Shopify CSV preparation
Before you import a supplier CSV
A supplier spreadsheet is a starting point, not an import plan. Check these things before putting it into a live store, especially if you are updating products that already exist.
Start with the right template
Use the current sample CSV from Shopify, or an export from the store you are updating. Match its headers and keep a copy of the original. Shopify's documentation includes both current and older header names, so don't rename columns just because an example online uses different labels.
Keep products and variants together
A handle identifies a product. Repeating it for that product's variants is normal. Reusing it for two different products is not. Check each product's option names and option values together, rather than checking rows in isolation.
Do not sort one spreadsheet column on its own. Shopify warns that sorting exported product data can separate variants or image URLs from their products.
Check identifiers before numbers
A SKU such as 00101 is an identifier, not a number. Preserve its leading zeros. Treat duplicate SKUs as questions to resolve, not permission to delete a row. Only an exact duplicate across every field can be considered for removal, and that decision belongs in the change log.
Make units and prices explicit
For example, 1,5 kg means 1500 grams if the supplier confirms kilograms and a decimal comma. A price written as 12,50 EUR can become 12.50 in the agreed EUR price field. That is formatting, not currency conversion. If the currency or separator is ambiguous, stop and ask.
Shopify's weight-in-grams field expects a numerical value without units or decimals. Do not invent missing prices or replace unknown values with zero.
Updates need extra care
With “Overwrite products with matching handles”, values in included columns can replace existing values. A blank included column can clear data; omitting a column is different. Variant fields depend on option columns. Shopify warns that changing option values recreates variant IDs, which can break apps that depend on those IDs.
Export a backup first, agree which fields may change and review the import preview. Do not use a new-product example as proof that an update is safe.
Review a small batch first
Before a full import, check a representative batch in a development store or another suitable test workflow. Count products and variants, verify SKUs and prices, and review publication settings. A valid-looking file is not proof of a successful import.
Want me to review your file?
Send 25 representative rows with the headers, variants and problem rows. I will return the cleaned sample, a change log, the decisions still needed and a fixed quote for the rest. You control the final store import.
Request a free sample See the illustrative report
Sources
Checked 10 October 2026. Follow your store's current template and Shopify's instructions: