Importing products into your Shopify store using a comma-separated values (CSV) file is useful when you switch to Shopify from another platform or when you want to make many changes to your products or inventory.
When you import products, the data is converted from the CSV file into products and you can select whether you want to publish your new products to all sales channels or only to your online store.
On this page
Before you begin
Before you import products using a CSV file, make sure that you've read the following topics:
- Explanation of CSV files
- Explanation of the product CSV fields
- Guidelines for attaching multiple images
Testing imports using a development store
If you are a Shopify Partner and you are performing a large scale import for a merchant, then make sure that you test a small subset of changes first using a development store before you perform the actual import job.
Considerations for overwriting your product details using an import CSV file
When you import a CSV file, you can select the option Overwrite products with matching handles. If you select this option, then when the handle in the import CSV file matches an existing handle in your products list, the values in the CSV file overwrite the values in the matching columns in the existing product list. If the overwrite option isn't selected, then the products that match an existing handle are ignored during CSV import.
- If a non-required column in the import CSV file is blank, then the matching value in the product list is overwritten as blank.
- For example, the Vendor value in your existing product list is
John's Apparel, but the Vendor column is blank in the CSV file that you import, then theJohn's Apparelis overwritten as blank.
- For example, the Vendor value in your existing product list is
- If a non-required column isn't included in the import CSV file, but is included in the existing product list, then the value in the product list remains the same.
- For example, if the Variant Image column is included in the existing product list, but that column isn't included in the import CSV file, then the value in the product list remains the same.
- If a non-required column is included in the import CSV file that relies on other column data not included in the file, then existing data is deleted or removed.
- For example, if the Variant SKU column is included in the import CSV file, but not the Option1 Value and Option1 Name columns, then the product variant option is deleted.
Import products from another store
If you have a CSV file that was exported from another store or came from another source, then verify that it matches the CSV file format. If the format doesn't match, or if there are any missing headers, then the import fails.
Your product CSV can't exceed 15 MB. If you get an error when trying to upload a new CSV file, then verify that it doesn't exceed the size limit.
Steps:
From your Shopify admin, go to Products.
Click Import.
Click Add file, and then select the CSV file that you want to import.
Optional: If you want to publish new products only to your online store instead of to all of your sales channels, then deselect Publish new products to all sales channels.
Optional: To change the URLs by overwriting the values for the existing handles, select Overwrite products with matching handles. Existing values will be replaced for all columns included in the CSV.
Click Upload and continue.
Review the details about the import, and then click Import products.
When your CSV file is uploaded, you receive a confirmation email from Shopify at the email account that you used to set up your Shopify store. Read some solutions to common problems.
Import products using a CSV file
If you want to make changes to your products using a CSV file, then you need to export your products first. You can make changes to your CSV file in a spreadsheet program, such as Google Sheets, then import your updated CSV into the Shopify admin.
Steps
From your Shopify admin, go to Products.
Click Import.
Click Add file, and then select the CSV file that you want to import.
Optional: If you want to publish new products only to your online store instead of to all of your sales channels, then deselect Publish new products to all sales channels.
Optional: To change the URLs by overwriting the values for the existing handles, select Overwrite products with matching handles. Existing values will be replaced for all columns included in the CSV.
Click Upload and continue.
Review the details about the import, and then click Import products.
After your CSV file is uploaded, you receive a confirmation email from Shopify at the email account used to set up your Shopify store. Read some solutions to common problems.
