Product CSV import and export

The products screen exports the catalog as CSV, and Products → Import reads the same format back. A file exported, edited in a spreadsheet, and imported again updates the products it came from.

Export

On the products screen:

• Export catalog exports every product matching the current search and filters.
• With rows selected, the Export catalog bulk action exports just those products.

A product with variants is written as one product row followed by one row per variant. Exports stop at tables.export_max_rows rows (see Configuration).

Import

1. Upload a CSV file (.csv or .txt, up to 10 MB and imports.max_rows rows). It is copied to the imports.disk disk.
2. Match columns. Each header in the file is matched to a column below. Headers that match a column name (ignoring case, spaces, and punctuation) are matched for you; anything else can be ignored.
3. Check. Every row is checked without writing anything, and the report lists the products that will be created, updated, and the rows with errors (with their line number and the reason, such as "Another product or variant already uses the SKU").
4. Import. The rows are applied by a queued job (on imports.queue, or the default queue). The page shows the progress. Each row is saved on its own, so a row with an error is skipped and the rest still import.

• An import that stops part-way can be resumed; it carries on from the next row. A row whose write finished just before the worker stopped may be applied again; with a SKU or slug that is a harmless update.
• Only one worker runs an import at a time. The job may run for up to an hour, so set the queue connection's retry_after above 3600 seconds, or the queue will hand the job out again while it is still running.
• A leading apostrophe that the export added in front of =, +, -, or @ is removed again on import.
• Imports untouched for seven days (completed, failed, or abandoned) are deleted by ecommerce-admin:prune-imports. Schedule it daily; see Artisan Commands.
• Up to 500 failed rows are listed per import; the report says when there were more.
• The failed rows can be downloaded as CSV.
• The uploaded file is deleted when the import completes or is discarded.
• The screen needs product.create. Each row also needs product.create (new products) or product.update (existing ones) for the user who started the import. See Authorization.

How rows are matched

• A product row updates the product with the same sku; failing that, the same slug. Otherwise it creates a product.
• A variant row (one with variant_sku or variant_name) updates the variant with the same variant_sku. Otherwise it creates a variant under the product its sku or slug names, which may be created by an earlier row of the same file.

On an existing product or variant, an empty cell leaves that value alone. On a new product, empty cells use the defaults (simple type, draft status). A new product needs a sku or a slug, so a later import can find it again.

Columns

• Linked products (upsells, cross-sells, related products) are not part of the CSV. Edit them on the product form.
• Yes/no cells accept 1/0, yes/no, y/n, and true/false.
• There is one price_{CUR} / compare_at_price_{CUR} pair for each currency the store has enabled. An import sets the product's regular price in that currency; scheduled prices are left alone.
• Cells that start with =, +, -, or @ are exported with a leading apostrophe so spreadsheets do not run them as formulas.

Sample file

Download a sample file on the import screen, or copy resources/samples/products-import-sample.csv. It creates a simple product, a variable product with two variants, and a digital product.