Shopify supports millions of online stores worldwide and continues to dominate the eCommerce space. In fact, over 875 million Shopify shoppers globally have purchased from Shopify-powered stores, a proof of how massive the platform has become.
With your Shopify store now set up, the next step is to upload your products online.
Importing products is not just adding items to your store; it is about creating listings that display relevant details, attract shoppers, convert browsers into buyers, and rank well on Google.
Handling hundreds of products manually is slow and inefficient. The smarter solution? Import your products in bulk using a CSV (Comma-Separated Values) file.
And do not worry if you are not tech-savvy. This step-by-step guide will take you through everything you need to know, from logging in to your Shopify admin to uploading products from a comma-delimited file.
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What is Bulk Upload in Shopify?
A CSV Comma-delimited file is a simple file format that allows you to upload and edit product data in bulk. By matching columns in your import file with Shopify's system, you can set titles, images, prices, variants, and other custom fields automatically.
Here is why you should use this bulk action:
- Time Savings: Add your entire inventory in minutes, not weeks.
- Update Products in Group: Easily update rates, features, or inventory levels across multiple products at once.
- Consistency: Ensure all your product data follows the same format and structure.
- Efficiency for Dropshippers: If you work with suppliers who provide existing data feeds, a CSV is often the easiest way to import their catalog.
How to Import Products to Shopify Using CSV File Format
Step 1: Get the Right Template For Your Online Store
The safest way to ensure your file is structured correctly is to use a template that Shopify understands.
Option A: Export a Sample (Recommended)
- Log in to your Shopify Admin and go to the Products section.
- Click Export.
- Select "All products" and "CSV for Excel, Numbers, or other spreadsheet programs."
- Click Export Products. Shopify will email you a file with your existing products. You can clear this existing data and use the perfectly formatted columns as your template.
Option B: Use a Sample Template
Even if your store is new and has no products yet, Shopify provides a default sample file that includes about 10 example products.
Step 2: Format Your Import CSV File Correctly
This is the most important step. Open your template in Excel, or another spreadsheet program.
Here are the essential columns and how to fill them:
| Column Header | What to Enter | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Handle | A unique, URL-friendly name for the product. | mens-organic-cotton-t-shirt |
| Title | The product title customers will see. | Men's Organic Cotton T-Shirt |
| Body (HTML) | The full product information. You can use HTML. | Soft and sustainable... |
| Vendor | The product's manufacturer or brand. | Eco Brand |
| Product Category | The product's category. | Apparel & Accessories > Clothing > T-Shirts |
| Type | Your own categorization. | T-Shirts |
| Tags | Comma-separated tags for search. | men, t-shirt, organic, cotton, summer |
| Status | Defines whether the product is active, draft, or archived. | active |
| Published | Whether the product is visible on your store. | TRUE (to make live) or FALSE (to save as draft) |
| Option1 Name | The name of the first variant (e.g., Size, Color). | Size |
| Option1 Value | The value for the first variant. | Large |
| Option2 Name | The name of the second variant. | Color |
| Option2 Value | The value for the second variant. | Navy Blue |
| Variant SKU | The unique SKU for that specific variant. | ECOW-TS-L-NVY |
| Variant Price | The price of the variant. | 29.99 |
| Image Src | The full URL of the product image. | https://example.com/images/tshirt-navy.jpg |
Handling Variants: For a product with multiple options, you will list the product's main information on the first row and then create a new row for each variant combination.
Once all your product information are added, save your file as a .csv(comma-delimited).
The "Handle" and "Title" columns are required for Shopify to recognize your products.
Step 3: Import Products via CSV File into Shopify
Now it is time to upload your CSV file into Shopify.
- In your Shopify admin, go to Products.
- At the top-right of the Products page, click Import Button, next to the Export button.
- Select "Upload a Shopify formatted CSV file" and click "Next".
- When the pop-up window appears, click Add file, then select your updated file to upload.
- If your file contains products with unique handles (not already in your store), Shopify will treat them as new and add them to your catalog.
- If your CSV includes products with handles that already exist in your store, you can update them by checking the box near "Overwrite any current products with the same handle." If you leave the overwrite option unchecked, Shopify will ignore products that already have the same handle.
- Click Upload and Preview. Shopify will process your file and show a preview of your data before final import. Review the details like handle, description, category, type, and vendor are correct.
