Import with CSV Files

Use CSV Import to quickly create or update products (and inventory) in your Shopify store using a spreadsheet file.

✅ Before you start (requirements)

📌 Prepare your CSV file

Make sure your CSV has:

Column headers in the first row (ex: Handle, Title, Vendor)
A unique key you can use to match records (recommended: Handle)
Correct format (CSV file)

🔑 Recommended primary key

Product Handle (best for most imports)
You may also see other keys depending on your data (ex: Product ID, Variant SKU)

🛠️ Steps to upload file

Open CSV Uploads in Tipo app

In Shopify Admin, open Apps → Tipo Sync
Click CSV uploads
Click Add csv file

You’ll be taken to the import wizard (1/3 progress).

📤 Step 1/3 — Upload CSV

Choose your upload source

You can upload CSV from:

CSV Import (upload file from your computer)
Import from Web Link (URL)
FTP Server Upload
SFTP Server Upload

Choose CSV options

Separator

Comma (most common)
Semicolon
Other

CSV Data

Product (for product fields like title, description, vendor…)
Inventory (for inventory quantities)

Then click Next Step.

This screenshot is unavailable in the original documentation.

🧩 Step 2/3 — Map Fields

A) Primary Key mapping

This tells the app how to match rows in your CSV to products in Shopify.

Primary Key: choose what your Shopify store will match by
Example: Product Handle
Column heading: choose the column in your CSV
Example: Handle

If your Primary Key doesn’t match, the app may create duplicates or fail to update the correct product.

B) Map your CSV columns to Shopify fields

You’ll see tabs like:

Product
Variant
Image
Metafield
Inventory

For each row:

Import to Shopify = Shopify field (ex: Title)
Column heading = CSV column (ex: Title)

You can click ➕ Add mapping to import more fields.

Then click Next Step.

⚙️ Step 3/3 — Import Settings

Step 3.1. Matching & Imports (how to update Shopify)

Choose one:

✅ Create new items

Only creates new products (no updating existing ones)

✅ Only update current items that have the same primary key

Updates existing products only
Does NOT create new ones

✅ Create new items if not exist and update current items that have the same primary key (common choice)

Creates missing products
Updates existing products that match (by Handle/SKU/etc.)

Step 3.2. Upload specification (how much to import)

Import All: import everything in the file
Specify import: import only a selected range of rows (useful for testing)

Step 3.3. Filter data (optional)

Only import data containing … (include rule)
Exclude data containing … (exclude rule)

Use this if you want to import only certain rows (ex: only rows that include SYNC).

Step 3.4. Image data (if your CSV includes images)

Choose one:

Add new images (adds images without removing old ones)
Upon creation product only (only add images for new products)
Overwrite current images (replaces existing images)

Step 3.5. Email notifications (optional)

Choose when you want emails:

On upload start
On upload completion
On upload error

Step 3.6. Schedule upload

Run now (import immediately)
(Other schedule options may appear depending on your plan/settings.)

Finally click Save (top-right).

🧪 Example: Update existing products + create new ones

CSV sample

Handle	Title	Vendor
ceramic-table-lamp	Ceramic Table Lamp	ModernHome
wooden-floor-mirror	Wooden Floor Mirror	ModernHome

Settings to choose

Primary Key: Product Handle
Column heading: Handle
Matching & Imports: Create new items if not exist and update current items that have the same primary key

Result

If ceramic-table-lamp already exists → it will be updated
If wooden-floor-mirror does not exist → it will be created

🙋 Still need support?

If you still need help, please feel free to contact us at hi@tipo.io. We’ll be happy to assist you further.