Hide Excel Column Effect on Uploading Inventory in Shopify

Every decent eastward-commerce platform offers congenital-in import and export tools . Still, they are usually far from being an almighty solution that can cope with any business requirement. In view of this, agencies create 3rd-party solutions that shut the existing gaps between the platform'south objective reality and the merchants' subjective needs. What about Shopify ? What information transfer solutions does information technology offering? What reliable alternatives are currently available in the ecosystem?

In this Shopify import guide , you will find out what import functionality is hidden behind the platform and how to enhance it in the most convenient and at the same time powerful mode. Let'due south explore the organization's native capabilities commencement and and so proceed to the most powerful third-party solution that copes with any data transfer challenges and enables whatever Shopify import customizations – Firebear Improved Import & Export App for Shopify .

Below, y'all will learn about the basic import capabilities of Shopify . We describe how to transfer products to your e-commerce website using its built-in functionality. The article examines ii different cases: importing products from another website and reimporting them within the borders of your store. In addition to that, nosotros provide a CSV file construction required in the ecosystem. The same tutorials are available for other entities: nosotros teach how to import inventory, customers, and orders to Shopify .

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Before going any farther, we should remind you that the Firebear team has vast experience transferring data between Magento 2 and all possible external systems. Furthermore, we can also help you migrate to Shopify or motility data between your e-commerce website and external tools. Our specialists are capable of Shopify integrations of any complexity. Contact u.s.  for more than particular.

Tabular array of contents

• 1 Shopify Import Capabilities
  • one.1 How to import products to Shopify
    • one.1.1 Importing products from some other store
    • 1.1.2 Reimporting products from Shopify
    • ane.1.3 Shopify production import: CSV file format
  • 1.2 How to import inventory to Shopify
    • 1.two.1 Shopify inventory import: CSV file format
  • ane.3 How to import customers to Shopify
    • 1.3.1 Shopify customer import: CSV file format
  • 1.4 How to import orders to Shopify
• ii Firebear Improved Import & Export App for Shopify
• 3 Shopify Import FAQ
  • three.1 Tin can I upload a CSV to Shopify?
  • 3.ii Can you bulk upload products to Shopify?
  • 3.3 How do I import customers to Shopify?
  • 3.4 How do I import items into Shopify?
  • three.5 How many products tin can I upload to Shopify?
  • 3.6 How practice I import a product epitome into Shopify?

Shopify Import Capabilities

Shopify lets you import several entities by default. However, there is no single interface where you tin control all data transfers. You are also spring to CSV files and cannot automate import processes. As well, various useful data transfer features are available in Shopify Plus simply. Let'due south take a look at what yous go.

How to import products to Shopify

Why do you need to import products to Shopify? Firstly, because y'all drift from another platform. It is the fastest way to recreate your current product itemize on a new storefront.

Secondly, you may leverage this functionality to update your products or inventory. However, it is necessary to export the corresponding information to get a CSV file that reflects the current state of things. Then, you tin can edit it and reimport the updated data dorsum into the system.

Bear in mind that you e'er need to support your product data to prevent whatsoever data loss. For instance, importing a CSV file edited in Microsoft Excel or Numbers oftentimes leads to the absent product images and other issues. Therefore, it is extremely important to create a correct copy of your catalog before applying whatever changes.

Importing products from another store

Let'southward assume that you lot've exported a CSV file with products from some other platform and now need to transfer this data to Shopify. Unfortunately, you cannot do that since the existing canvass is arranged according to the external platform'due south requirements. Edit information technology to lucifer Shopify's CSV file format. Note that even a missing header leads to the import failure.

Another limitation is associated with file size. You cannot import more than 15MB of production data to Shopify.

As for the import process itself, it is quite simple. You just need to follow these steps:

1. Go to Shopify admin  -> Products  -> All products  and hit the Import button.
   
   
2. The Import products by CSV file  window displays. Click Choose File  there.
   
   
3. Locate your production CSV and click Open .
   
4. Upload the file .

That's it. When the procedure is consummate, you receive a confirmation email.

