Importing and exporting customer lists

If you have a customer list that you want to use in Shopify, then you can enter it into a customer CSV file, and then import the CSV file into your Shopify admin. You can also use the customer CSV template to build a new customer list. Learn how to open and edit a CSV file.

If you want to edit multiple customer profiles that already exist in your customer list, then you might find it easier to use bulk editing instead.

You can use bulk editing to edit the First name, Last name, Tags, Email, and Accepts email marketing fields on customer profiles, and any Metafields values.

To edit other fields on a customer profile, such as address lines, phone number, or tax exempt status, you need to edit the customer profile individually or use a CSV file.

Customer CSV template

You can download and view the customer CSV template to use as a guide to create your own customer list to import into your store. For more information, refer to the description of the customer CSV file.

If you import the customer CSV template without adding any new customer profiles to it, then two default customer profiles are added in your store:

  • Jane Doe is an example of a customer with an email address and a phone number.
  • John Doe is an example of a customer with an email address and a shipping address.

Description of the customer CSV file

Review the table for details on the available CSV columns and their descriptions.

In the Accepts Email Marketing, Accepts SMS Marketing, and Tax Exempt fields, you can enter only yes or no.

The customer CSV file columns and their descriptions.
ColumnDescription
First NameThe first name of the customer.
Last NameThe last name of the customer.
EmailThe email address of the customer. This column is required, but the value can be blank.
Accepts Email MarketingSets whether or not the customer agrees to subscribe to email marketing, such as a newsletter. Valid entries are yes or no.
Default Address CompanyThe name of the company associated with the customer's default address, if applicable.
Default Address Address1The first line of the customer's default address.
Default Address Address2The second line of the customer's default address, if necessary.
Default Address CityThe city associated with the customer's default address.
Default Address Province CodeThe province or state ISO code associated with the customer's default address.
Default Address Country CodeThe country ISO code associated with the customer's default address.
Default Address ZipThe postal or zip code for the customer's default address.
Default Address PhoneThe phone number associated with the customer's default address.
PhoneThe customer's phone number.
Accepts SMS MarketingSets whether or not the customer agrees to subscribe to SMS marketing, such as discount offers. Valid entries are yes or no.
Total SpentThe customer's total amount spent. This column isn't imported with customer details.
Total OrdersThe customer's total number of orders. This column isn't imported with customer details.
NoteAdditional information about the customer.
Tax ExemptIndicates whether the customer is tax exempt. Valid entries are yes or no.
TagsA comma-separated list of tags used to tag the customer (for example, tag1,tag2,tag3). Tags are not case sensitive.

Customer CSV considerations

Review the following considerations for the customer CSV file:

  • The first line of your customer CSV must include the column headers. Use the customer CSV template to help you create your CSV file.
  • The Email column is required and must be present, but the value can be blank. If this column is missing, then you receive an error when you import your CSV file.
  • CSV file headers aren't case sensitive.
  • The Total Spent and Total Orders columns aren't imported with customer details.
  • You can only import customer CSV files that are 15 MB or smaller. To get around this restriction, you can use multiple CSV files to import your customer profiles.
  • You can't migrate customer passwords from another online store using a CSV. Learn more about customer password limitations.
  • You can add columns for certain supported metafields to your customer CSV file. You can only add columns for metafields that exist in your Shopify admin. Learn how to create a metafield.
  • You can't import order information using a customer CSV file. Learn more about order information on customer CSVs.

Customer passwords

Because passwords are encrypted outside of Shopify, you can't migrate customer passwords from another online store using a CSV. After you import customers into your store, you need to invite your customers to create new passwords so that they can register their accounts. You can find an app in the Shopify app store to send your customers bulk invitations to create new passwords.

Supported metafields

Only certain metafield types are compatible with customer CSV files. You can import and export the following metafield types using a customer CSV:

  • Boolean (boolean)
  • Date (date)
  • Date and time (date_time)
  • Integer (number_integer)
  • Decimal (number_decimal)
  • Single line text (single_line_text_field)

Order information

  • You can only import the customer information using a customer CSV file. Order information can't be imported using a customer CSV file.
  • You can't edit the Total Spent or Total Orders columns on your customer CSV because they represent what the customer has spent and ordered from your online store.
  • Shopify only tracks what customers order and spend on your online store. It isn't possible to import customer data for orders placed or money spent on other Shopify stores or e-commerce platforms.

