Import products to Shopify from a CSV or Excel file
Shopify's CSV import works well, as long as the file follows its template exactly. Here is the required format, the step-by-step method, the errors that block imports most often, and another route: ListoMax reads your CSV or Excel file as it is and creates each product in Shopify through the Admin API.
By Yvan Barbaggio, creator of ListoMax · Updated
How do you import a CSV file into Shopify?
In the Shopify admin, Products page, Import button: you upload a UTF-8 encoded CSV file, choose two options, then review the summary before starting.
Open the import
In the Shopify admin, open Products, click Import and add your CSV file.
Choose the options
Two boxes: publish new products to all sales channels (ticked by default), and overwrite products whose URL handle already exists. Without the second box, existing products are skipped.
Review, then import
Shopify shows the import details before it starts. Once started, an import cannot be cancelled; a confirmation email arrives at the end.
Check your catalog
Check prices, variants, images and collections. Shopify keeps no history of past imports: note what you sent.
Before a large import, test with three or four products. It is the simplest way to spot a badly filled column.
What CSV file format does Shopify accept?
A UTF-8 encoded CSV, columns separated by commas, a first row of headers, 15 MB at most. For a new product only the title is required; as soon as it has variants, the handle is required too.
| Rule | What Shopify requires |
|---|---|
| Encoding | UTF-8, otherwise accented characters become unreadable |
| Separator | A comma between columns; headers identical to the template, including capital letters |
| Size | 15 MB maximum; above that, split the file into several |
| Required columns | The title for a new product; the title and handle for an update or a product with variants |
| Variants | First row: all the product information. Following rows: the same handle and the details of each variant. Three options at most (Option1 to Option3) |
| Images | One public https address per row, 250 images at most per product |
| Collections | Only one collection per product in the dedicated column |
Why is my Shopify CSV import not working?
Most of the time the file is the problem, not the store. Here are the most frequent problems and their cause, according to Shopify's official help.
Strange characters instead of accents
The file is not UTF-8 encoded. Save it again in that format, then retry.
“Unexpected token < in JSON at position 0”
The headers do not match Shopify's template. They are case-sensitive: “title” is not “Title”.
“Illegal quoting”
A quotation mark problem in a cell: an unclosed quote, or a file that is not in UTF-8.
“Line is invalid”
A conflict between option values on the rows of the same product. Check columns Option1 to Option3.
Images have disappeared
Sorting the file in Excel or Numbers can separate image rows from their product. Avoid sorting a file that is ready.
Information erased
In overwrite mode, a column that is present but empty replaces the existing value with nothing. Remove the columns you do not want to change.
To spot these errors before importing, run your file through the free Shopify CSV checker: it is read in your browser, nothing is sent.
How do you import a supplier file into Shopify without redoing it?
Keep your file as it is. ListoMax reads the CSV, or the first sheet of the Excel workbook, recognises the useful columns, then creates each product in Shopify through the official Admin API, with a status per product.
| Shopify CSV import | Import in ListoMax | |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Comma-separated UTF-8 CSV, Shopify template headers | CSV or Excel, separator detected, simple headers |
| Variants | One row per variant, handle repeated | Axes entered once, combinations generated |
| Images | Public addresses, one per row | Several addresses in one cell, separated by a vertical bar |
| Languages | Translations handled separately | One column per language, sent to the store's published languages |
| Tracking | Email at the end, no history | Live counter, numbered errors |
| Existing product | Recognised by its handle if overwrite is ticked | Recognised by its SKU and updated |
| Several stores | One import per store | Shopify, PrestaShop and WooCommerce ticked at once |
| Information | Header recognised by ListoMax |
|---|---|
| Name per language | name_fr, name_en, name_es, name_de |
| SKU | reference or sku |
| Price and sale | price, sale_price |
| Stock, weight, barcode | quantity, weight, ean |
| Classification | category, tags |
| Texts | description_en (and other languages) |
| Images and visibility | images, active |
| SEO | seo_title_en, seo_desc_en |
Unknown columns are ignored without blocking the import, and the first six rows are shown before you start. A CSV template and an Excel template can be downloaded from the software, already filled with an example. You tick the destination stores before starting; imported products then join your ListoMax catalog, editable and republishable.
Everything created in the store, variants, collections, SEO and publishing, is detailed on the page bulk add products to Shopify. For products with options, see create Shopify variants in bulk. Selling elsewhere too? Read the PrestaShop CSV and Excel import and the WooCommerce CSV product import.
Your questions, answered
Does Shopify accept Excel files?
Shopify's import expects a UTF-8 encoded CSV file with commas between columns. An Excel workbook must therefore be saved as CSV, checking the separator. ListoMax reads the first sheet of an Excel file directly, without conversion.
What is the maximum CSV file size for Shopify?
15 MB. Above that, or if the upload fails, Shopify advises splitting the file into several smaller files.
How do you import variants by CSV into Shopify?
The first row of a product carries all its information; each following row repeats the same handle and describes one variant, with its Option1 to Option3 values. Shopify accepts three options and up to 2,048 variants per product.
Can you update existing Shopify products by CSV?
Yes, by ticking the option that overwrites products with the same handle. Careful: a column that is present but empty erases the existing value. In ListoMax, an existing product is recognised by its SKU and updated.
Can you test the import without risk?
Yes. The ListoMax free trial includes 5 real publications, no credit card. Publish your tests as drafts: the product is created in Shopify but stays invisible to your customers. Licences are on the pricing page.
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.