Reimporting products from Shopify

Shopify enables you to apply changes to your catalog items via CSV. Export your products, edit the CSV file and reimport it back into your Shopify store. Withal, this method doesn't work if you rely on Oberlo and other like apps to add products to your website.

You tin can import products to Shopify as follows:

1. Get to Shopify admin  -> Products  -> All products  and hit the Import button.
2. The Import products by CSV file  window displays. Click Choose File  there.
3. Locate your product CSV and click Open up .
4. By enabling the Overwrite any electric current products that have the same handle  characteristic, you override the corresponding Shopify information. For columns that aren't present in the CSV file, the respective product information remains untouched. For instance, if you transfer items without price information, Shopify will keep the existing values.
5. Upload the file .

A confirmation e-mail is sent upon a successful upload.

Shopify product import: CSV file format

Beneath, yous can see a list that shows the structure of a typical production file supported in Shopify.

Handle. Hither, you should specify unique production names using letters, dashes, and numbers. Note that spaces, accents, periods, and other characters are prohibited.

Information technology is also worth mentioning that Shopify uses handles in production URLs.

Too, Shopify treats every line in the CSV file that starts with a dissimilar handle as a new production. However, you lot can utilize multiple lines with the same handle to add multiple images to a single product. Since this field is required, information technology cannot be blank or missing.

Title. This column contains the title of your production — for instance, Women's Hoodie. Since this field is required, it cannot exist blank or missing.

Body (HTML). Here, yous tin provide the product description in HTML format or as plain text. This one can exist blank.

Vendor. The vendor proper noun for the production is shown here. It should contain more than than two characters. The field is required but can be bare.

Blazon. This cavalcade displays the product type, such equally Snowboard. Y'all tin can leave it blank.

Tags. Here, yous can place a comma-separated listing of tags associated with the product. Add quotes around the tags if they are absent: "tag1, tag2, tag3". This one can be blank.

Published. In this column, you provide information on whether a production is published on your storefront or not:

• TRUE – the production is published;
• FALSE – the production is hidden.

The field is required. Leaving information technology blank publishes the product.

Option1 Name. Specify a product choice name (Colour) if an item contains options. Set it to Title for products with simply ane choice. Since this field is required, it cannot be blank or missing.

Option1 Value. If a product is associated with an option, you should enter its value here (White).

For products with only one option, set up it to Default Title. Also, annotation that changing data in this column replaces the existing variant IDs. This procedure usually breaks tertiary-party dependencies on variant IDs. Since this field is required, it cannot be blank or missing.

Option2 Name. If a production has the second choice, specify it hither. This cavalcade tin be bare.

Option2 Value. Enter the value of the second choice hither. Note that you can leave the field bare.

Option3 Name. If a product has the third pick, specify it here. You can go out this column blank.

Option3 Value. Enter the value of the third option hither or leave it empty.

Variant SKU. In this column, you should blazon the SKU of a product or variant. The provided data is used to track inventory with the assist of inventory tracking services. The field can be bare unless you use custom fulfillment services.

Variant Grams. This cavalcade contains the production or variant weight in grams. It is prohibited to specify a unit of measurement of measurement or use decimals here. If your product weight is 1.239 kg, you should specify information technology as 1239.

Also, note that Shopify imports and exports the weight in grams. Information technology unremarkably happens fifty-fifty if you fix a different unit on your website. Therefore, use merely accurate weights to offer correct carrier-calculated aircraft. Since this field is required, information technology cannot be blank or missing. Yous must specify a value, even if it is 0.

Variant Inventory Tracker. This column contains inventory tracking details for a variant or product. Such values equally shopify , amazon_marketplace_web , and shipwire are under your disposal. Leave the column blank if inventory isn't tracked. The field can be blank. In the case when the existing inventory tracking options are removed, the inventory is no longer tracked.

