Importing products to Ecwid store
Product import is the fastest way to upload catalog or make bulk changes to products in an existing Ecwid catalog. When importing, Ecwid converts the data from the uploaded import file into products in your online store.
You can import CSV files into Ecwid from outside sources like another e-commerce platform or a supplier (after rebuilding them). You can also export a CSV file from your Ecwid store, make changes, and then import it back into your store to update your products.
Introducing CSV format
CSV stands for “comma-separated values”. It is a special file format used to store tables and spreadsheet information. You can recognise a CSV file by the .csv extension.
The columns in CSV files in your store can contain information on different product attributes (e.g., name, SKU, description, price, etc.), and every line corresponds to a specific product.
Table column values are divided by the so-called “delimiters” or “separator characters”. In Ecwid, the delimiter in a CSV file can be either a comma, a semicolon, or a tab.
Here are examples of the same CSV file with different delimiters:
You can open and edit your CSV files in any plain text editor like Notepad or TextEdit (in this case, they will look like on the examples above) or in a spreadsheet editor like Excel or Google Sheets (in this case, they will look like conventional tables).
Here is how the same CSV file looks in the spreadsheet editor:
To avoid mistakes while opening a file in a spreadsheet editor for editing, you should choose the same delimiter in the editor that is used in the file. After the changes, you’ll need to save your spreadsheet as a .csv file so that it can be imported into Ecwid.
Importing products with a CSV file
If you have a CSV file that was exported from another source, like an inventory list from a supplier, then you need to rebuild it to Ecwid’s format. If the format doesn't match, then the import fails. Learn more about Ecwid CSV file format.
Tips before you start:
- Click the link to download the Ecwid CSV template file. You can use it as a template for creating your own CSV files. It includes information about a sample product with values separated by a comma.
- Enter product data into the template, following the Ecwid CSV file format. Your file from another source may have columns not supported while importing to Ecwid. Do not paste those columns into the file.
- While uploading the CSV file into Ecwid, make sure columns in the file and columns in Ecwid are in exactly the same order. It's recommended that you delete all the empty columns from your file, so it doesn't cause any errors.
Once you’ve prepared your CSV file, you can import it into Ecwid:
- From your Ecwid admin, go to Catalog → Products.
- Click Import Products.
- Click Choose file and select the CSV file from your computer.
- Select the delimiter used in your file (comma, semicolon, or tab):
- Select the character encoding used in your file.
If you don’t know how your CSV file is encoded, try UTF-8. It’s the most universal charset. - Make sure Skip First Line is checked if you have column names as the first line in your file.
- Arrange the columns (drag and drop) to mimic your file:
- Uncheck the columns that are not used in the file.
- Use the Skip column option to exclude up to three columns:
The Skip column option is an import setting used to indicate columns in your CSV file that should be ignored during import. This is useful when your CSV file contains information Ecwid does not support. You can skip up to three columns in your CSV with this option. - Check the option Delete all products and categories before import if you want to clear the catalog before import.
This will delete all the products that are in your store. They will be replaced with the products from the CSV file you import.
- Click Import.
When your CSV file is uploaded, you’ll see a notification that your file has been imported. If the import failed, read some solutions to common problems.
Ecwid CSV file format
Product import in Ecwid recognizes 30 product attributes (columns). You cannot import attributes that are not on the list. Here is a brief description of each attribute:
| Column name | Description | Is it required? | Data type & limits |
| SKU | Product SKU | SKU or Name is required to update the products that already exist in your catalog. If you are importing a new product, it needs to have not only a SKU but also a Name. |
String*, no longer than 255 symbols |
| Name | Product name | Name or SKU is required to update the products that already exist in your catalog. If you are importing a new product, and it only has a Name, the SKU for it will be assigned automatically. |
String, no longer than 255 symbols |
| Product subtitle | The text of your product subtitle | Optional | String, no longer than 128 symbols For example, 100% cotton |
| Ribbon | The text of your product ribbon | Optional | String, no longer than 30 symbols |
| Ribbon color | The color code of your product ribbon | Optional | String, no longer than 7 symbols For example, #7713FA |
| Description | The text of your product description | Optional | String, no longer than 300 000 symbols You can enter plain text or HTML |
| Enabled | Product availability: whether the product is enabled or disabled | Optional | Boolean**. You can use "true", "yes", "on", "Y", "1" for “enabled”, and any other values for “disabled” |
| Weight | Product weight | Optional | You can use any valid floating number*** for weight, an empty value for digital products or services For floating numbers:
|
| Price | Product price | Optional | Any valid floating number |
| “Compare to” price (in CSV file — recommended_price) |
The price of your product before sale | Optional | Any valid floating number |
| Quantity | Quantity in stock for a product | Optional | Integer****. You can use any valid integer, or an empty value if a product has unlimited quantity For example, 15 |
| Image | URL path to an image that you want to be the main product image | Optional | String. You can use URLs that start with http:// or https:// The image URL should lead directly to the image file, not to an HTML page that contains the image (e.g., http://example.com/images/product_1.jpg). |
| Category 1 | Category name or path to a category where your product should be placed | Optional | String, no longer than 255 symbols For example, Books/Science/Biology |
