A Guide to Shopify Data Imports with CSV

Migrating to Shopify? A CSV file is your best friend. Think of it as a simple spreadsheet that lets you upload all your products or customers in one go. This guide will help you do it right.

The Two Golden Rules for Success

📦 RULE 1: Never Change the Column Headers

Always download the official Shopify CSV template first. The column titles are instructions for Shopify. Changing them is like changing the labels on moving boxes—the movers won't know where to put anything!

🌐 RULE 2: Save Your File in UTF-8 Format

UTF-8 is the "universal translator" for text. Saving your file this way ensures special characters (like é, ©, or 😊) don't get scrambled during the import. Google Sheets does this automatically.

How to Import Your Data: A Step-by-Step Guide

1. Importing Products

This is for adding new products or updating core details in bulk.

  1. Go to Products and click Import.
  2. Click Download a sample CSV template to get the file.
  3. Carefully fill it out, then return here to upload it.

Key Columns to Watch:
• Handle: The unique URL for the product.
• Title: The name of your product.
• Image Src: The public URL of the product image.

2. Importing Customers

This is for adding your existing customer list to Shopify.

  1. Go to Customers and click Import.
  2. Click Download a sample CSV template.
  3. Fill it out, then return here to upload your completed file.

Key Columns to Watch:
• Email: The most critical field. It must be unique for each customer.
• First Name & Last Name
• Address1, City, Country, etc. for shipping.

3. Importing Catalogs (for Markets)

Use this to set different prices or publish/unpublish products for specific countries.

  1. Go to Settings → Markets and select the market to edit.
  2. Click Products and pricing, then click Export.
  3. Modify the exported CSV, then return here and click Import to upload the changes.

Key Columns to Watch:
• Price [Currency]: The specific price for that market.
• Status: Set to 'active' or 'draft' to show/hide the product in that market.

4. Importing Orders

This process is restricted and works differently based on your plan.

  • Standard Shopify Plans: You cannot import orders via CSV in the admin. You must use a dedicated data migration app from the Shopify App Store (e.g., EZ Importer).
  • Shopify Plus Plans: You can import orders using the Transporter app or the Shopify API, which usually requires a developer.

For app-based imports, you will get the CSV template from the app itself.

Your Final Pre-Flight Checklist

Before you upload, ask yourself:

  • Did I use the official, unchanged Shopify template?
  • Is my file saved in UTF-8 format?
  • Are my product "handles" and customer "emails" unique?
  • Did I double-check for any obvious typos?
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