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Bulk Importing Products with a CSV File

If you need to add or update multiple products and their information to your online store or POS at once, you can achieve this by using SHOPLINE’s Product Bulk Import template (a CSV file) to upload the data. This will save you significant time compared to adding the products one by one manually. This template allows you to edit multiple product properties, including name, SKU, images, price, stock, weight, and more. Visit the Product Bulk Operation section for detailed instructions on editing products.

> Download SHOPLINE Bulk Import Template

 

 

Before You Start

Using a spreadsheet tool to format product data per the instructions below, you can easily import products into your SHOPLINE online store and POS in batch.

Before you start, get the following product information ready:

  • Names of your products
  • Any variants, such as sizes, colors, or flavors
  • Retail prices of your products
    • These are tax-exclusive prices if your store displays prices exclusive of tax
    • These are tax-inclusive prices if your store displays prices inclusive of tax
  • Supply prices of your products
  • Existing barcode/SKU numbers

 

 

Downloading the Template

To get started, download the product template CSV file. The product template is designed to contain all the necessary product details that can be imported to your online store and SHOPLINE POS.

  1. From your SHOPLINE admin panel, go to Products.
  2. Click through Import products > Import locally.
    1-1-Import locally.png

  3. In the pop-up window, download the template.
    1-2-Download the Template.png

Note: Please use Chrome browser to download the template.

 

Please note the following:

  • SHOPLINE uses CSV files to manage the batch import and export of a large number of products; CSV has the advantage of storing a large amount of data while keeping a small file size.
  • Currently, SHOPLINE only recognizes correctly formatted CSV files. Some versions of Microsoft Excel may not open the CSV file as expected. To avoid file format issues and import failures, please use an adequate CSV editor or WPS software to edit and save the file.
  • To prevent formatting errors, please ensure that the number of characters in each cell does not exceed the limits supported by your spreadsheet software:
    • Microsoft Excel and WPS: Maximum 32,767 characters per cell
    • Numbers: Maximum 1,000,000 characters per cell
  • Please DO NOT modify the title and order of the fields in the first row of the template. Altering or rearranging the table headers may lead to SHOPLINE's failure to recognize the content from the uploaded form, resulting in unsuccessful product information import.

 

 

Understanding the Fields

Once you have downloaded the product template spreadsheet file, you can add your product information.

Two types of products can be added to your store and each requires slightly different information:

  • Standard product: Single product with a single SKU and its own inventory.

  • Product with variants: A product that is offered in different variations, such as size or color. Each variant is a unique SKU with its respective inventory.

The following is a list of product data fields in the product template file, along with their descriptions and indications of requirements. 

Please note that:

  • Please fill in all necessary fields marked as Required in the Requirement column.
  • Please follow the descriptions for each field to avoid failure in batch importing.
  • When you execute an update by overwriting values with the CSV file, SHOPLINE will replace any existing products with the same handle and existing values ​​will be overwritten with the values in the CSV file. For example, the Brand value of an existing product is Apple. Yet in the imported CSV file, the Brand column for this product is empty. The brand information of the product will be overwritten with a blank value after the import.
Field Name Description Requirement
Handle

The unique identification value used in the SHOPLINE system for a single product.

  • May be left blank, but the column must be retained.
  • Please provide the value only in the first row for products with multiple variants.
  • To update an existing product, the value in this field must match the product's handle. If you leave this field blank, the system will treat it as a new product and create a new item.
  • When adding a new product, you can leave this field blank.
  • When overwriting, all the product information (including SKU information) will be updated except the handle.
  • Make sure there are no spaces in the handle, otherwise, SHOPLINE will replace the spaces with "-" before matching.
  • If the handle of a product in the table is the same as the handle of an existing product in the store, all information of the corresponding product in the store will be overwritten when you choose to overwrite the current product information.
 Optional
Title*

The title of the product. For example, iPhone.

  • Please provide the value only in the first row for products with multiple variants.
  • When updating an existing product, the title field is still required and does not support Ignore blank fields. If it is left blank, the data import will fail.
 Required
Subtitle

The subtitle of the product.  For example, iPhone 14

  • May be left blank, but the column must be retained.
  • Up to 255 characters.
 Optional
Product Description Html

Description for the product

  • May be left blank, but the column must be retained.
  • Please provide the value only in the first row for products with multiple variants.
  • The style won’t be displayed on the consumer end if you upload plain text. To apply the style, please upload the description in html format.
 Optional
Brand

The Brand of the product.

  • May be left blank, but the column must be retained.
  • Up to 64 characters.
 Optional
Tags

Tags for the product that are used to categorize it and organize search results for customers. For example, shirt, beauty, summer.

  • May be left blank, but the column must be retained.
  • Please provide the value only in the first row for products with multiple variants.
  • Please separate multiple tags with English commas.
  • This field is case-insensitive. For example,  “ABC” and “abc” are considered identical.
    2-1-Tags.png
Optional
Standardized Product Type

The tag for describing product type and calculating the tax rate for the product in the USA. This tag must be selected from a predefined list of product category criteria.

