Shopify Product CSV Template (2026): Free Download + Column Guide

Shopify's CSV import is powerful, but the format is particular. One wrong column name or a misplaced value and your import fails, often with unhelpful error messages. This guide breaks down every column so you know exactly what goes where, and gives you a working template to start from.

Download a Shopify Product CSV Template

Rather than starting from a blank spreadsheet, grab a template that already has the right headers and a couple of complete example products (including multi-variant rows and image rows) so you can see the structure in context.

Shopify also ships its own blank sample: in Shopify Admin > Products > Import, click "Download a sample CSV template". That file has the correct headers but no realistic example rows, so the template above is usually the faster starting point.

If your products come from supplier invoices, you don't have to fill any of this in by hand. Ohavah turns a supplier invoice into a ready-to-import CSV with the columns below already populated.

Required vs. Optional Columns

Shopify only strictly requires a few columns to create a product:

• Handle - always required (the URL slug for the product)
• Title - required on the first row for each handle

Everything else is technically optional, but in practice you'll want to fill in most columns to create useful product listings.

Column-by-Column Reference

Product-Level Columns

These only need values on the first row for each Handle. Subsequent variant rows leave them blank.

Column	Description
Handle	URL-friendly identifier (e.g., classic-tee). Lowercase, hyphens instead of spaces. Must be unique per product.
Title	Product display name shown to customers.
Body (HTML)	Product description. Supports HTML tags for formatting.
Vendor	Brand or supplier name. Shows up in Shopify filters.
Product Category	Shopify's standardized product taxonomy (e.g., "Apparel & Accessories > Clothing > Shirts"). Used for tax and reporting.
Type	Your custom product type (e.g., "T-Shirts"). Used for filtering in admin and collections.
Tags	Comma-separated tags (e.g., summer, cotton, new-arrival). Used for automated collections and search.
Published	TRUE or FALSE. Whether the product is visible on your storefront.
Status	active, draft, or archived. Controls product state.

Variant-Level Columns

These appear on every row, including the first row and each additional variant row. If you sell in multiple sizes and colors, this is where most of your rows come from. For a deeper walkthrough, see how to create product variants in Shopify.

Column	Description
Option1 Name	Name of the first option (e.g., "Size").
Option1 Value	Value for this variant (e.g., "Medium").
Option2 Name	Name of the second option (e.g., "Color"). Leave blank if unused.
Option2 Value	Value for this variant (e.g., "Blue").
Option3 Name	Name of the third option. Leave blank if unused.
Option3 Value	Value for this variant.
Variant SKU	Stock keeping unit - your internal identifier.
Variant Grams	Weight in grams (used for shipping calculations).
Variant Inventory Tracker	Usually shopify. Set to blank if you don't track inventory.
Variant Inventory Qty	Starting stock quantity. Only used on initial import.
Variant Inventory Policy	deny (stop selling at 0) or continue (allow overselling).
Variant Fulfillment Service	Usually manual.
Variant Price	Selling price (e.g., 29.99). No currency symbol.
Variant Compare At Price	Original/strikethrough price for sale items. Leave blank if not on sale.
Variant Requires Shipping	TRUE or FALSE.
Variant Taxable	TRUE or FALSE.
Variant Barcode	UPC, ISBN, or other barcode.

Image Columns

Column	Description
Image Src	Full URL to the product image (must be publicly accessible).
Image Position	Order of the image (1, 2, 3...).
Image Alt Text	Alt text for SEO and accessibility.

SEO Columns

Column	Description
SEO Title	Custom title tag for the product page (max ~70 characters).
SEO Description	Custom meta description (max ~320 characters).

Row Structure Rules

This is where most mistakes happen:

1. First row for a handle: fill in all product-level columns plus the first variant's details
2. Additional variant rows: same Handle, leave product-level columns blank, fill in variant columns only
3. Image-only rows: same Handle, only fill in Image Src / Position / Alt Text - used to add extra images without creating variants

Example with two sizes and two images:

Handle,Title,Option1 Name,Option1 Value,Variant Price,Image Src
classic-tee,Classic Tee,Size,Small,29.99,https://example.com/tee-front.jpg
classic-tee,,Size,Medium,29.99,
classic-tee,,,,, https://example.com/tee-back.jpg

Common Errors and Fixes

"Invalid CSV file" on upload - Your file might not be UTF-8 encoded. In Excel, use "Save As > CSV UTF-8". In Google Sheets, download as CSV (it's UTF-8 by default).

Products importing without variants - Check that your Option1 Name and Value columns are filled in. If they're blank, Shopify creates a "Default Title" variant.

Duplicate products instead of updates - When reimporting, check "Overwrite existing products that have the same handle". If unchecked, Shopify creates new products even when the handle already exists.

Prices showing wrong - Don't include currency symbols or thousand separators. Use 29.99, not $29.99 or 1,299.99.