Ecommerce: Import Product FAQs and Troubleshooting

CAN I USE EXCEL TO IMPORT PRODUCTS?

No, however, you can convert an excel (XLS/XLSX) file to CSV. To do this open the file, click “Save as” and select the CSV format.

Note: ensure that the contents of the file match the required formatting.

CAN I IMPORT PRODUCT OPTIONS?

You can’t be import product images using a CSV format, as these options are too complex. You can import using the X-Cart format, however.

WHAT OTHER FILE FORMATS CAN I USE TO IMPORT PRODUCTS?

You can also import products using X-Cart and LiteCommerce. Simply click the appropriate tab in the import options.

CAN I IMPORT CATEGORIES?

You can’t be import categories using a CSV format, but you can import using the X-Cart format.

WHEN I IMPORT A CSV FILE, THE PREDICTED TIME TO IMPORT IS A FEW HOURS. WHY IS THIS?

The import process can be time and resource-consuming, which can affect the server performance and ultimately affect the load time of other stores. In order to ensure all stores for all members are loading quickly, our system uses the following methods:

  • If customers who are on the same server try to import products simultaneously, the system will put the import files in a queue and process them in order.
  • If the server load is too high, the system will temporarily pause all imports. Once the load decreases, the imports will resume.
  • Based on the server load and the number of import requests in the queue, the system will calculate the approximate time required for import. This is just an estimate, however, and your file may be processed much quicker.

These steps are necessary to ensure that regardless of the number of import requests from multiple customers, all stores will continue to function properly.

WHAT IS THE “SKIP COLUMN” OPTION FOR?

By enabling this option your store will ignore the column in the CSV file. If you have columns that aren’t formatted properly for the import but you don’t want to remove them from your file, you can use this option.

Troubleshooting

Most issues associated with importing are due to the following:

  • You are using an invalid file format
  • The file contents do not match the import settings

If you have any issues importing your file, check the following:

  1. The file is in CSV format.
  2. The columns are supported by the store.
  3. Any columns containing numeric properties (e.g., price) include numbers and not text.
  4. The columns in the CSV file match the columns enabled in the import settings. E.g. if your file includes columns for name, SKU, description, and quantity then you need to select the matching checkboxes (name, SKU, description, quantity).
  5. The order of the columns in the CSV file match the order of columns in the import settings.
  6. The delimiter used in your CSV file matches the Delimiter option chosen in your import settings. E.g. if you use a comma to separate values in your file, ensure you select “Comma” as the delimiter in your import settings.
  7. The encoding used in your CSV file matches the Character Encoding option chosen in your import settings.

Here is an example of a CSV file that matches the import settings:

I AM RECEIVING AN ERROR MESSAGE ON THE IMPORT PAGE

Check the following chart for the error message and corresponding reason.

I’M TRYING TO UPDATE EXISTING PRODUCTS, BUT WHEN I IMPORT THEM, THE SYSTEM SHOWS DUPLICATES INSTEAD

This is likely due to different SKU numbers between the existing product and the update. The system uses the SKU value to check imports against existing products. If it recognizes that there is already a product that exists in the store with the same SKU, it will update your product but if it doesn’t recognize the SKU, it will import the product as if it were new. The SKU of the updated product on the CSV file must match the SKU of the existing product in your store exactly (in length and exact characters).

For example, if an existing product in your store was entered with a SKU of “030” and you try to import a CSV file containing a SKU of “30” the store will assume this is a brand-new product and create a new posting for it. This discrepancy often occurs because Excel cuts off leading zeros when automatically trying to select similar formats for columns. When you enter leading zeros into an Excel file, Excel may automatically assume the zeros are meaningless and format the column for you. If this is occurring, rename your exported file from a CSV into a TXT file (.txt) then click “Open” and select “Excel.” This will allow you to select the exact type of setting for each column and you can pick “Text” for the SKU to ensure that exactly what you enter is what remains.

MY PRODUCT IMAGES FAILED TO IMPORT

If a product is importing except for the image, check the following:

  1. Confirm the image URLs are accurate and accessible. Imported images must be available via direct link; to check, simply click the link to confirm it opens and doesn’t require a password.
  2. Confirm that each image URL goes directly to the image file and not just an HTML page containing the image. If you are using an image on an HTML page, you can obtain the image URL by right clicking on the desired image and selecting “Copy image URL.”

I AM USING NON-ENGLISH CHARACTERS FOR PRODUCT NAMES/DESCRIPTIONS, BUT WHEN EXPORTED THE CHARACTERS DON’T SHOW PROPERLY

All information is exported as UTF-8. This character encoding is standard because its compatible with all languages (this allows you to have multiple languages in your product names and descriptions).

If you are using a non-English version of Excel, the system may expect the file to use a different encoding. To fix this:

  • Open Excel
  • Click “Data” à “From text” page (exact naming may vary) – open your CSV file
  • The Text Wizard window will open and you can set the correct delimiter and charset (“UTF-8”)

ALL DECIMALS ARE ROUNDING TO THE NEAREST INTEGER AFTER IMPORT

This occurs when an incorrect number format is used in your CSV file. For example, using a comma instead of a period as the decimal point