Variant Inventory Qty. Here, Shopify displays the number of items available in stock. Note that the column is merely related to Shopify stores with a single location. Shopify doesn't include this column for stores with the inventory at multiple locations. You lot can leave it blank.

Variant Inventory Policy. In this cavalcade, you can specify the behavior towards orders when the inventory level for a corresponding product or variant reaches naught.

• deny – a product cannot be purchased after its inventory level reaches zero;
• continue – a product tin can be purchased afterwards its inventory level reaches nothing: negative inventory levels are enabled.

Since this field is required, information technology cannot be blank or missing.

Variant Fulfillment Service. Here, the system displays a fulfillment service responsible for the product or variant fulfillment. Possible values are:

• manual;
• webgistix;
• shipwire;
• amazon_marketplace_web .

It is as well possible to specify the name of your custom fulfillment service here. Note that it is necessary to employ lowercase letters and supervene upon spaces with a nuance (-). Also, remove periods and other special characters. And don't forget to set upwards a custom fulfillment service in your Shopify admin before calculation its name in this column. Since this field is required, it cannot be blank or missing.

Variant Price. Here, Shopify lets you lot set the price of the product or its variant. Annotation that currency symbols are prohibited. Therefore, y'all should specify a product cost like this: 47.98. Since this field is required, it cannot be bare or missing.

Variant Compare at Toll. The "Compare at Price" feature of the production or variant is related to this cavalcade. The requirements are the same: you shouldn't utilise currency symbols. The field can be blank.

Variant Requires Shipping. Hither, Shopify contains options that show whether shipping is required or non. TRUE and Faux are two possible values. If you leave the cavalcade bare, the system understands it like FALSE.

Variant Taxable. Here, yous can specify whether taxes are applied to a variant or not. The values are TRUE and False correspondingly. If you leave the column bare, the system understands information technology similar FALSE.

Variant Barcode. Shopify uses this column to add a product barcode, ISBN, or UPC. It tin can exist bare.

Epitome Src. This cavalcade allows you to specify the URL of a production image. The system downloads images during the import and uploads them dorsum. Notwithstanding, they are not variant-specific. You should specify variant images in the variant prototype column.

Note that it is prohibited to edit the paradigm file name after uploading information technology to your store. Images that have _thumb , _small , or _medium suffixes in their names are not allowed. The field can be blank.

Prototype Position. In this cavalcade, yous can specify the sort order for images that announced on a product folio. Prepare the number representing the order in which you lot want the image to be displayed on the frontend. Shopify shows them from smallest to largest. Enter 1 to let the image announced first for that product. The field can be bare.

Epitome Alt Text. Alt text of an image is stored here. It is displayed when an image can't load. Besides, assistive technologies apply information technology to depict an prototype to a customer who'southward visually impaired. And, of grade, information technology is a reliable SEO instrument. Although you can use up to 512 characters, the optimal recommended length is 125 characters. The field can be bare.

Gift Carte du jour. Here, the organisation places data necessary to determine whether the product is a gift card or non. Equally you might have already guessed, valid values are TRUE or Simulated. You need to create souvenir cards in admin prior to changing the respective fields in a CSV file. The field tin can be blank.

SEO Championship. You can find the SEO Championship under the Search engine listing preview  header in the Folio title  field on the product details page. The SEO Title consists of letters and numbers. The grapheme limit is 70.

You can exit this field blank. If so, the field will be automatically populated with the product title on import. Notation that information technology is optional.

SEO Description. The SEO Description is situated in the Meta description field on the product details page. You can utilize not more than 320 messages and numbers here. Notation that it is possible to get out this field blank. If so, the field will be automatically populated with the product description on import.

Google Shopping metafields. It is possible to ignore fields in the columns that include Google Shopping in their names. However, some situations may require using them. Therefore, this field is optional.

Variant Image. Here, you tin specify functioning image URLs of variants. Just it is optional.

Variant Weight Unit. Shopify uses only the following values:

• m;
• kg;
• lb;
• oz.

The field is optional. If it is blank, the default value is kg .

