Solutions to common product CSV import problems

If you're having a problem uploading your product CSV file, then see if the problem is listed in the following solutions. If you're still having problems, then contact Shopify Support.

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Error messages

Fulfillment service can't be blank

You need to enter the name of the fulfillment service you're using. If you're not using a fulfillment service, then this should be set to manual.

Ignored line #-## because handle example already exists

The handle is used to uniquely identify each individual product. Make sure you have a unique handle for each product in your CSV.

Ignored line #-## because it did not contain product data

This means that there is at least one product with a handle, but no product title.

Illegal quoting on line

This error is caused when there is an illegal character in the CSV file that you are trying to import. To fix this, remember that your CSV file must be UTF-8 encoded.

Sometimes, this error is caused by a missing or stray quote.

Incorrect header check

Remove the image from that line and try again. If that resolves the issue, then try hosting the image somewhere else.

Invalid CSV header: missing headers

The first line of your CSV file should be:

Handle,Title,Body (HTML),Vendor,Type,Tags,Published,Option1 Name,Option1 Value,Option2 Name,Option2 Value,Option3 Name,Option3 Value,Variant SKU,Variant Grams,Variant Inventory Tracker,Variant Inventory Qty,Variant Inventory Policy,Variant Fulfillment Service,Variant Price,Variant Compare-at Price,Variant Requires Shipping,Variant Taxable,Variant Barcode,Image Src,Image Alt Text

Remember to check for extra white spaces at the end of the first line.

Inventory policy is not included in the list

The inventory policy needs to be set to 'deny' or 'continue'.

Inventory quantity can't be blank

The inventory quantity needs to be set. If you're not tracking inventory, then make sure the Variant Inventory Tracker is left blank, otherwise Shopify will look for a inventory quantity.

Inventory quantity is not a number

You need to enter a number value for the quantity of items in stock.

Missing or stray quote on line

This can be the result of Excel or another spreadsheet program adding curly quotes (smart quotes). These quotes need to be replaced with straight quotes. To resolve this issue, open the file in a text editor, and do a search and replace to change “ “ into quotes that look like this: " ".

Another possible cause is an extra quote that has been added to the file. Open the file in a text editor and find the line that has error. Review the fields for stray quotes and remove them.

Not a valid product category

The product category that you entered does not match the full product category or ID number listed in Shopify Product Taxonomy. You need to match either the category or the ID number exactly.

Validation failed: An error occurred while trying to download the image

An image file is missing.

Validation failed: getaddrinfo: nodename nor servname provided, or not known

This error is caused when there is a mistake in the image URL. The image URL needs to have http:// in front of it. It also needs to be a publicly accessible direct link to the image.

Validation failed: options are not unique

This error is caused when a product has duplicate options. You might have set up a product with two variants with the same option values (for example, 2 medium products, both in black). If the option values are unique, a product could be duplicated elsewhere in the CSV with the same handle.

Validation failed: price can't be blank

The price needs to be added to this line.

Validation failed: The uploaded image exceeds the 20 megapixel limit

Your product images can be any size up to 5760 x 5760 px, or 20 megapixels. Reduce the size of the image or use a different image.

Frequently asked questions

There are random characters in my export. Do you handle international languages?

Shopify supports any language or characters that are included in the UTF-8 encoding. If you're seeing strange characters in your product descriptions, it probably means your CSV file isn't using UTF-8 encoding. To fix it, open the file in a text editor. Save it again, making sure that you specify UTF-8 encoding.

I tried to upload my CSV and a Choose column headings window appeared

This window appears when the headers of your CSV file are incorrect. You can choose the correct headers from the drop-down menu to help you import your CSV file to Shopify.