How to import products from Excel to Shopify

Step 1: Start from Shopify’s columns

Download the Shopify product CSV template and open it next to your sheet. Copy your data into the template’s columns rather than renaming your own headers one by one; that way the header row is exactly what Shopify expects.

Step 2: Create handles and variant rows

Add a URL handle for every product: lowercase, hyphens instead of spaces, unique per product. If your sheet lists sizes or colors on separate rows, those rows become variants: give them the same handle, keep the title only on the first row, and put the differences in option columns. The variants guide shows the exact layout.

A quick way to draft handles in Excel is a formula such as =LOWER(SUBSTITUTE(TRIM(A2)," ","-")), then paste the results as values and remove characters other than letters, numbers and hyphens.

Step 3: Protect SKUs and barcodes

Excel treats long numbers as numbers. It drops leading zeros (0869000000011 becomes 869000000011) and shows long barcodes in scientific notation (8.69E+12). Once the file is saved, the original digits can be lost.

• Format the SKU and barcode columns as Text before you paste data into them.
• When opening a CSV, import it through Data → From Text/CSV and set those columns to Text instead of double-clicking the file.
• Check a few long barcodes after saving by opening the CSV in a text editor.

Step 4: Clean prices and formulas

• Remove currency symbols and thousands separators: 1250.50, not $1,250.50.
• If your sheet uses decimal commas (24,90), convert them to decimal points.
• Replace formulas with values: copy the column, then Paste Special → Values.
• Make sure every variant row has a price. An empty price fails with “price can’t be blank”.

Step 5: Save as CSV UTF-8

Use File → Save As → CSV UTF-8 (Comma delimited) (*.csv). The plain “CSV (Comma delimited)” option can use a different encoding and turn characters such as é, ü or × into symbols. If your Excel uses semicolons as the list separator, check the saved file in a text editor: Shopify needs commas. More on encoding.

Step 6: Test the import as drafts

1. Set Status to draft for every product.
2. Save a copy with only two or three products and import it: Products → Import → Add file → Upload and continue.
3. Leave Overwrite products with matching handles unchecked.
4. Check the drafts in the admin: variants, prices, images.
5. Import the full file, then publish products when you are happy with them.

Before the full import, run the file through the free Shopify CSV checker. If Shopify rejects the file, look the message up in the list of Shopify import errors.

When the sheet came from a supplier

Supplier spreadsheets add extra work: wholesale prices that need a markup, several price columns, merged cells, notes rows and headings in another language. Sheet2Store’s Excel to Shopify converter reads a one-sheet XLSX or CSV, keeps leading zeros that Excel number formats hide, flags formula cells, applies your markup and exchange rate, groups variants and writes the Shopify CSV. The first five rows are free to preview.