, and it is quick to fix. Here is how to correct it and keep it from happening again.

Why it happens

ScanCardPro matches each piece of scanned data to a column using the header row of your sheet. If those headers get renamed, reordered, or deleted — or if a card has an unusual layout — data can slide into the wrong place. The good news: the fix is straightforward.

Step 1: Check your header row

Open your contact sheet and look at row 1. It should contain the original headers ScanCardPro created, in their original order:

• Name
• Email
• Phone
• Company
• Job title
• Date scanned

If any header was renamed or moved, put it back. Keeping these headers intact is the single most important thing for correct mapping. Add any custom columns of your own to the right of these, never in between.

Step 2: Fix the affected rows

For contacts that already landed wrong, you can correct them two ways. In the Contact Manager, open the contact, move the value to the right field, and save — the change syncs back to your sheet. Or edit the cells directly in Google Sheets if you prefer working in the spreadsheet.

Step 3: Re-scan if a card read poorly

If a specific card mapped badly because the read was messy, re-scanning often helps. Try better lighting, a flat background, and filling more of the frame with the card. Cleaner input gives the OCR engine a clearer signal about which text is the phone, the email, and the title.

Step 4: Verify the next scan

After restoring your headers, scan a test card and confirm each field lands where it should. Once one clean scan maps correctly, the rest will too.

Prevent it going forward

• Do not rename or reorder the header columns ScanCardPro created.
• Keep your own extra columns to the right of the standard ones.
• Review scanned details on screen before saving — a two-second glance catches most issues.

Still stuck? Reach out and we will help you get your sheet lined up.