How do I import many products at once from a CSV file?
Prepare a CSV file with the right columns, pick a category, and import your products in one go instead of adding them one by one.
In this article
If you keep your products in an Excel or Google Sheets file, you can import them all at once with a CSV file instead of adding them one by one. The import brings in the basics (name, description, price, quantity), every product goes into the category you choose, and you then finish images and details from each product's page.
Before you start
- Create the category you want the products to go into and make sure it's Active — see How do I create and manage product categories?
- The file must be CSV and up to 5 MB. The screen mentions other formats and sizes, but product import only accepts CSV up to 5 MB.
- Only products can be imported. The other data types shown on the same screen don't work yet.
Preparing the file
The first row must contain the column names exactly as in this table; every row after that is one product:
| Column | Meaning |
|---|---|
item_name | Product name (in Arabic) — required. This column must exist, and rows with an empty name are skipped |
description | Product description |
item_price | The final price the shopper pays |
item_original_price | Price before discount (0 if there's no discount) |
sku | Product code |
qty | Quantity |
image | Leave empty — upload images from the product page after importing |
- You can include only the columns you need, as long as
item_nameis there. - Prices are plain numbers, with no “EGP” or currency symbol.
- Blank lines are simply ignored.
- In Excel, save as CSV UTF-8 so Arabic text comes through correctly. In Google Sheets, download as CSV.
Importing
- Open Products from the sidebar and click Import. The Import & Export Center page opens.
- On the Import tab, leave the data type on Products.
- Under Category, choose the category — every product in the file is added to it.
- Drag your file into the box (Drag & drop your file here) or click browse your device and pick it.
- Click Start Import. When it finishes you see how many products were added, for example “25 products imported.”
Note: always open the import page with the Import button in Products. If you open it from a bookmark or a typed link, you may get a “not allowed” error.
After importing
Imported products go live straight away: they appear in your Products list and your store, each with its own link, in the category you chose and in search results. Review them:
- Images: open each product with Edit and upload its images. See the images article.
- Stock: if you want the store to stop selling when stock runs out, make sure the Stock & quantity card is switched on and the quantity is right. See the stock article.
- Variants and add-ons: these aren't imported from the file — add them from each product's page.
- If a product shouldn't be visible yet, hide it with the eye button in the list.
Note: this article covers importing products only. Exporting products to a file isn't available from the dashboard at the moment.
Error messages
| Message | Fix |
|---|---|
| “Choose the category for the imported products.” | Pick a category under Category before starting. |
| “Upload a CSV file (up to 5MB).” | The file isn't CSV (for example it's XLSX) or it's over 5 MB. Save it as CSV, or split it into two files. |
| “The file must have an item_name column.” | The first row must include a column named exactly item_name. |
| “No valid rows found in the file.” | Every row has an empty product name, or the file only contains the header row. |
Arabic text shows as strange symbols
The file wasn't saved as UTF-8. Delete the badly imported products (select them and click Delete), save the file again as CSV UTF-8, and import it again.
Prices came in as zero
Usually the price column contains a currency symbol or separators, or the column name is misspelled. Fix the file, or correct the prices on each product's page.
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