How to prepare a catalog CSV for marketplace upload
Prepare a marketplace catalog CSV for upload by checking headers, IDs, prices, stock, and duplicates, then save a clean copy without changing the source.
A catalog file can look fine in a spreadsheet and still fail a marketplace upload. A renamed header, a missing product ID, or an extra duplicate row can be enough to trigger an error or leave items out.
Check the marketplace's template and required fields first, then review the file before uploading. The CSV Editor lets you open a large CSV in your browser, find and edit values, sort rows, and remove duplicates.
Prepare the catalog CSV
- Open the CSV Editor and load a copy of your catalog file. Keep the original unchanged so you can return to it if a correction causes a problem.
- Compare the first row of the file with the marketplace's current template. Check spelling, spaces, punctuation, and required column names. Do not rename headers to make them look clearer unless the marketplace asks you to.
- Review required fields such as product ID, title, price, and stock. Use the editor's find and edit features to locate blank or incorrect values. Make sure prices and quantities use the format the marketplace expects.
- Check product and variant identifiers before removing anything. Sort or find repeated values to investigate them, but only remove duplicate rows when you know they are truly duplicate records.
- Save or download the corrected file as a new CSV. Compare its headers and a few product rows with the marketplace template before uploading it.
If you need more help with editing and saving a corrected file, see how to correct a CSV and save the edited file.
What the checks tell you
The headers match the marketplace template
The file is more likely to map each value to the right field. A header like product_name may not be accepted if the template calls for title, even if both seem to mean the same thing. Some platforms also require exact capitalization or a particular set of columns. Use the template for the marketplace you are uploading to, not an older export or a template from another store.
A required value is blank
The marketplace may reject the row, skip the item, or ask you to fill in the missing information. Search for blank cells in required fields and correct them from your product records. Do not guess at identifiers, prices, or stock counts just to make the file pass validation.
An ID appears more than once
Repeated values need a closer look, not an automatic delete. A catalog can use one product ID for several variant rows, while each variant has its own identifier. Check the marketplace's rules to learn which column must be unique. Only remove a row when its values are actually repeated by another row and it does not represent a separate size, color, or other option.
Values look different after opening the file
Check identifiers and codes that begin with zero, such as 00421. If an editor or spreadsheet has changed the value to 421, the ID may no longer match your records. Also check prices for the correct decimal separator and currency format, and confirm that stock values are numbers in the expected range.
Fix common upload problems
- Start with the current template. Download the marketplace's latest catalog template and compare its required columns with your export. Templates and upload rules can change, so an old file that used to work may now be missing a field.
- Correct the header row. Restore required names exactly as shown in the template. Keep optional columns only if the marketplace supports them, and avoid adding notes or titles above the header row.
- Fill required fields from a reliable source. Use your product records to correct missing titles, IDs, prices, and stock. If a field does not apply, follow the marketplace's instructions for leaving it blank or using an accepted value.
- Check how commas and quotes are handled. A product title or description can contain commas, quotation marks, or line breaks. CSV files use quoting rules to keep those characters inside one cell. If a row appears shifted into the wrong columns, inspect that row and correct the quoting rather than deleting punctuation at random.
- Review duplicates using the right identifier. Sort or search by the field the marketplace says must be unique. Do not remove records just because product names or parent IDs repeat, since variants may share those values legitimately.
- Save a fresh copy and try the upload again. Keep a clear original and corrected version so you can tell which file was uploaded. If the marketplace reports a specific row or column, use that information to find the issue instead of changing unrelated records.
Keep product data intact
CSV files do not store formatting in the same way as spreadsheet documents. A value such as 00127 might be treated as a number by some spreadsheet software, which can remove its leading zeros. Product IDs, postal codes, and other codes should stay as text when the marketplace expects their exact characters. Check the saved CSV itself before upload, especially if another application has opened and resaved it.
The CSV Editor runs in your browser, and the file stays on your device. Keep a separate backup of the original catalog until the marketplace confirms that the upload succeeded.
