Import is the quickest method to upload a catalog into your shop or make bulk adjustments to products and categories. Using import, you can save yourself a great deal of time and update thousands of items in minutes, and you don't need any advanced technical skills for that.
How importing works
In a nutshell, you need to upload an industry-standard CSV file filled with catalog information into your shop. Once the import is complete, products and categories will be created or updated without you having to lift a finger.
CSV files are widely used in ecommerce to import and export data in text form. Their basic structure includes an easy-to-manage series of lines with values. You can create and edit your CSV files in any spreadsheet editor like Google Sheets, Excel, or Numbers.
For instance, a CSV file may look like this in a spreadsheet editor:
Then, after you save the file as .csv and import to your shop, it converts into a product:
Works like magic! As you can see, the product name is “Black Dress”, its SKU is “A0001”, it costs $25, etc. — exactly as specified in the file.
Please note that for a successful import, you must structure your files according to the CSV format used in your shop.
With import, you can add or update any data you want:
- A complete list of product details (descriptions, prices, images, attributes, etc.)
- Product choices, variations, and input fields
- Product files (MP3, PDF, or any other downloadable files that you sell)
- Shop categories
- And much more.
For everyone who is new to importing through CSV, we’ve created a list of case studies with step-by-step instructions. Look into them to learn how to create the file that you need.
Alternatives to catalog import
There are other ways to add or update products and categories in bulk. Along with catalog import, you can consider using the following options in your shop:
- Bulk Product Editor. This tool allows you to edit multiple properties for selected products and manage their categories. To enter Bulk Product Editor, go to the Catalog → Products page, tick the products you want to edit, and click Bulk Edit Selected. On the opened page, you will see information in a tabular form ready for editing.
- Mass Update. This tool allows you to instantly enable, disable, or delete selected products, change prices, add ribbons and related products, etc. To use it, go to the Catalog → Products page, tick the products you want to edit, and click Mass Update on top of the page. You can then choose the action you want to apply from the dropdown.