Import existing customer profiles using the customer CSV

You can add customer profiles to the customer CSV template or build your own CSV file, and then import it to your Shopify admin. When you import customer profiles, your CSV file must be in UTF-8 format. Most spreadsheet applications can save CSV files in UTF-8 format with the Save As or Export command, depending on the program. To access a formatted version of your CSV file, you can import it into Google Sheets.

You can only import customer CSV files that are 15 MB or smaller. To get around this restriction, you can use multiple CSV files to import your customer profiles.

When you import a CSV file, you have the option to tag the customers from the CSV and create a customer segment based on those tags. If you overwrite existing customers with the same email address or phone number, then all of your customer data is replaced, including the import tags.

Steps:

  1. From your Shopify admin, go to Customers.

  2. Click Import.

  3. Click Add file, and then select your customer CSV file.

  4. Optional: To update any existing customer profiles, check Overwrite existing customers that have the same email or phone number.

  5. Optional: To create a segment and tag the customers from your CSV list, check Add tags to customers in this csv and use these tags to create a segment.

  6. Click Import customers.

Import customer metafields

If you use custom metafields to store additional information about your customers, then you can import supported metafields using a customer CSV.

Before you can import customer metafields using a CSV, you need to create a customer metafield, which includes the following two steps:

  1. Add a metafield definition.
  2. Add a value to your metafield.

After you create your metafield, you can add a column to your CSV file that matches the customer.metafields.namespace.key from your metafield definition. For example, if you want to import the standard Birth date metafield, then your column title in the customer CSV needs to be customer.metafields.facts.birth_date.

Export existing customer profiles to a CSV file

You can export a CSV file of your store's customers and their details.

Exported CSV files can be opened in a spreadsheet application, such as Excel, Numbers, or Google Sheets, or used to connect your Shopify store with a third-party Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system. Exported CSV files are limited to 15 MB in size.

If you export up to 50 customers, then the CSV file is downloaded by your browser. If you export more than 50 customers, then the CSV file is emailed to you. If you aren't the store owner, then the file is also sent to the store owner's email address.

Steps:

  1. From your Shopify admin, go to Customers.

  2. Click Export.

  3. Select one of the following export options:

    • Current page to export the customers showing in your store admin.
    • All customers to export all your store's customers.
    • Selected customer to export customers you have selected.
    • # customers matching your filters to export a customer segment.
  4. Optional: If you want to include customer tags or supported metafields in your export, then in the Fields included section, do any of the following:

    • Check Customer tags to include tags in your export.
    • Check Customer metafields to include the supported metafields in your export.
  5. Do either of the following:

    • To use a spreadsheet program to view and edit your customer CSV file, select CSV for Excel, Numbers, and other spreadsheet programs.
    • To use a plain-text editor to view and edit your customer CSV file, select Plain CSV file.
  6. Click Export customers.

Use a text editor to edit your customer CSV file

If you don't have a spreadsheet program, then you can edit CSV files using a text editor.

Most computers have text editors that can open CSV files. You can also use a program like Visual Studio Code or Sublime Text to edit and debug your CSV file.

When you format your CSV file in a text editor, observe the following considerations:

  • Column headers must be separated by commas (for example, First Name,Last Name,Email,Company,Address1).
  • The list of tags must be wrapped in quotation marks (for example, "tag1,tag2,tag3").
  • Tags are not case sensitive.
  • Different records must be separated by line breaks.

Importing contacts from Gmail

You can export your Gmail contacts to a CSV file to import as customers to your Shopify store. Before you export your Gmail contacts, review and delete contacts that you don’t want to import to your Shopify store. Consider removing role-based email addresses, such as emails that begin with admin@, support@, or info@, and check for any typos that would prevent email messages from being delivered.

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