Variant Tax Code. This column is available in Shopify Plus only if it is integrated with Avalara AvaTax. Don't import a CSV file with this column filled in with data into a shop that isn't continued to Avalara.

Cost per item. Here, Shopify specifies the product or variant price for you. Currency symbols are all the same prohibited. The field is optional.

Status

• active – the product is bachelor on your storefront;
• draft – you deal with a draft that needs to be completed;
• archived – it is an archived item that is no longer available on the storefront.

This field is required. When you don't add the column to your CSV file, all products are uploaded as agile.

Shopify lets you add only i additional cavalcade to a CSV file and import it successfully. The Collection  cavalcade lets you organize products into collections by uploading the CSV files. The system provides the power to add it anywhere in your CSV file. At the same time, the column can be left blank.

To utilize information technology, specify the name of the collection to add together a product to. In the case of an existing collection, the production should follow the collection weather condition. However, if it doesn't be, Shopify creates a manual collection.

Note that the system lets you add together a product to a single drove merely.

Also, note that your CSV file with customer data must exist in UTF-eight format.

How to import inventory to Shopify

In addition to products, you tin separately import inventory data into Shopify. This process updates inventory quantities merely. It neither creates a location nor updates the values that identify products. It is recommended to import your inventory only when other adjustments aren't taking place to avoid errors and possible issues. For case, transferring the update during the ongoing sales or manual changes will lead to wrong production quantities.

To import the inventory data to Shopify, follow these steps:

1. Go to your Admin -> Products  -> Inventory .
   
   
2. Click Import  and select your CSV file with the update.
   
3. Click Import inventory , verify what you intend to import, and hitting the Start import button.
   

Shopify inventory import: CSV file format

Shopify uses the inventory CSV files to transfer information that identifies products and product variants besides every bit their inventory quantities at a particular location. The columns beneath are a function of the inventory sail:

• Handle  – hither, Shopify displays a unique product proper noun using messages, dashes, and numbers. Annotation that spaces are prohibited.
• Title  – this column is optional. However, including it lets you lot go out the values bare.
• Option1 Name  – you tin specify a product option name, such as Color, hither. Set information technology to Title for no options.
• Option1 Value  – enter the values for the pick above, such every bit Black or White. If a product has no options, specify Default Title in this column.
• Option2 Name , Option2 Value , Option3 Name , and Option3 Value  follow the aforementioned requirements merely can be left blank.
• SKU  – this column is optional, then its values can be left blank.
• HS Lawmaking  – The Harmonized System Lawmaking cavalcade lets you gauge duties and taxes for international buyers. Since this column is also optional, it can be left blank.
• COO  – The State/Region of Origin column also participates in estimating duties and taxes for international customers. Use simply ISO 3166-1 blastoff-ii state codes . Since this cavalcade is optional, information technology tin can be left blank.
• <Name of location>  – Shopify stores the amount of inventory in the location specified by the cavalcade name. Bear in mind that the column heading is instance sensitive. It ways that it must be the name of one of your locations. Thus, you lot can add together a column for each location to update inventory per place. Both positive and negative values are supported. Besides, information technology is possible to enter 0 or Non stocked. The latter indicates that the production has never been stocked at the location. The one-time shows that no changes should be applied.

How to import customers to Shopify

Similar in the case of products, Shopify enables you lot to import customers in ii ways. Firstly, you can create a customer CSV template, export it, apply changes, and then reimport the file dorsum. Secondly, it is possible to build a custom CSV file and upload it to your Shopify website.

Note that the system constrains the customer import flexibility. Unfortunately, you cannot transfer CSV files larger than one MB. For 2 MB of client records, you will need two split CSV files.

Moreover, some of the customers' data tin't be imported into Shopify. Since passwords are encrypted, you cannot move them from other platforms to Shopify. Information technology means that it is incommunicable to move customer accounts entirely. Shopify lets you transfer only customer records.

