Import products from a CSV file

Add new products and update existing ones from a spreadsheet, with a preview before anything changes.

Where to find itCatalogueProductsActionsCSV import

Before you start

Bulk import is included in every billing plan. The menu item is hidden only while your shop's package is set to free, which is a platform setting and not your plan. Ask support about your package.

Needs

Included with the plan

Who can use this

Shop owner, Shop Product Manager

CSV import creates and updates products in one go. Nothing is saved until you confirm the preview.

The Import products from CSV page with the sample link, the upload box, the Upload and preview button and the column list numbered

Open the tool
On Catalogue › Products, select Actions › CSV import.
Prepare the file
1. Select Download sample CSV. The sample is built for your shop: it has your languages' columns, and stock columns only when stock tracking is on. Fill one row per product and keep the first row as the column names.
Only name is required. A column you leave out is not changed. The page lists your columns under Columns you can use (4); each is explained in Product CSV columns.
Upload
1. Drop the file on the upload box, or select it. The file must be a .csv of up to 100 MB and up to 50,000 rows.
2. Select Upload and preview.
Review
The page shows Ready to import with a summary: total rows, new records, records to update and any invalid rows. Select Review and import to look through the rows, or Cancel to discard the file.
Start the import
On the preview, select Start. The import runs in the background; you can leave the page. When it finishes it appears under Past imports with what was created and updated.

How rows are matched

A row updates a product when its id, barcode or external_id matches, checked in that order. Other rows create new products.

Row	Result
Matches a product	The product is updated with the columns in your file
Matches nothing and has a `name`	A new product is created
Has no `name`	Counted as invalid and skipped

Things the import does for you

A category_name or brand_name that does not exist yet is created.
A new product without a category goes into a category named Uncategorized.
A product that already has a barcode keeps it; the file does not overwrite it.
An empty stock_quantity cell leaves the stock as it is.
New products beyond your plan's product limit are skipped. Updates are never limited.

Problems with the file

Problems are listed in red under the upload box, and nothing is imported until you fix them. Common ones:

Message	Fix
Required columns are missing: name. Every other column is optional; the sample CSV lists them all.	Add the `name` column
The column … appears more than once. Keep one and upload again.	Remove the duplicate column
Maximum row limit exceeded.	Split the file into parts of 50,000 rows or fewer
Row 3: weight "abc" is not a number of 0 or more	Correct the cell in that row
Column cost_price: your role cannot change cost prices. Remove the column and upload again.	Ask the owner to import costs, or remove the column

A column the import does not know is ignored, and the summary says so: "Not product columns, so ignored". Check it for misspelt column names.

To change existing products only, use Update products from CSV. Files and results are kept as described in Import and export history.

Row

Result

Matches a product

The product is updated with the columns in your file

Matches nothing and has a name

A new product is created

Has no name

Counted as invalid and skipped

Things the import does for you

A category_name or brand_name that does not exist yet is created.

A new product without a category goes into a category named Uncategorized.

A product that already has a barcode keeps it; the file does not overwrite it.

An empty stock_quantity cell leaves the stock as it is.

New products beyond your plan's product limit are skipped. Updates are never limited.

Problems with the file

Problems are listed in red under the upload box, and nothing is imported until you fix them. Common ones:

Message

Fix

Required columns are missing: name. Every other column is optional; the sample CSV lists them all.

Add the name column

The column … appears more than once. Keep one and upload again.

Remove the duplicate column

Maximum row limit exceeded.

Split the file into parts of 50,000 rows or fewer

Row 3: weight "abc" is not a number of 0 or more

Correct the cell in that row

Column cost_price: your role cannot change cost prices. Remove the column and upload again.

Ask the owner to import costs, or remove the column

A column the import does not know is ignored, and the summary says so: "Not product columns, so ignored". Check it for misspelt column names.

To change existing products only, use Update products from CSV. Files and results are kept as described in Import and export history.

Import products from a CSV file

Open the tool

Prepare the file

Upload

Review

Start the import

How rows are matched

Things the import does for you

Problems with the file

Open the tool

Prepare the file

Upload

Review

Start the import

How rows are matched

Things the import does for you

Problems with the file