Shopify product CSV requirements

Export your products from Shopify again, or add at least one product row under the header.

Split the file into several smaller files and import them one at a time.

Open the file and save it again as “CSV UTF-8”. Google Sheets uses UTF-8 by default.

Save the file again as “CSV UTF-8 (comma delimited)” instead of “Unicode text”.

Change your spreadsheet's export settings to use commas, or export from Google Sheets.

Open the row in a text editor and remove the extra quote, or wrap the whole value in straight quotes.

Replace curly quotes with straight quotes (").

Check for missing or extra commas in this row.

Delete the blank rows. They don't affect the import, but make the file harder to review.

Add a Title column with the product name on each product's first row.

Add a URL handle column and repeat the product's handle on every variant and image row.

Rename the column to match the official spelling exactly.

Remove the spaces from the column name.

Delete the column or rename it to an official column. Collection is the only extra column you can add.

Keep one of them and delete the others.

Keep only the Barcodes column.

Use the column names from one template. The new template is recommended.

Add the Option1 name and Option1 value columns from your Shopify export.

Include all four packed product columns, or none of them.

Use “Name (product.metafields.namespace.key)” or “product.metafields.namespace.key”.

Consider switching to the current template for future compatibility.

Add the product name to the Title column on the product's first row.

Add the product's URL handle to these rows, or delete them.

Give each product its own handle, or merge the rows into one product.

Use only letters, numbers, and dashes.

Use lowercase letters in the handle.

Keep all rows of a product together, starting with the row that has the Title.

Leave product-level columns blank on variant and image rows, or make them match the first row.

Use active, draft, or archived.

Enter active, draft, or archived, or remove the Status column to make all products active.

Use true or false.

Remove tags until there are 250 or fewer.

Use letters, numbers, and hyphens in tags.

Use the full category path such as “Apparel & Accessories > Clothing” or a category ID such as “aa-1”.

Create the gift card in Shopify first, then use the CSV only to update its details.

Shorten the collection name.

Add the option name (such as Size or Color) to the product's first row.

Enter a value for every option on every variant row.

Give each option a different name.

Fill options in order: Option1 first, then Option2, then Option3.

Change one of the option values, or remove the duplicate row.

Use a real option name such as Size, or keep only one variant.

Check that every variant is intended.

Use product.metafields.shopify.attribute-handle, or leave the column blank.

Use digits with a dot as the decimal separator, without currency symbols, such as 24.90.

Enter a price of 0 or more.

Enter a price for every variant.

Check that the product is meant to be free.

Make the compare-at price higher than the price, or leave it blank.

Use digits with a dot as the decimal separator, without currency symbols.

Check the price and cost for this variant.

Set a fixed price for the market, or remove its compare-at price.

Use shopify, shipwire, amazon_marketplace_web, or leave it blank if inventory isn't tracked.

Enter a whole number such as 12.

Enter a quantity, or clear the Inventory tracker column if you don't track inventory.

Use deny or continue.

Enter deny or continue.

Enter manual if you fulfill orders yourself.

Use lowercase letters and dashes only, such as joans-fulfillment.

Enter a SKU for every variant handled by a custom fulfillment service.

Enter the weight in grams without units or decimals. For example, 5.125 kg is 5125.

Use g, kg, lb, or oz.

Use true or false.

Fill in length, width, height, and unit, or leave all four blank.

Use cm or in.

Enter a number greater than 0.

Enter the weight if you use carrier-calculated shipping or a fulfillment service.

Give each variant its own SKU unless they share stock on purpose.

Remove the extra spaces and line breaks.

Keep at most 20 barcodes, separated by semicolons.

Use a type such as gtin, upc, ean, or isbn, or remove the prefix to import it as a custom barcode.

Write \\ for a backslash, \; for a semicolon, and \: for a colon inside a barcode.

Check the barcode for typos. Marketplaces such as Google Shopping reject invalid GTINs.

Each sellable item should have its own barcode.

Use a public link that starts with https://.

Use an https:// link if the image host supports it.

Upload the image to Shopify Files or another public host and use that link.

Link to the full-size image instead.

Enter 1 for the first image, 2 for the second, and so on.

Give each image of a product its own position.

Remove images until there are 250 or fewer.

Keep alt text short and descriptive, ideally under 125 characters.

Add alt text to help screen reader users and search engines.

Use one of the product image URLs for the variant image.

Shorten the SEO title so it isn't cut off in search results.

Shorten the SEO description.

Delete the column if you don't want to change it, or fill it in.

Add the Option1 name and Option1 value columns from your Shopify export.

Re-export from Shopify, or restore the original row order before importing.

If your store has several locations, update inventory with the inventory CSV file instead.