Enter a standard product category in either of the following ways:

  • Use the complete path in the SHOPLINE product category. For example, Home & Garden > Linens & Bedding > Bedding > Bed Sheets
  • Use a numeric ID, e.g.371
 Optional
Custom Product Type A custom label describing the product category. This tag is not required to adhere to any predefined formatting and you are free to add it. Optional
Collections

The collection where the product belongs. For example, shirt, beauty, summer.

  • May be left blank, but the column must be retained.
  • Make sure to enter the collection handle rather than the collection title. Otherwise, it may cause errors in the binding of commodity categories. The product collection handles can be found in the SEO link from the product details page.
    2-2-Collections.png
  • A product can be categorized into multiple product collections. Separate multiple collection handles by English commas (,).
  • Please provide the value only in the first row for products with multiple variants.
  • If you need to create a new collection, please enter the information following the handle format by replacing the space with "-". Make sure that the collection handle does not exist in the store, otherwise, the binding may fail. SHOPLINE will automatically generate the category name based on the new collection handle information provided. For example, the system will automatically generate a category named “fashion shirt“ for “fashion-shirt.“
  • Binding the product to a smart category is not allowed. If you fill in the smart category handle, it will be ignored.
 Optional
Master Image

The main image for the product.

  • May be left blank, but the column must be retained.
  • Must be URL link format.
  • If you leave this field blank when uploading the CSV file and check Update/ overwrite the same products, any existing values will be used for missing columns, the existing images will be cleared.
  • Support uploading image URLs in jpg, jpeg, png, gif, and web formats. The maximum image size is 4MB.
  • Up to 40 product theme images can be uploaded for a single product.
  • Only one image URL is supported in one cell. If you need to upload multiple product theme images, you can put the image link URLs  in multiple cells vertically and sequentially, as shown below.
    2-3-Master Image.png
Optional
SEO title

SEO title, also known as a title tag, is a brief and concise text that appears at the top of the web browser's window and as the main headline in the search engine results pages (SERPs). 

  • May be left blank, but the column must be retained.
  • Up to 255 characters.
 Optional
SEO description

SEO description, also known as meta description, is a brief summary or preview of the content on a web page that appears in the search engine results pages (SERPs) below the page title and URL. It provides a concise description of what a web page is about and entices users to click through to the website.

  • May be left blank, but the column must be retained.
  • Up to 1024 characters in this field.
 Optional
SEO keywords SEO keywords, also known as search terms or key phrases, are the words or phrases that people use to search for information on search engines like Google, Bing, or Yahoo. They are the main focus of search engine optimization (SEO) because search engines use keywords to understand what a web page is about and rank it accordingly in their search results. Optional
Status

This field indicates the availability of the product after importing.

  • May be left blank, but the column must be retained.

  • Enter Y if you want to put the product on shelf right after a successful import. Otherwise, enter N.

  • Please provide the value only in the first row for products with multiple variants. The default value is Y.

 Optional
SKU

The stock keeping unit (SKU) is used to identify, track, and organize the product.

  • May be left blank, but the column must be retained.
  • If you leave this field blank when uploading the CSV file and check Update/ overwrite the same products, any existing values will be used for missing columns, the existing SKUs will be cleared.
  • A single product supports up to 500 SKUs.
  • Up to 100 characters. Exceeding the limit will result in upload/update failure.
 Optional
Option1 name

For products with multiple attributes (each combination of attributes is called a variant), enter the name of the first attribute here. For example, Color.

  • If a product has no variants, this field can be left blank, but the column itself must be retained.
  • When updating an existing product, the option value field does not support Ignore blank fields. If the product has existing variants, do not clear the original information in this field, as doing so will result in the deletion of the original variant value upon upload.
  • SHOPLINE supports a maximum of 5 attributes for a single product.
  • Up to 50 characters.
Warning: Updating option names via import (e.g., changing "Size" to "Taille") will regenerate the variant IDs for all variants under the product. Ads platforms such as Meta and Google will treat these new IDs as new products, which may affect ad performance and data tracking. Please proceed with caution.
 Optional
Option1 value

For products with multiple attributes, enter the attribute values (options) corresponding to attribute 1. For example, Blue, Yellow, White.

  • If a product has no variants, this field can be left blank, but the column itself must be retained.
  • When updating an existing product, the option value field does not support Ignore blank fields. If the product has existing variants, do not clear the original information in this field, as doing so will result in the deletion of the original variant value upon upload.
  • If the name of an attribute is provided, the corresponding attribute values are required.
  • Up to 255 characters.
  • A single product supports a maximum of 5 attributes.
  • An example is shown below.
    2-4-Option1 Value.png
Warning: Updating option values via import (e.g., changing "Red" to "Rouge") will regenerate the variant ID for that specific variant. Ads platforms such as Meta and Google will treat these new IDs as new products, which may affect ad performance and data tracking. Please proceed with caution.
 Optional

Option2 name

 

Definition and instructions are the same as Option1 name.

