Find the problems before Shopify does.

Missing required product information

For new products, Shopify's current documentation requires a product title. A missing title should be treated as a blocking problem for that workflow.

Bad prices

Price values need to represent valid numbers. Supplier files often include currency symbols, thousands separators, or locale-specific decimal commas. A safe parser should normalize recognized formats and avoid silently guessing when a value is ambiguous.

Handles and duplicate identifiers

URL handles are identifiers. Duplicate or malformed handles can cause import problems depending on the workflow. SKU duplication can also deserve review because it may be intentional for variants or may indicate duplicated products.

Images and variants

Image URLs and variant-related columns have their own relationships and constraints. A good pre-flight validator should tell the user what it checked instead of claiming that every file is guaranteed to pass Shopify.

Practical pre-flight checklist

1. Confirm the correct header mapping.
2. Check that titles exist.
3. Normalize and validate prices.
4. Review duplicate handles and SKUs.
5. Check image URL format.
6. Review variant-specific fields separately.
7. Export only after blocking issues are resolved.

Frequently asked questions