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CSV Import & Export

Work with your product data in familiar spreadsheet applications like Excel or Google Sheets. Our CSV import/export feature makes it easy to manage large product catalogs offline and sync changes back to your store.

Overview​

CSV (Comma-Separated Values) functionality allows you to:

  • Export product data to spreadsheets
  • Edit data in your preferred application
  • Import changes back to Shopify
  • Backup product data in portable format

Exporting Products to CSV​

Basic Export​

Export All Products

  1. Go to Products → Export
  2. Select "All Products"
  3. Choose fields to include
  4. Click "Export to CSV"

Export Filtered Products

  1. Apply filters to find specific products
  2. Click "Export Filtered"
  3. Select export options
  4. Download the CSV file

Export Options​

Field Selection Choose which product fields to include:

  • ✅ Basic Info (Title, Description, Type)
  • ✅ Pricing (Price, Compare-at Price, Cost)
  • ✅ Inventory (Quantity, SKU, Barcode)
  • ✅ SEO (Meta Title, Meta Description)
  • ✅ Organization (Tags, Vendor, Collections)
  • ✅ Variants (All variant data)
  • ✅ Images (Image URLs and Alt Text)

Export Formats

  • Standard CSV: Compatible with Excel
  • UTF-8 CSV: Supports international characters
  • Tab-Separated: For specific applications
  • Custom Delimiter: Choose your own separator

Advanced Export Features​

Variant Handling

  • Separate Rows: Each variant on its own row
  • Combined Rows: Variants in additional columns
  • Parent-Child: Hierarchical structure

Image Export

  • URLs Only: Include image URLs
  • Download Images: Package images with CSV
  • Alt Text: Include image descriptions

Importing CSV Data​

Preparing Your CSV​

File Requirements

  • UTF-8 encoding for international characters
  • First row must contain column headers
  • Required columns: Title, Handle (or ID)
  • Maximum file size: 50MB

Column Mapping Map CSV columns to Shopify fields:

CSV Column → Shopify Field
"Product Name" → Title
"Product Price" → Price
"Stock Level" → Inventory Quantity
"Product Tags" → Tags

Import Process​

Step 1: Upload CSV

  1. Go to Products → Import
  2. Click "Choose File"
  3. Select your CSV file
  4. Click "Upload"

Step 2: Map Columns

  1. Review detected columns
  2. Map each column to Shopify fields
  3. Set data types and formats
  4. Configure import options

Step 3: Validate Data

  1. Review data preview
  2. Check for errors or warnings
  3. Fix issues if necessary
  4. Proceed to import

Step 4: Import Execution

  1. Choose import mode:
    • Create New: Add new products only
    • Update Existing: Modify existing products
    • Create & Update: Both operations
  2. Start the import process
  3. Monitor progress
  4. Review results

Import Modes​

Create New Products

Mode: Create Only
Action: Add new products to store
Duplicates: Skip or create with modified handle
Validation: Check required fields

Update Existing Products

Mode: Update Only
Identifier: SKU, Handle, or Product ID
Action: Modify existing product data
Missing Products: Skip or report error

Upsert Mode

Mode: Create & Update
Logic: Update if exists, create if new
Identifier: Primary key field
Fallback: Create new if no match found

Advanced CSV Features​

Variant Management​

Variant Import Structure

Title,Handle,Variant SKU,Variant Price,Option1 Name,Option1 Value
T-Shirt,t-shirt,TS-S-RED,19.99,Size,Small
T-Shirt,t-shirt,TS-M-RED,19.99,Size,Medium
T-Shirt,t-shirt,TS-L-RED,19.99,Size,Large

Multi-Option Variants

Title,Option1 Name,Option1 Value,Option2 Name,Option2 Value,Option3 Name,Option3 Value
Shirt,Size,Large,Color,Blue,Material,Cotton

Image Handling​

Image URL Import

Title,Image Src,Image Alt Text,Image Position
Product Name,https://example.com/image1.jpg,Main product image,1
Product Name,https://example.com/image2.jpg,Side view,2

Bulk Image Upload

  1. Prepare images in ZIP file
  2. Upload ZIP with CSV
  3. Reference images by filename in CSV
  4. Images are automatically uploaded

Metafields Import​

Custom Field Import

Title,Metafield: custom.material,Metafield: custom.care_instructions
Shirt,100% Cotton,Machine wash cold
Pants,Polyester blend,Dry clean only

