Shopify product CSV
Reads familiar columns like Handle, Title, Body HTML, Option names and values, Variant SKU, Variant Barcode, Variant Price, Compare-at Price, Variant Inventory Qty, and image fields.
Supported CSV imports
Bring catalog exports into Shopify without pretending every CSV is the same
Catalog Intake can review product CSV exports from Shopify, WooCommerce, Square, Google Merchant Center, BigCommerce, and messy supplier spreadsheets. The app maps fields, groups variants, checks identifiers, and flags risky inventory semantics before anything is pushed to Shopify.
Format coverage
Supported CSV and catalog export types
Catalog Intake detects common export structures, maps fields conservatively, and sends the result to Review. The goal is not a silent bulk import. The goal is a clean Shopify decision: create drafts, publish approved products, or update matched inventory after review.
WooCommerce product CSV
Handles simple products, variable parent rows, variation child rows, parent images, sale price, regular price, categories, tags, and Attribute columns for Shopify options.
Square item library
Maps Item Name, Variation Name, SKU, GTIN, Price, Category, Description, and quantity columns. Stock-on-hand quantities are flagged for review before inventory push.
Google Merchant Center feed
Uses id, item_group_id, title, description, link, image_link, price, sale_price, brand, gtin, color, size, google_product_category, and product_type. Availability stays out of quantity.
BigCommerce catalog export
Maps product name, SKU, description, brand, category, price, sale price, retail price, cost price, inventory level, UPC/GTIN, and product image URL fields.
Generic vendor CSV or Excel
Works with product sheets, line sheets, order sheets, and supplier files when rows include useful product names, identifiers, prices, quantities, or image references.
Review before Shopify changes
Catalog Intake maps the CSV into product groups, variants, SKUs, barcodes, images, prices, and inventory fields, then shows the batch in Review before push.
- Approve the rows that should create Shopify products.
- Reject rows that are duplicates, stale, or incomplete.
- Edit product titles, variants, categories, tags, prices, and image fields before push.
Inventory semantics stay visible
Supplier receipts, stock-on-hand exports, and feed availability are not the same thing. Catalog Intake calls that out so quantity decisions are reviewed, not guessed.
- Received inventory can add units to current Shopify stock.
- Stock-on-hand exports are flagged before push.
- Availability-only feeds do not become quantity values.
What gets mapped
Field handling by import type
Product identity
Title, handle, vendor, product type, Shopify category path, source URL, and product description.
Used to create draft products, clean duplicate title fragments, and group variants under the right product.
Variant structure
Option names and values, WooCommerce attributes, Square variation names, Google item_group_id with color and size, and supplier color/size/format columns.
Used to keep color, size, width, edition, format, pack size, and other variant details out of the product title.
Identifiers
SKU, vendor SKU, product code, style number, barcode, UPC, EAN, GTIN, ISBN, MPN, and Google feed id fallback.
Used for review warnings, duplicate prevention, and inventory matching against existing Shopify variants.
Pricing
Price, sale price, regular price, retail price, compare-at price, MSRP, unit cost, cost price, and wholesale fields.
Used to keep selling price, compare-at price, and cost-like values separate before push.
Images
Shopify image fields, WooCommerce Images, Google image_link, supplier image URL columns, and product image references.
Used for supplier image URLs, Shopify Files matching, and per-colorway media review.
Inventory
Received quantity, Shopify Variant Inventory Qty, WooCommerce stock, Square New Quantity, BigCommerce Inventory Level, and supplier quantity fields.
Displayed with warnings when the source looks like stock on hand instead of received units.
Native importer vs review flow
Use Shopify's CSV importer for clean Shopify files. Use Catalog Intake when the file needs judgment.
If your file already matches Shopify's product CSV template and you trust every row, Shopify's native importer may be enough. Catalog Intake is for the messy middle: platform exports, supplier spreadsheets, stock files, feed exports, and catalog files that need cleanup before they become Shopify products.
Catalog Intake is useful when you need to:
- Review product groups and variants before pushing.
- Keep stock-on-hand exports from silently acting like received inventory.
- Separate cost, MSRP, retail price, sale price, and compare-at price.
- Map images from supplier URLs or Shopify Files.
- Update existing Shopify inventory by barcode instead of creating duplicates.
- Create draft products first, then publish only when ready.
FAQ
CSV import questions
Which CSV exports can Catalog Intake review for Shopify?
Catalog Intake can review Shopify product CSVs, WooCommerce product CSVs, Square item library exports, Google Merchant Center feeds, BigCommerce catalog exports, and generic supplier CSV or spreadsheet files.
Does Catalog Intake replace Shopify's native CSV importer?
No. Shopify's native importer is best when the file already follows Shopify's product CSV template. Catalog Intake is for files that need review, cleanup, variant grouping, image handling, barcode checks, or inventory decisions before Shopify changes are made.
How does Catalog Intake handle Square or BigCommerce inventory quantities?
Catalog Intake flags Square, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, and Shopify export quantities as stock-on-hand style values, not automatically received units. Merchants review those quantities before push because Catalog Intake normally adds imported quantities to current Shopify stock.
Can Google Merchant Center availability become Shopify inventory?
No. Google Merchant Center availability values such as in stock or out of stock are status values, not quantities. Catalog Intake keeps them out of inventory quantity fields.
Review the catalog export first. Push to Shopify when the rows make sense.
Install Catalog Intake, upload a supported CSV or spreadsheet, review the normalized product groups and warnings, then create draft products, publish approved products, or update inventory when the batch is ready.