Shopify CSV import failed: what to fix

Steps

1. Duplicate the last good export

   Do not edit the only live file. Keep a backup so a bad import can be reversed from known-good data.

2. Align headers, Handle and encoding

   Use CSV Formatter to tidy columns. Confirm UTF-8. Make sure every variant row repeats the same Handle and that child rows are not inventing new titles.

3. Fix prices, barcodes and Image Src

   Strip currency symbols from price cells. Keep barcodes as text if they need leading zeros. Replace 404 image URLs or tracking junk before you import photos.

4. Import five rows, then the rest

   A five-row test catches shifted columns cheaper than 5,000 wrong products. If variants became separate products, Handles did not match. Fix the sample, then load the catalog.

Match the official template before beautifying cells

Compare headers to Shopify’s product CSV template. Unify Handle vs handle. Encode UTF-8 so accented titles survive. Variant rows share one Handle; empty titles on child rows are normal—filling random titles creates duplicate products. Prices must be numbers without currency symbols.

Excel, barcodes and HTML

Opening a CSV in Excel and re-saving can change encoding and strip leading zeros on barcodes. Title should be plain text; HTML belongs in Body (HTML). Merged cells from factory Excel must be split. Image URLs must be publicly reachable or the import will skip photos even when the rest succeeds.

Privacy and backups

Work on a copy. A bad save can wipe prices. Drop customer emails or order notes if they leaked into an export—catalog prep does not need personal columns. CrossKit CSV Formatter tidies files in the browser; it does not push the CSV into Shopify.