Free Shopify CSV file checker
Before importing products into Shopify, drop your CSV file: in a few seconds the tool tells you what would block the import (encoding, separator, headers, variants, prices) and on which row.
By Yvan Barbaggio, creator of ListoMax · Updated
Is your CSV file ready for Shopify?
Drop your file: it is read in your browser and sent nowhere. The checker reports, row by row, what would make the Shopify import fail or damage your product listings.
Your data stays on your computer: the page does not send the file to ListoMax or to anyone else.
What does the tool check in your file?
The import rules described in Shopify's official help, plus the common traps of files prepared in Excel.
| Check | What the tool reports |
|---|---|
| Format | Excel workbook dropped instead of a CSV, HTML page, empty file, over 15 MB |
| Encoding | File not in UTF-8: accented characters would be damaged |
| Separator | Semicolons or tabs instead of commas |
| Quotation marks | Misplaced or unclosed quotation mark, cause of the "Illegal quoting" error |
| Headers | Missing Title column, capitalisation different from the template, duplicate column, Option4 and beyond, unknown header |
| Rows | Number of cells different from the header |
| Products and variants | Empty handle or handle with spaces, product rows separated by sorting, missing title, duplicate variants, more than 2,048 variants or 250 images |
| Values | Status (active, draft, archived), publishing (true or false), prices with a comma or currency symbol, images without https:// |
| Overwriting | Completely empty columns, which would erase existing values |
Will a file validated here always be accepted by Shopify?
No: Shopify decides at import time. The checker spots common errors before you upload, but it does not check everything.
What is not checked
Whether image URLs respond, whether categories and collections exist, or market and metafield columns.
Run a test
Import three or four products first, check them in the admin, then import the rest. A Shopify import cannot be cancelled.
Keep a copy
Shopify keeps no history of imports: keep the file you sent.
Your questions, answered
Is my file sent to a server?
No. The file is read by your browser, on your computer. Nothing is sent to ListoMax or to any third party.
Is the checker free?
Yes, with no sign-up and no limit on the number of files. Size is capped at 15 MB, as in Shopify.
What does "Unexpected token <" mean in Shopify?
According to Shopify's help, the file headers do not match its template, capitalisation included. The checker lists misspelled headers and those missing from the template.
Does the checker read Excel files?
It reads CSV files. If you drop an Excel workbook, it tells you so: first save it as "CSV UTF-8 (Comma delimited)". ListoMax itself reads Excel files directly.
Try it on your Shopify store
5 real publications free, no credit card required. Then a lifetime licence: €49 for one computer, €149 for up to 5 computers.