Choose the right import workflow
Use Shopify’s native product CSV workflow when your file already follows Shopify’s required format and a one-off import meets your needs. Consider a supplier mapping app when you need to reuse a supplier’s own column layout, group variants, apply price rules or repeat updates from a supported remote source.
Tikkivo Catalog Sync accepts CSV, Excel (XLSX) and JSON uploads. It also supports HTTPS feeds, published Google Sheets CSV and supported read-only JSON REST endpoints. This guide describes Tikkivo’s mapped import workflow, not the format required by Shopify’s native importer.
1. Prepare a small, representative sample
Keep an untouched copy of the supplier file. Start with a few products that represent your real catalog: a simple product, a product with multiple variants, an existing SKU and a new SKU. Keep SKU identifiers as text so spreadsheet software does not remove leading zeros.
Download a synthetic supplier CSV example. Its column names are examples for manual mapping, not a universal Shopify import template. Replace the demonstration values and map the columns in the app. The example price uses USD; change it to match your store’s currency before testing.
The sample represents three separate simple products, not three variants of one product. Map supplier_sku as both the product group key and SKU, product_title as the title, price_usd as the price and available_stock as stock at your selected location. For new demonstration SKUs, select the create-and-update workflow; update-only cannot create missing products. Review the draft products before publishing them.
2. Decide what identifies each product and variant
Choose a consistent matching key and check for duplicate identifiers. Do not assume that two rows with similar names are the same product. Group variant rows deliberately and review the product and variant matches before approving anything.
If a match is missing or ambiguous, resolve it first. New products are created as drafts in Tikkivo’s import workflow; an import is not a promise that every product becomes immediately available on your storefront.
3. Map only supplier-owned fields
A supplier may control cost, availability and technical specifications while you maintain product descriptions and merchandising. Map only the fields you intend that source to update. Review price rules, images, categories and metafields individually rather than granting every column authority over the catalog.
Ensure the currency matches your Shopify store. A number in a supplier price column is not proof that currency conversion has taken place. For stock, choose the intended inventory location and confirm the source inventory ownership setting.
4. Preview, approve and verify
Inspect the proposed manual changes and excluded rows. Check a price, an available-stock value and a grouped variant against the sample. Approve only after the preview matches your intention, then inspect the operation results and the affected products in Shopify.
Download the result report. A partial or unverified operation needs investigation before another attempt; repeating it blindly may not be safe. Keep the original sample and the report together so you can explain what was intended and what was actually applied.
When to move to scheduled updates
First prove the mapping with a manual import. Then connect a supported remote source and use a paid plan that includes scheduling. A local file upload does not become a continuously monitored supplier connection. Supplier access and Shopify limits can affect scheduled runs.
Need recurring stock updates rather than a full catalog import? Continue with the published Google Sheets stock-sync guide. Before automating, work through the stock-update safety checklist.
Try the workflow with Catalog Sync
Start with a small sample and verify the result in Shopify. Review supported sources, current pricing and limitations before installing.
Written by the app publisher. No independent endorsement or guaranteed stock outcome is implied.