How to check a supplier CSV before importing it
Checked against Shopify's help pages on November 6, 2026. The rules come from their documentation. The routine is our suggestion, and we haven't run it on a live store.
A supplier's file wasn't made for your store. Its columns, blanks and option names may not match yours, and Shopify says a product import can't be canceled once it begins. These steps help you catch problems before that point.
1. Export a backup
Export your products first and keep that file unchanged. Shopify tells you to have a backup before you import. Exports don't include the image files themselves, so keep your original images somewhere safe too.
2. Don't import the supplier's file directly
Build your import file from your own export, then copy in only the values you mean to update. That keeps your headers and handles in the format Shopify gave you. Shopify matches existing products by URL handle, so a supplier's own product names or codes won't match anything by themselves.
3. Cut it down to what's changing
A column you leave out generally keeps its existing value, while a blank cell in an included column can overwrite it. So keep only:
- URL handle and Title, which are required when you update products
- Status, with each product's current value, because Shopify's column list says status is uploaded as active if the column isn't present
- Every option name, value and linked-to column your products use, unchanged, if you're changing anything about variants
- The columns you actually want to change, such as Price
Shopify also warns that some columns depend on others, so check that before you remove one. See what blank cells do for the details.
4. Clean the values
- Prices: the amount only, with no currency symbol. For example, 9.99.
- Weights: Weight value is in grams, with no unit or decimals.
- Inventory quantity: this column applies only to stores with a single location. With several locations, Shopify points you to its inventory CSV instead.
- Option values: keep them exactly as your export has them. Changing them can replace variant IDs.
5. Be careful in your spreadsheet
- Shopify recommends Google Sheets for working with CSV files.
- Save as CSV with UTF-8 encoding, using commas between values.
- Don't sort the file. Shopify warns that a sorted file can break image links and lose product images.
6. Compare it with your export
Put your export and your new file side by side in the free checker. It flags blank cells over existing values, many option changes, duplicate variants and SKUs, invalid prices and price moves at or above a limit you set. Treat a big price move as a question to answer, because it might be correct.
The checker can't tell whether a supplier's new price is the right one. It only compares the two files.
7. Import a few products first
Make a small file with a few products, and import it with Overwrite products with matching handles selected. Check those products in your admin. Shopify says that you can't view a history of past imports, but you can review recent changes in your store's activity log.
8. Import the rest, then check again
After the full import, export your products again and compare that with the file you imported. Anything that differs is worth a look.