Practical guide

Excel removes leading zeros: preserve SKU and barcode values in CSV files

Import SKU and barcode columns as text in Excel, avoid guessing missing zeros, and check identifiers before saving a UTF-8 CSV.

Do this first: import identifiers as Text

Start with the original supplier CSV and keep it unchanged. Open a blank Excel workbook instead of double-clicking the CSV. Choose Data → From Text/CSV, or Data → Get Data → From File → From Text/CSV. Select the source file and check the delimiter and character encoding in the preview. Choose Transform Data, called Edit in some versions, before loading the worksheet.

In the query editor, select the SKU and barcode columns and set Data Type to Text. If Excel has already assigned a numeric type, replace that conversion rather than adding Text after the zeros have disappeared; choose Replace Current when prompted. Check that the query preview still shows 00412, then Close & Load. Compare several identifiers with the untouched source before making other edits.

Why 00412 becomes 412 when Excel opens a CSV

When Excel opens a CSV directly, it interprets columns using its default data-format settings. A digits-only identifier can be treated as a number. Numerically, 00412 and 412 have the same value, so the leading zeros disappear from the numeric cell. They are different identifiers for your catalog, which is why the SKU and barcode columns should enter the workbook as text.

Opening the file and saving it are separate steps. If you notice missing zeros immediately, avoid saving over the original. Check the raw supplier CSV in a text editor: if it still contains 00412, import that source again with the text-column workflow. If only the saved, altered file remains, investigate the supplier record before creating a replacement.

Separate preservation from reconstruction

Changing an already altered numeric cell to Text cannot reveal its original spelling. The value 412 does not tell you whether the supplier meant 412, 0412 or 00412. Return to an untouched download, an authoritative product record or the supplier. Rowmoss preserves zeros that exist in the uploaded file; it cannot recover digits that were removed before upload.

Padding is appropriate only when you know the identifier has a fixed width. As an illustration, if the supplier confirms every code in this particular column has exactly five digits, =TEXT(A2,"00000") can turn 412 into a five-character text result. That is a deliberate reconstruction under a verified rule. Applying it to mixed-width SKUs can invent identifiers, create false matches or hide a source error. Confirm the rule for the whole affected column before using it.

Keep a workbook copy, then export UTF-8 CSV

Retain an Excel workbook for your working notes. For the upload file, use File → Save As and choose CSV UTF-8 (Comma delimited) (*.csv) where available. Save the intended worksheet under a new filename. CSV saves the active worksheet rather than the whole workbook, so check which tab is selected before confirming the export. Review any feature-loss prompt before continuing.

Check the saved file in a text editor for the header, literal identifier values, delimiter and accented product names. Shopify requires commas between product CSV columns. Excel export separators can depend on regional settings, so inspect the actual output rather than trusting the filename. Keep helper columns out of the final import mapping and compare the saved product count with the batch you intended to prepare.

Do not confuse UTF-8 encoding with text column types

UTF-8 governs character encoding; importing identifiers as Text governs how Excel interprets their contents. Selecting UTF-8 does not by itself stop a numeric conversion. Microsoft explains that a UTF-8 CSV with a byte order mark can be opened normally for character encoding, while Power Query provides an import route for files without it. Use the controlled text-column import either way when checking SKUs and barcodes.

For a final verification, reimport the exported CSV into a fresh workbook with those columns explicitly set to Text again. Compare the result with the original supplier values and any confirmed corrections. This extra check tests the delivered file rather than the appearance of your working sheet. Keep the original, workbook and final CSV as separate files so a later correction has a clear starting point.

Convert without another spreadsheet round trip

If the original CSV already contains the correct zeros, you can upload it directly to Rowmoss. Map Title, SKU, Price and optional Barcode, choose the price format explicitly, and inspect the output values. Rowmoss accepts UTF-8 or Windows-1252 CSV with a comma or semicolon delimiter and produces a UTF-8 CSV for new single-variant Shopify draft products.

Rowmoss does not accept XLS or XLSX workbooks. Export those to CSV first using the checks above. After conversion, import the downloaded file directly into Shopify rather than opening and resaving it through Excel. If duplicate identifiers remain after preserving their spelling, follow the related duplicate-SKU guide before deciding which records to keep.

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Written by Zijian Xiao. Check the source, review the import details, and verify the resulting Shopify product records.