CSV

What is CSV?

CSV stands for comma-separated values and is a simple, text-based file format for tabular data. Each line in the file is a row, and the fields are separated by a delimiter — most often a comma, though semicolons and tabs are common too. Because the format is plain text, a CSV file can be opened in Excel, Google Sheets, or a text editor and read by almost any system, which makes it the lingua franca for moving data between your store, ERP, feeds, and spreadsheets.

Why does CSV matter?

CSV is the easiest way to move a lot of data at once without touching a single product page by hand. Whether you need to create 500 products, update prices across the catalog, or migrate an entire store, a CSV sheet turns it into a bulk operation instead of hundreds of clicks. The format does have pitfalls: the wrong delimiter, missing UTF-8 encoding, or a field containing an unescaped comma can break an entire import.

Common use cases

• Bulk product imports with columns such as Handle, Title, Variant SKU, and Variant Price.
• Price and inventory updates by exporting, editing in a spreadsheet, and importing again.
• Migrations from Magento or WooCommerce, where data is exported to CSV and mapped to Shopify’s fields.
• Product feeds for Google Shopping and price comparison are often generated as CSV or TSV.

Shopify perspective

Shopify uses CSV to import and export products, customers, and inventory. The file must be saved as UTF-8, and each product variant is its own row that shares the same Handle value as the parent product. The import limit is 15 MB per file, so large catalogs have to be split. Watch out for the semicolon trap in particular: if you open a CSV in a European locale of Excel and save it again, the delimiter easily switches to a semicolon, which Shopify rejects. Always save as “CSV UTF-8” and test a single row before running the whole file.