| Category 2 | Path to the second category for a product (if you want to have the product in several categories/subcategories) | Optional | String, no longer than 255 symbols |
| Category 3 | Path to the third category for a product | Optional | String, no longer than 255 symbols |
| Store front page (in CSV file — showOnFrontpage) |
Whether a product belongs to the Store Front page category or not | Optional | Boolean. You can use "1" for “true”, "0" or empty value for “false” |
| Fixed shipping rate (in CSV file — shipping_freight) |
(Legacy) Product shipping freight value | Optional | Any valid floating number |
| Fixed shipping rate only (in CSV file — fixed_shipping_rate_only) |
(Legacy) Indicates that a product has only the fixed shipping rate | Optional | Boolean. You can use "true", "yes", "on", "Y", "1" for “true”, any other values for “false” |
| Shipping rate type (in CSV file — shippingType) |
Indicates that there is a product-specific shipping of a certain type | Optional | String. You can use one of these values: GLOBAL_METHODS, SELECTED_METHODS, FLAT_RATE, FREE_SHIPPING |
| Shipping markup (in CSV file — shippingMethodMarkup) |
Fixed fee per item value that is added to the cost of the shipping methods used in your store (see product-specific shipping) | Optional (used with GLOBAL_METHODS shipping rate type) |
Any valid floating number |
| Flat Rate Shipping amount (in CSV file — shippingFlatRate) |
Fixed rate per item value (see product-specific shipping) | Optional (used with FLAT_RATE shipping rate type) |
Any valid floating number |
| Disabled shipping methods (in CSV file — shippingDisabledMethods) |
Shipping methods that are disabled for a product (see product-specific shipping) | Optional (used with SELECTED_METHODS shipping rate type) |
List of strings split by | symbol, where a string is the ID of a shipping method |
| Enabled shipping methods (in CSV file — shippingEnabledMethods) |
Shipping methods that are enabled for a product (see product-specific shipping) | Optional (used with SELECTED_METHODS shipping rate type) |
List of strings split by | symbol, where a string is the ID of a shipping method |
| UPC | A UPC (EAN) attribute of a product | Optional | String, no longer than 255 symbols |
| Brand | A brand attribute of a product | Optional | String, no longer than 255 symbols |
| Page title (in CSV file — seo_title) |
SEO field, meta title tag | Optional | String, no longer than 55 symbols |
| Meta description (in CSV file — seo_description) |
SEO field, meta description tag | Optional | String, no longer than 160 symbols For example, Billabong Tribong Bungalow Lo Tides 19' Boardshorts |
| Width | Product width for shipping calculation | Optional | Floating number, no longer than 5 symbols |
| Height | Product height for shipping calculation | Optional | Floating number, no longer than 5 symbols |
| Length | Product length for shipping calculation | Optional | Floating number, no longer than 5 symbols |
* String — a sequence of characters that can also contain spaces and numbers
** Boolean — a data type that requires one of two possible values
*** Floating number — any number with fractional parts (e.g, “295.1”)
**** Integer — any number without fractional parts (e.g., “5”)
Sample CSV file
Download a sample product CSV file to use as a template for creating your own CSV files. It includes information about a sample product, and the values are separated by a comma.
You can import this sample file with the following options in the import dialog:
Troubleshooting
If you have problems during your import procedure, please refer to our article on Troubleshooting import.
FAQ
Here’s a brief collection of the most common questions when using and importing CSV files:
How to update my products using import?
To change/overwrite details for several products that already exist in your Ecwid store via an import file, you will need 3 steps:
- Export your products (you will need the product name and SKU columns along with the columns of the attributes that you want to update)
- Modify the CSV file (change your product attributes)
- Import the file to Ecwid
Learn more about how to update products using import →
Here are some detailed instructions on updating different product attributes:
Updating prices in bulk through import
Setting up product-specific shipping methods for a large catalog
Adding, updating and deleting product ribbons through import
Importing custom meta tags
Can I import product options?
You can use the X-Cart or LiteCommerce import to add or update product options in batch from a CSV file. The X-Cart import supports two types of product options: drop-down list and text field. LiteCommerce import allows you to add drop-downs, text fields, text areas, and radio button options in bulk. See more details in these articles:
Besides, you can use the Bulk Product Editor app for options' import.
Can I import product variations?
You can't create new variations using import, however, you can update existing variations if they have unique SKUs. To do that, you need to include these variations with their SKUs in a CSV file. Then you can update their name, price, weight, etc., the same way as you update other products via import.
Can I import categories?
Yes, using Ecwid CSV files, you can:
- Create empty new categories/subcategories
- Create both new products and new categories/subcategories for them
- Add existing products to new categories/subcategories (they will be created after import)
- Add new or existing products to existing categories/subcategories
Learn how to import product categories →
You can also import product categories using X-Сart format — see more details in the article on X-Cart import format in Ecwid — or you can import categories using LiteCommerce import format.
Can I upload gallery images in bulk?
Ecwid import allows you to upload only one — main — picture for a product. You can upload gallery images in bulk with the help of Ecwid's Bulk Product Editor. Another option is to use the Bulk Gallery Upload application that allows you to upload images in a single ZIP-archive.
Learn how to upload product images in bulk using the app →
How to mark a product as requiring shipping?
If you have products that require shipping, you can mark them as those during import. To do it, enter their weight in the Weight column in your CSV file. If the weight is not important, you can enter a zero; this will mark the product as requiring shipping as well.
