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Note: This article covers the latest Catalog Machine version 2. For help with the previous version, see this article.

Overview

Catalog Machine's CSV import allows you to import new products and variants from spreadsheets, update existing product information in bulk, add products to categories and collections, import product images from various sources, and extend products with custom fields.

Learn more about managing products.

Quick Start Guide

Common Scenarios

Want AI to handle a tricky CSV? Upload it to AI Concierge — it auto-detects categories, suggests field mapping, and handles unusual formats.
Import from Excel: File → Save As → CSV (UTF-8) → Upload to Import → CSV in Catalog Machine
Import from Google Sheets: File → Download → CSV → Upload to Import → CSV
Update Existing Products: Export current products as CSV → Edit → Save as CSV → Re-import

Watch this short 3-minute video for an overview of importing products from CSV (Excel / Google):

Before You Start

Requirements

CSV file with product data
First row must have field names; column names should match your category fields (new fields will be suggested during import)
Name field is required for new products
Use Code field to match and update existing products
Other fields are optional

Important: Code acts as your unique product identifier/key. Best practice: use your existing product IDs, SKUs, or other stable identifiers. If Code matches an existing product, it will update that product. If no match found, creates new product. If not provided, system will auto-generate (not recommended for future updates).

Data Preparation Tips

Review your product information structure
Prepare high-quality product images
Plan your category and collection structure

Step-by-Step Import Process

1. Prepare Your File

Use CSV format with UTF-8 encoding
Include header row
If Code field is present and matching product is found, it will be updated, otherwise inserted
Category is required for new products

2. Start Import

Navigate to Import → CSV: Upload file or paste content, select default category (optional), choose target collection (optional).

3. Review Analysis and Configure Data Types

System checks for: data structure, new categories/fields, missing required fields, potential issues. You can confirm new fields, set data types, map missing fields, configure variant options.

4. Preview and Import

Review sample records, verify mappings, start import, monitor progress.

Technical Reference

CSV File Format Requirements

UTF-8 encoded CSV file (supporting international symbols)
First row contains field headers
Each row represents a product or variant
Values separated by commas
Text containing commas should be enclosed in quotes

Tip: Export template with all fields as a starting point, or use product export to get CSV file for existing products.

Working with Spreadsheet Programs

Microsoft Excel: Edit data → File → Save As → "CSV (Comma delimited) (*.csv)". For international characters, save as "CSV UTF-8 (Comma delimited) (*.csv)".

Google Sheets: Edit data → File → Download → Comma-separated values (.csv). Automatically downloads in UTF-8 format.

Read more about Asian characters import and use.

Header Row Fields

Note: First row contains field headers that correspond to your category fields. Common reserved fields: Code, Name, Price, Description, Category.

Standard fields: Code (optional, unique product identifier; auto-generated if missing); Name (required for new products); Category (must match existing or will create new); Rank (numeric sorting); Showcase (1 = visible in Showroom, 0 = hidden).

Collections

Note: Collections specified in CSV will replace existing collections for the product.

Single column: "Best Sellers, New Arrivals/Dresses". Multiple columns: Collections 1, Collections 2. Use forward slash (/) for hierarchy: Cars/Ford/Mustang.

Working with Images

1. Local Images — Upload to Image Manager first, then reference in CSV using relative paths (e.g., Products/blue-shirt.jpg).

2. Web URLs — Direct links to public images: https://example.com/image.jpg. JPG, PNG, GIF, WEBP. Max 10MB.

3. File Sharing Services: Google Drive (convert to direct download URL: https://drive.google.com/uc?export=download&id=FILEID), Dropbox (replace ?dl=0 with ?dl=1).

Note: Image field names in CSV must exactly match the category's image field names.

In your CSV, image fields can contain: relative path, absolute URL, or data URL (base64 encoded). Use Catalog Machine export or tools like https://dopiaza.org/tools/datauri to generate data URLs.

Multiple images per product: create multiple image fields in category, name them differently (e.g., Image1, Image2), reference in CSV by field name.

Special Content Types

Rich Text Fields: Support basic HTML formatting (CSS not supported). Example: <div>Product description with <b>bold</b> and <i>italic</i> text</div>

Variant Fields: Use same product Code to link variants to the parent product. Include variant-specific fields in same row (Variant:*). Example:

Code,Name,Variant:Size,Variant:Color,Variant:Price 
SHIRT-1,"Blue Shirt","M","Blue",28.99 
SHIRT-1,"Blue Shirt","L","Red",29.99

Tips for Successful Import

Start with a template (export existing products or use sample CSV)
Verify encoding (UTF-8)
Test with small sample first
Or skip the prep — upload to AI Concierge and let it handle category detection and field mapping

Common Issues and Solutions

Encoding Problems: Save as UTF-8 CSV, or copy/paste directly into import
Image Import Failures: Check URL accessibility, file size limits, format support
Missing Data: Check required fields, category mismatches, invalid collection paths

Need Help?

Use AI Help (chat icon) for instant answers, or chat with our support team for: file preparation, image importing, error resolution, custom requirements.

Importing Products from CSV (V2)