Supplier CSV preparation guide

Prepare a Supplier CSV for New Shopify Products

A supplier’s column names and number formats may differ from the import file you need. Start with a clean CSV, preserve identifiers as text and check every row before importing.

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A short preparation checklist

Confirm the scope. Each data row must describe one new product with one default variant. Separate workflows are needed for existing-product updates, size/color variants, images and inventory.
Use UTF-8 or Windows-1252 CSV. XLS, XLSX and TSV are not accepted. Saved supplier templates are not supported. Use a header row and a comma or semicolon delimiter. A UTF-8 BOM is fine.
Inspect identifiers before exporting. Keep SKU and barcode columns as text. If a spreadsheet has already changed 00412 to 412, return to the original source; a converter cannot infer the missing zeros.
Check the structure. Use unique, nonempty headers, consistent row widths and correct CSV quoting. A comma inside a value must be quoted when the delimiter is a comma.
Keep within the limits. One file, 1 MiB, 2,000 data rows, 30 columns and 1,000 characters per cell.
Confirm mappings and price syntax. Select Title, SKU, Price and optional Barcode. Confirm that every other column can be ignored. Do not guess the price format from a single ambiguous value.

Prepare and map

Use this converter for new products only. Use UTF-8 or Windows-1252 CSV with a header and comma or semicolon delimiter. No TSV or saved supplier templates. Each row must represent one new product with one default variant. Limits: 1 MiB, 2,000 data rows, 30 columns, 1,000 characters per cell. Confirm Title, SKU, Price and optional Barcode mappings and ignored columns. Existing 00412 stays 00412; missing zeros cannot be recovered.

Select prices and inspect

European mode converts 1.234,56 to 1234.56 and 24,90 to 24.90. Ambiguous 1,234, currency symbols, negatives and extra decimals are errors. Prices must already use your store currency. The free preview validates every row and shows 20 transformed rows and 20 issues with source row numbers and totals. Fix every error; no rows are silently dropped. Import the output directly without spreadsheet resaving, and review Shopify’s import preview.

Compare alternatives

A spreadsheet offers flexible editing but leaves identifier types, formulas and destination columns to you. Store-connected tools such as Matrixify cover broader workflows; verify their current features and pricing. Rowmoss needs no store connection, installation or subscription. It does not support images, variants, inventory, synchronization or existing-product updates. Try the free preview before buying credits.

A small supplier CSV example

This illustrative file uses a semicolon delimiter, so the comma decimals remain inside the price cells. Select European pricing and map Product Name to Title, Item No. to SKU, RRP to Price and EAN to Barcode.

Item No.;Product Name;RRP;EAN
00412;Wool blanket;1.234,56;0401234567890
00051;Canvas tote;24,90;0401234567915

The first output SKU remains 00412; its output price is 1234.56. The second output price is 24.90. Barcode strings retain their existing zeros. Title whitespace is collapsed, while title letter case is preserved.

If your CSV uses commas to separate columns, quote any source value that contains a comma. For example, a European price cell would appear as "24,90" inside that comma-delimited source file.

Choose a number format explicitly

Examples of accepted values and errors
Source value	Selected format	Result
`1234.56`	Dot decimal	`1234.56`
`1.234,56`	European	`1234.56`
`24,90`	European	`24.90`
`24`	Either format	`24.00`
`1,234`	Either format	Error: ambiguous or unsupported syntax
`24.999`	Dot decimal	Error: more than two decimal places
`$24.90`	Either format	Error: currency symbol

Prices must already use your store’s currency. Rowmoss does not convert currency or apply a markup. If your supplier’s notation is unclear, ask the supplier rather than guessing.

Use source row numbers to fix the whole file

Missing titles, missing or duplicate SKUs, invalid prices and formula-leading mapped text block the complete export. SKU matching is case-sensitive. Surrounding whitespace in SKUs and barcodes must be corrected in the source; Rowmoss does not silently trim those identifiers.

Source row 1 is the header. The preview displays source row numbers alongside exact output values. It checks all supported data rows but shows only the first 20 transformed rows and first 20 issues, with aggregate totals. A shorter issue list does not mean the rest of the file was skipped.

Correct the source CSV or mapping and preview again. Duplicate SKUs are never merged, and invalid rows are never left out to make a partial export.

Choose the approach that fits your task

A spreadsheet

Useful when you need flexible editing or transformations beyond this converter’s scope. You are responsible for text types, formulas, destination headers and checking every row. Work from a copy and verify that identifiers retain their zeros.

A broader import tool

If you need a broader store import/export workflow, compare tools such as Matrixify against their current documentation and pricing. Check support for the exact store operations and file structure you need.

Rowmoss

A narrow, standalone conversion: one supplier CSV to new single-variant draft products. No store connection or installation. You confirm the mappings and inspect a limited free preview, then use one credit for the complete validated revision.

Know what the output contains

The complete result uses these eight columns:

Handle
Title
Option1 Name
Option1 Value
Variant SKU
Variant Price
Variant Barcode
Status

Handles combine a title slug with an SKU slug; when a title has no Latin slug, the SKU slug is used. Colliding handles block the export. The default option is Title / Default Title, and status is draft. There are no extra image or inventory rows.

After unlocking, import the downloaded CSV directly instead of opening and resaving it in a spreadsheet. Review Shopify’s import preview and confirm the products are new before proceeding. Rowmoss does not inspect your store for existing products or handles.

Check your file before paying.

Preview free without an account. A one-time $9 pack has three credits: one file including two reruns, with no subscription. Only a successfully unlocked revision spends one credit. Failed unlocks spend none, and repeat downloads are free for 72 hours.

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Pricing details · File privacy and retention

Rowmoss is an independent tool and is not affiliated with Shopify. Compare other tools using their current documentation; this guide makes no claims about their current prices.