It is impossible to import data nearly orders placed and money spent on other e-commerce platforms. So, how does Shopify behave when you effort to import customers?

Equally we've just mentioned, Shopify creates a client record when you lot import customers using a CSV file. Each new record is aligned with a detail electronic mail address in the file.

Thus, if your CSV file contains customers with duplicate e-mail addresses or telephone numbers, such records are skipped. Instead, Shopify transfers only the final record with the same electronic mail address or telephone number. And then, how to import a client CSV file with duplicate electronic mail addresses or telephone numbers to Shopify?

You can leverage a unproblematic trick to do that. Simply delete all of the electronic mail addresses and telephone numbers from the CSV file earlier importing it. Thus, you will transfer all records to your website, manually re-adding the email addresses or phone numbers to the customer records.

You lot can import customers to Shopify as follows:

1. Get to the Shopify admin and click Customers .
2. Choose the Import customers option.
   
3. Yous will activate the Import Customers Past CSV  dialog where information technology is necessary to click Cull File  and select your CSV with customer data.
   
   
4. Click the Overwrite existing customers that have the aforementioned e-mail  option to update whatsoever existing customers.
5. Striking the Import customers button to launch the procedure.
   

Shopify client import: CSV file format

Add together all the headers listed beneath to the first line of your client CSV. All of them are included in the client CSV template. Also, note that all CSV file headers are case sensitive. It means that you lot should strictly follow the examples that appear in the following table. The incorrect capitalization may interrupt the Shopify import process.

And as we've just mentioned above, the Full Spent  and Total Orders  fields are not exist imported with customer details.

• First Name.  The customer'due south first name.
• Last Name. The customer's last name.
• E-mail. The customer's electronic mail address.
• Visitor. The customer's company proper noun, if applicable.
• Address1. The customer'due south address beginning line.
• Address2. The client's address second line.
• City. The customer's city they live in.
• Province. The customer's province or state they live in. It requires the Province Lawmaking .
• Province Code. Use ISO blastoff two codes  but.
• Country. The customer's state they live in.
• Country Code. Specify ISO alpha 2 codes  here.
• Naught. The customer's postal or nothing code for their accost.
• Phone. The client's contact number.
• Accepts Marketing. In this column, you can find information on whether the customer is subscribed ( aye ) to the newsletter or not ( no ). Note that the field is example-sensitive, so you must utilize simply lowercase values.
• Full Spent. Here, you lot tin detect the client's total amount spent. Note that using a currency symbol is prohibited.
• Total Orders. This column contains information on the customer'due south full number of orders.
• Tags. Here, you lot can see a comma-separated list of tags associated with the customer. Normally, they look equally follows: tag1 , tag2 , tag3 .
• Annotation. Whatsoever additional information nearly the client is specified hither.
• Revenue enhancement Exempt. This cavalcade shows whether the customer is revenue enhancement-exempt or not.

Note that your CSV file with customer information must be in UTF-viii format.

How to import orders to Shopify

If you want to import orders to Shopify, you lot will face an obstacle that cannot exist passed over. Importing this entity manually is impossible past default . Therefore, you lot need to find another way to transfer data unless you are a Shopify Plus user who has access to the Transporter app. Since the latter is bachelor to a limited group of users, nosotros'd like to depict your attention to a 3rd-party solution that every Shopify merchant tin can utilize.

Firebear Improved Import & Export App for Shopify

You can dramatically meliorate all import processes on your Shopify website with the Firebear Improved Import & Consign App. Our tool not only works with all the entities mentioned to a higher place but as well lets you transfer other blocks of information betwixt your east-commerce storefront and whatsoever external systems.

