How is this different from “Illegal quoting on line”?

Both come from quote problems. This one usually points to a missing or extra quote, while illegal quoting often involves a quote inside an unquoted value or a file that isn't UTF-8.

Will the import continue with the other lines?

A broken quote can shift the columns of the rest of the file, so fix it and import again rather than relying on a partial import.

Fix “Missing or stray quote on line” in a Shopify CSV import

A quote mark on that line is unbalanced: a curly quote, a missing closing quote or an extra quote. Open the file in a text editor, replace curly quotes with straight quotes and make sure every quoted value opens and closes with a straight double quote.

Error message in Shopify

Missing or stray quote on line

What this error means

CSV files use straight double quotes to wrap values that contain commas or line breaks. If a value opens a quote but never closes it, or uses curly quotes that CSV doesn't recognize, the rest of the line is read incorrectly and Shopify reports a missing or stray quote.

Common causes

Excel or another program replaced straight quotes with curly “smart” quotes.
A quoted value is missing its closing quote.
An extra quote was typed in the middle of a value.

How to fix it

Open the file in a plain-text editor, not a spreadsheet, so you can see the quotes.
Use find and replace to change “ and ” into straight quotes (").
Go to the line in the error message and check that every quoted value has an opening and a closing quote.
Remove any stray quote, or write quotes inside a value twice ("").
Save the file as CSV UTF-8 and import it again.

Example

Before

URL handle,Title,Price
linen-shirt,“Linen shirt, white”,39.00

After

URL handle,Title,Price
linen-shirt,"Linen shirt, white",39.00

The title used curly quotes, which CSV doesn't treat as quoting. Straight quotes keep “Linen shirt, white” in one column.

How to prevent it

Turn off automatic smart quotes in your spreadsheet or text editor when editing CSV files.
Use a validator that flags curly quotes and unbalanced quotes before you import.

Find this problem before you import

Skuvera checks your product CSV against all of Shopify’s rules in your browser and points to the exact row and column. Free, no sign-up.

Check your CSV

Frequently asked questions

How is this different from “Illegal quoting on line”?: Both come from quote problems. This one usually points to a missing or extra quote, while illegal quoting often involves a quote inside an unquoted value or a file that isn't UTF-8.
Will the import continue with the other lines?: A broken quote can shift the columns of the rest of the file, so fix it and import again rather than relying on a partial import.

Related checks in Skuvera

Read Shopify’s explanation

Other import errors

Updated October 30, 2026