Namespace Configuration

  • Define metafield namespaces
  • Set data types (string, number, boolean)
  • Configure validation rules
  • Handle nested data structures

Data Validation​

Pre-Import Validation​

Required Field Checks

  • Verify all required fields are present
  • Check data format compliance
  • Validate field lengths and types
  • Ensure unique constraints

Data Quality Checks

  • Price validation (positive numbers)
  • Inventory validation (non-negative)
  • URL validation for images
  • SKU uniqueness verification

Business Rule Validation

  • Product type consistency
  • Vendor name standardization
  • Tag format compliance
  • Collection assignment rules

Error Handling​

Validation Errors

Row 15: Price must be a positive number
Row 23: SKU already exists in store
Row 31: Required field 'Title' is missing
Row 45: Image URL is not accessible

Error Resolution

  1. Fix in CSV: Correct errors and re-upload
  2. Skip Errors: Import valid rows only
  3. Manual Review: Handle errors individually
  4. Bulk Fix: Apply corrections to multiple rows

Import Monitoring​

Real-Time Progress

  • Track import progress percentage
  • Monitor processing speed
  • View current operation status
  • Estimate completion time

Detailed Logging

  • Record all import operations
  • Log successful imports
  • Track error occurrences
  • Generate completion reports

CSV Templates​

Pre-Built Templates​

Basic Product Template

Title,Description,Type,Vendor,Price,Compare At Price,SKU,Inventory,Tags

Variant Product Template

Title,Handle,Option1 Name,Option1 Value,Option2 Name,Option2 Value,Variant SKU,Variant Price,Variant Inventory

Complete Product Template

Title,Description,Type,Vendor,Price,Compare At Price,Cost,SKU,Barcode,Inventory,Weight,Requires Shipping,Taxable,SEO Title,SEO Description,Tags,Image Src,Image Alt Text

Custom Templates​

Create Custom Templates

  1. Define required fields for your use case
  2. Set up column headers
  3. Add sample data rows
  4. Save as reusable template

Template Management

  • Save frequently used templates
  • Share templates with team members
  • Version control for templates
  • Import/export template definitions

Best Practices​

Data Preparation​

  1. Clean Your Data

    • Remove extra spaces and characters
    • Standardize formats (dates, prices)
    • Validate URLs and references
    • Check for duplicates

  2. Use Consistent Formatting

    • Standardize product types
    • Use consistent vendor names
    • Format tags uniformly
    • Maintain SKU patterns

  3. Test with Small Batches

    • Start with 10-50 products
    • Verify import results
    • Adjust process as needed
    • Scale up gradually

Performance Optimization​

  1. File Size Management

    • Keep files under 50MB
    • Split large datasets
    • Use compression when possible
    • Remove unnecessary columns

  2. Import Timing

    • Schedule during low-traffic periods
    • Avoid peak shopping hours
    • Consider time zone differences
    • Monitor store performance

  3. Resource Management

    • Monitor API rate limits
    • Use batch processing
    • Implement retry logic
    • Handle timeouts gracefully

Error Prevention​

  1. Validation First

    • Always validate before importing
    • Fix errors in source data
    • Use preview mode extensively
    • Test with sample data

  2. Backup Strategy

    • Create backups before imports
    • Export current data first
    • Keep multiple backup versions
    • Test restore procedures

  3. Incremental Updates

    • Import changes incrementally
    • Track what was imported
    • Maintain change logs
    • Use version control

Troubleshooting​

Common Issues​

File Format Problems

  • Encoding issues (use UTF-8)
  • Delimiter confusion
  • Quote character problems
  • Line ending differences

Data Import Errors

  • Missing required fields
  • Invalid data formats
  • Duplicate SKUs or handles
  • Image URL accessibility

Performance Issues

  • Large file processing
  • Memory limitations
  • Network timeouts
  • API rate limiting

Solutions​

File Format Fixes

  1. Save as UTF-8 CSV in Excel
  2. Use proper delimiters
  3. Escape special characters
  4. Validate file structure

Data Quality Improvements

  1. Use data validation tools
  2. Implement data cleaning scripts
  3. Standardize data entry processes
  4. Regular data audits

Performance Enhancements

  1. Split large files into smaller chunks
  2. Use background processing
  3. Implement progress monitoring
  4. Optimize data structures

Next Steps​

Master CSV workflows with these advanced topics:

  1. Learn automation rules
  2. Set up scheduled updates
  3. Explore API integrations