- Click Import products.
Step 4: Verify the Uploaded Products
Once your products are uploaded the next step is to review and optimize them to make sure your store looks professional and runs smoothly.
1. Review your imported data
- Check product information: Navigate to Products, go to "All Products" to check your newly added items. Verify product name, images, and rates.
- Confirm Stock Levels: Cross check inventory quantities and update them to reflect the actual stocks.
- Check Visibility: Make sure your products are Active (visible on the storefront).
2. Improve Product Presentation
- Make your listing more appealing by giving correct product description.
- Clear, high-quality images are important because they help customer trust your store.
- Add multiple images from all angles and lifestyle images to give customers a better view of the products.
- Use keyword research tools and add relevant search terms in your titles, description and alt text so that your products rank higher on Google and within shopify search.
Step 5: Fixing Import Errors
If there are errors in your import file, Shopify will not complete the import and will instead provide you with a list of issues. It generates the error file and sends it to the email address linked with your Shopify store owner account.
- It will tell you the exact row and column where the issue occurred.
- Fix the errors in your original CSV and try the import again.
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Managing your File in Shopify
Before you bulk upload your products, it is helpful to understand how Shopify stores your images and documents. The Files section in your admin is your store's central media library. Any file you upload here whether through a product import or directly to the Files page can be linked to from anywhere in your store.
Here are some key features to know:
- Edit Files Directly: You can rename or update files on the Files page, and the changes will apply everywhere the file is used.
- Delete in Bulk: Select and delete multiple files at once to manage your library efficiently.
- Centralized Management: View and organize all your uploaded images, PDFs, and other files in one place.
- File Requirements: Shopify has rules about what types of files you can upload, maximum file sizes, and other limitations, which can vary depending on your Shopify plan.
- Batch Uploads: You can add up to 20 files at once on the Files page, making it faster to add multiple images or documents in one go.
Tips for a Flawless Bulk Upload
- Do a trial run: Before you upload your entire inventory, do a small test with just a few products. This helps you find and fix any mistakes early.
- Keep a Master File: Save a copy of your product data on your computer. This backup will come in use if something goes wrong during the upload.
- SEO in Bulk: Do not forget to fill columns like SEO Title and SEO Description in your CSV to optimize all your new products for search engines from day one.
Common Bulk Upload Issues
"Invalid URL" for images: Double-check that your image links are full URLs (starting with http://) and that the image is publicly accessible online.
Products not showing as variants: Make sure the Handle is the same for all rows that belong to the same product. Different handles mean Shopify treats them as separate products instead of variants.
Conclusion on Uploading Products in Shopify
Your Shopify store's success is not just about what you sell, it is about how you present it. When you upload many products at once, you have to be very precise and organized so everything looks right for your customers. Many businesses find these technical details time-consuming and complex.
Intellect Outsource simplify this process by offering expert Shopify product data entry services. Our experienced ecommerce product uploading services team is experts in different platforms, marketplaces by ensuring accuracy adding products into your desired timeline. We handle small or large volumes of data maintained in high-quality standards without errors to make our clients NO 1 in the competitive business world.
FAQ on Uploading Products in Shopify
Yes. Shopify allows you to delete products in bulk by selecting multiple products in the Products tab. You can also remove items by updating your file with a "delete" status for specific handles.
Yes. You can add videos or image URLs in the import file using the Image Src column. External ad links can also be included in the product description or custom fields. Shopify will display these assets on the product page.
Use Shopify's preview feature before final import. This allows you to analyze your import file, check columns like name, rate, variants, and ensure all keywords and product-related information are displayed correctly.
For a single product edit, it is much faster to click into that product in your admin and edit the cost directly on the product page. The bulk upload feature is designed for making changes across many products at once.
Yes, Shopify has limits on the number of products and variants you can add to a single import file, which can affect very large catalogs. If you hit these limits, you may need to split your inventory into multiple files.
If Shopify rejects your file, it means there is a critical issue preventing the import. This often happens if the file name or format is incorrect, required columns are missing, or there is a mismatch in data types (e.g., text in a rate column). You will need to review the provided log, filter for the problematic rows, fix the issues, and re-upload.
Yes, you can add custom attributes. For a detail like width, you would create a new column in your file with a header like Custom Product Type. This allows you to expand beyond the default fields to suit your specific commerce needs.