Check a Shopify product CSV before importing

Understand create and update checks, product variants, continuation rows and the limits of an offline CSV preflight.

Choose the right kind of check

A generic SKU check asks whether identifiers are missing, repeated or subtly different. A Shopify preflight also needs to understand product groups, variants and the columns used by that platform. In the CSV checker, choose Shopify preflight, then select whether your file creates products or updates existing products.

One product can occupy several rows

A shirt with two sizes can have one handle repeated on two variant rows, each with a different option value and SKU. An extra image can occupy another row under the same handle without becoming a new variant. Repeating a handle alone is not a duplicate-product error, and a blank title on a continuation row is not automatically a missing product title.

The preflight groups these records before checking option combinations. It keeps identifiers as text, including leading zeros. If your spreadsheet already changed 00123 to 123, a check cannot reconstruct the lost zeros.

Updates need special care

When you choose to overwrite matching products in Shopify, a blank included column can clear existing information. Leaving the column out can have a different effect. Changing variant option values can also replace variant IDs and affect connected apps. Keep an untouched export and understand each change before importing.

Use the problem example in the tool to inspect record numbers, error categories and suggested fixes. Download the diagnostic report, correct your source deliberately and run the check again. An issue report is not a replacement import file.

What an offline check cannot know

The tool does not connect to your shop. It cannot confirm that a handle exists, that an image URL is reachable, or that your shop, markets, apps and current API rules will accept every field. A clean report means the supported local checks passed. Test a small batch using Shopify's own import preview or a suitable test store before a large change.

Rules were reviewed against the Shopify product CSV documentation and import guidance on 13 October 2026. BearAtlas is independent of Shopify.