Column Mapping

Column mapping defines how fields from your import file correspond to Shopify product fields. Effective mapping ensures your data imports correctly.

Opening Column Mapping

The Column Mapping editor opens automatically:

  • During import after file selection
  • When editing mapping profiles
  • From Tools > Manage Mapping Profiles

Mapping Interface

The mapping editor displays:

Column Description
Source Column Column from your import file
Sample Values Preview of data in that column
Target Field Shopify field to map to
Transform Optional value transformation

Creating Mappings

Manual Mapping

  1. For each source column, click the Target Field dropdown
  2. Select the corresponding Shopify field
  3. Add transformation if needed
  4. Repeat for all columns

Auto-Mapping

Click Auto-Map to automatically match columns:

  • Exact name matches (case-insensitive)
  • Common aliases ("Product Name" → Title)
  • Previous successful mappings

Review auto-mapped fields and adjust as needed.

Target Fields Reference

Required Fields

Field Description Notes
Title Product name Required for new products

Product Fields

Field Description
Handle URL slug (auto-generated if blank)
Description Product description (HTML allowed)
Vendor Brand or manufacturer
Product Type Category classification
Tags Comma-separated tags
Status Active, Draft, or Archived
Published At Publication date/time

SEO Fields

Field Description
SEO Title Meta title for search engines
SEO Description Meta description

Variant Fields

Field Description
Price Selling price
Compare At Price Original price (for sales)
SKU Stock keeping unit
Barcode UPC, EAN, ISBN
Weight Shipping weight
Weight Unit g, kg, lb, oz
Inventory Stock quantity
Taxable Whether tax applies
Requires Shipping Physical product flag

Option Fields

Field Description
Option1 Name First option name (e.g., "Size")
Option1 Value First option value (e.g., "Large")
Option2 Name Second option name
Option2 Value Second option value
Option3 Name Third option name
Option3 Value Third option value

Image Fields

Field Description
Image URL Primary image URL
Image Alt Text Alt text for primary image
Additional Images Comma-separated image URLs

Transformations

Apply transformations to clean and format data:

Text Transformations

Transform Input Output
Trim " text " "text"
Uppercase "text" "TEXT"
Lowercase "TEXT" "text"
Title Case "BLUE SHIRT" "Blue Shirt"
Strip HTML <b>text</b> "text"

Value Transformations

Transform Input Output
Prefix "123" + prefix "SKU-" "SKU-123"
Suffix "product" + suffix "-NEW" "product-NEW"
Replace "old" → "new" Custom replacement
Default Value empty → "default" Fills blank cells

Format Transformations

Transform Input Output
Number "1,234.56" 1234.56
Currency "$99.99" 99.99
Boolean "yes"/"no" true/false
Date "12/25/2024" 2024-12-25

Mapping Profiles

Built-in Profiles

Profile Use For
Shopify CSV Shopify's standard export format
Etsy CSV Etsy listing exports
Google Shopping Google Merchant Center feeds
WooCommerce WooCommerce exports
Generic Common field names

Saving Custom Profiles

  1. Configure your mappings
  2. Click Save Profile
  3. Enter a profile name
  4. Profile is saved for future use

Loading Profiles

  1. Click Load Profile
  2. Select from saved profiles
  3. Mappings are applied immediately
  4. Adjust as needed for specific file

Managing Profiles

Access Tools > Manage Mapping Profiles to:

  • Edit existing profiles
  • Rename profiles
  • Delete profiles
  • Export/import profiles

Advanced Mapping

Conditional Mapping

Map based on other field values:

  • Map "Status" based on "Quantity" (0 → Draft)
  • Set tags based on product type
  • Apply vendor-specific transformations

Computed Fields

Create new values from existing data:

  • Combine first + last name
  • Calculate prices with markup
  • Generate handles from titles

Multiple Source Columns

Some target fields accept multiple sources:

  • Tags - Combine from multiple tag columns
  • Description - Merge multiple text fields
  • Images - Collect from multiple URL columns

Validation

The mapping editor validates:

  • Required fields - Title must be mapped
  • Data types - Numbers, dates, booleans
  • Format errors - Invalid URLs, prices
  • Conflicts - Duplicate mappings

Validation Indicators

Icon Meaning
✓ Green Valid mapping
⚠ Yellow Warning (review recommended)
✗ Red Error (must fix)

Common Mapping Scenarios

Shopify Export Re-import

When re-importing a Shopify export:

  1. Load "Shopify CSV" profile
  2. All fields auto-map
  3. No changes needed

Etsy Migration

When importing from Etsy:

  1. Load "Etsy CSV" profile
  2. Review Etsy-specific fields
  3. Map variations to options
  4. Handle materials as tags

Price Updates Only

When importing just price changes:

  1. Map only: SKU, Price, Compare At
  2. Leave other fields unmapped
  3. Use "Update Only" import mode
  4. Existing data preserved

Inventory Sync

For inventory updates:

  1. Map only: SKU, Inventory
  2. Use SKU as match key
  3. "Update Only" mode
  4. Location-specific if needed

Troubleshooting

"Field not mapping correctly"

  • Check source data format
  • Apply appropriate transformation
  • Verify sample values match expected

"Missing required field"

  • Map the Title field
  • Or check if field is in source file

"Profile not loading"

  • Check profile wasn't deleted
  • Re-create mapping manually
  • Save new profile

"Transformation not working"

  • Verify transformation type matches data
  • Check input format
  • Test on single row first

Best Practices

  1. Save profiles - Don't recreate mappings each time
  2. Use auto-map - Then review and adjust
  3. Test first - Map 5-10 rows before full import
  4. Document custom profiles - Note what each profile is for
  5. Clean source data - Easier mapping with clean data

See Also