  • In the case of multiple attributes, enter all possible combinations of attribute values in the attribute values section.
    2-5-Multiple Options.png
Optional

Option2 value

 Definition and instructions are the same as Option1 value. Optional

Option3 name

 Definition and instructions are the same as Option1 name. Optional

Option3 value

 Definition and instructions are the same as Option1 value. Optional

Option4 name

 Definition and instructions are the same as Option1 name. Optional

Option4 value

 Definition and instructions are the same as Option1 value. Optional

Option5 name

 Definition and instructions are the same as Option1 name. Optional

Option5 value

 Definition and instructions are the same as Option1 value. Optional

Image

The Image of product attributes. One image for an SKU only. Please provide the image URL.

  • One image URL per cell.
  • If left blank, the SKU images won’t be displayed by default.
  • When updating an existing product, the image field does not support Ignore blank fields. To retain images, do not delete the existing information. If left blank during upload, the images will be cleared.
 Optional

SKU price

This field indicates the selling price of a single product.

  • Do not include any currency symbols. Only enter the price value. For example, 9.99.
  • The currency follows the store setting for currency.
  • Enter the value only in the first row for products with no variants.
 Optional

SKU compare at price

This field indicates the original price of the product and is often used as a reference point for discount pricing.

  • May be left blank, but the column must be retained.
  • Do not include any currency symbols. Only enter the price value. For example, 9.99.
  • The currency follows the store setting for currency.
  • Enter the value only in the first row for products with no variants.
 Optional

SKU weight

The weight of a particular product that is used for inventory and order management purposes.

  • May be left blank, but the column must be retained.
  • Enter only the value, without the unit.
  • Up to 2 decimals.
 Optional

SKU weight unit

The unit of measurement used to indicate the weight of a particular product for inventory and order management purposes.

  • Currently, supported weight units are: g/kg/lb (pound)/oz (ounce).
 Optional
SKU Inventory Tracker

If enabled, the inventory will change with the sale of goods. If not, the inventory quantity remains unchanged.

  • Enter T to start tracking. Enter F if not to.
 Optional

SKU Inventory Policy

If you allow the product to be oversold, when the product inventory reaches 0, the product is still available for sale.

  • Enter continue to allow oversold. Enter deny if not to.
 Optional

SKU inventory quantity

This field indicates the number of units of a particular product that your business has in stock.

  • May be left blank, but the column must be retained.
  • Only integers are accepted, with stock values ranging from -999,999,999 to 999,999,999.
  • This column is not valid when your store has multiple stocking locations. Please use the SHOPLINE inventory import form to import or update your product inventory.
 Optional

Cost per item

This field indicates the amount of money your business pays to purchase or produce a single unit of a product.

  • May be left blank, but the column must be retained.
  • Do not include any currency symbols. Only enter the price value. For example, 9.99.
  • The currency follows the store setting for currency.
  • Enter the value only in the first row for products with no variants.
 Optional

Barcode (ISBN, UPC, GTIN, etc.)

Barcode of product.

  • May be left blank, but the column must be retained.
  • Up to 100 characters. 
 Optional

 

 

Adding Standard Products

To create a standard product, start by assigning a name to your product. It's essential to ensure that each product name is unique and specific to avoid confusion, especially if your store offers similar items. Avoid using general or vague names like “t-shirt”. Use a specific name like "SHOPLINE Anniversary T-shirt" for easy identification.

you can manually create a handle by entering the value in the supported format, or you can leave the Handle field blank and let SHOPLINE generate one automatically. Similarly, You have the option to either create your own SKU for the product or let POS automatically generate one by leaving the corresponding field blank.

It is essential to provide a retail price for your product. Leaving the retail price column blank will result in the product being priced at $0.

To add more standard products, create another entry in a new row and follow the instructions above. Repeat the process for as many products as needed.

 

 

Adding Products with Variants

When creating a product with variants, it's important that each variant has a different name to group them together. 

For example, say you want to upload a T-shirt that has two different attributes (options): Color and Size.

Option 1 Name: Enter the name of the first variant. For example, Color.
Option 1 Value: Enter the value of the first variant. For example, Red, Yellow, and Blue.
Option 2 Name: Enter the name of the first variant, for example, Size.
Option 2 Value: Enter the value of the first variant, for example, S, M, and L.

Please note that you need to list all possible or available combinations of the attributes, as each combination represents a variant. Please see below for an example.

4-Product with Variants.png

To add more variant products, navigate to the next row in the spreadsheet and follow the same steps mentioned above. Repeat the process for as many products as needed.

 

 

Importing the CSV file

Once you have finished filling out your product template spreadsheet file, you can import it into your SHOPLINE admin.

You can choose to update/overwrite the same product, and existing values ​​will be overwritten with the values in the CSV file.

To upload the product template CSV file:

  1. From your SHOPLINE admin panel, go to Products.

  2. To import products in batch, click through Import products > Import locally.
    5-Import locally.png

  3. Upload your saved product template file, and click Import.
    6-Import.png
     

  4. If the import is successful, you will be able to view the uploaded products in your product list. To ensure the accuracy of the uploaded data, click on the product details page and review all the information.