Unlike the default import solution, our awarding provides full support for products, inventory, orders, customers, and categories. Information technology also delivers the post-obit functionalities:

• Import and export mapping for all entities . It ways that you can specify how to alter external information input to follow the native Shopify requirements.
• Back up for CSV, Excel, and Google Sheet . Our extension works not only with CSV files but too with tables created in Excel. As well, yous tin import data right from Google Sheets.
• Flexible launch . You tin not only run import and export jobs manually, like in the case of the native Shopify instruments, but besides rely on schedules or events. For instance, you tin start inventory updates daily or after a new social club is placed.
• Custom import source and export destinations . The Improved Import & Export Shopify app lets you upload data files directly to the system, import them from URL, or transfer via FTP/SFTP.
• Diff just import, update simply . The tool lets you update stock data and other fields by product ID/SKU.
• Modify data on the fly . Information technology is possible to apply numerous changes before launching import and export. Our tool delivers the well-nigh intuitive way to modify capitalization, find & replace attributes, use RegExp, merge and split values, etc.

You can discover more information about the awarding here: Firebear Improved Import & Export App for Shopify . For further information on the enhanced Shopify import possibilities nosotros offer, contact us . We tin also assistance you with data transfers between Shopify and numerous external systems.

Get Firebear Improved Import & Consign Shopify App  (Download for Complimentary)

Shopify Import FAQ

Let's provide answers to several questions that are oft asked nigh Shopify import.

Tin can I upload a CSV to Shopify?

With the native Shopify tools, you lot can simply use CSV (comma-separated values) files to import products and other entities into your Shopify store. The same file format is available for data transfers from your due east-commerce website. If your import data is stored in another format, you take to convert the file into CSV. Alternatively, it is possible to use 3rd-party solutions that back up the provided format. For example, you can rely on the Improved Import & Export app for Shopify to extend the existing spectrum of supported data standards.

Tin can y'all bulk upload products to Shopify?

Of course, you can do that. The platform lets y'all bulk upload products, also as other entities, to your due east-commerce website with the help of a specially formatted spreadsheet. Every bit we've already mentioned, Shopify uses CSV files to perform this kind of majority task. Y'all tin can follow the recommendations posted higher up to run product, inventory, customer, and guild import.

How do I import customers to Shopify?

Importing customers to Shopify is every bit piece of cake as transferring other entities to the platform. Y'all only need to follow several plain steps.
– Go to your Shopify administration and click Customers.
– Subsequently that, hit the Import customers button.
– The system transfers y'all to the Import Customers By CSV dialog.
– Y'all will see the Choose file push — click it and select your client CSV file.
– Now, you lot have to decide on the import behavior. Shopify lets you update the existing customers with the help of the Overwrite existing customers that accept the same email feature.
– If everything is ready, click Import customers.

How practice I import items into Shopify?

You can import items to Shopify equally follows:
– Go to your Shopify admin and proceed to Products -> All products.
– Find the Import button and click information technology.
– The Import products by CSV file dialog displays — click Choose File hither.
– Now, y'all need to locate your CSV file and open it.
– You tin can override the existing production data past activating the Replace any current products that have the same handle checkbox.
– When all other parameters are configured, click the Upload file button.

How many products tin can I upload to Shopify?

Shopify's default import and export tools are limited when it comes to production import. Unfortunately, you cannot freely transfer more than 50k products to your e-commerce website unless you use Shopify Plus. Once you hit the 50k limit, the platform doesn't let you import more than 1,000 products per day. Luckily, there is no need to switch to the platform's more expensive version to exceed the limitation. Alternatively, you can rely on the Improved Import & Consign app for Shopify since this tool doesn't impose constraints on the number of records in a CSV file. Therefore, yous can import whatsoever number of products per twenty-four hour period.

How do I import a product image into Shopify?

Shopify's basic product import procedure lets y'all upload product images to your eastward-commerce website. Utilise the Epitome Src column to specify the URL of a production paradigm. The system downloads images during the import and uploads them dorsum. Alternatively, you can transfer product images manually as follows:
– Movement to your Shopify admin.
– Choose Settings.
– Proceed to Files.
– Select Upload files (top right corner).
– Now, upload image files from your device to your Shopify admin.
– Use these images to fix new products in your Shopify store.
Also, you can employ the Improved Import & Export app to perform production import that transfers both product data and images.

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