How do I export Shopify metafields to CSV?

Shopify's native CSV does not export metafields. To include them, use the Admin API or a tool like Seegea (extended export) or Matrixify.

Can I export Shopify translations to CSV?

No. The native CSV only contains the store default language. Shopify Markets translations are not included.

How do I reimport the edited CSV without overwriting good data?

Precautions: export the same day as the import (fresh data), only edit the target columns, test on a subset first, keep the original export as a manual rollback.

Shopify CSV export: products, variants and metafields

The Shopify CSV export is the entry point for most migration, backup and catalog analysis workflows. Its per-variant row structure is confusing at first — and its metafield gaps make it insufficient for a complete backup.

Shopify catalog export

Detailed Shopify CSV format

Each variant = one row. A product with 3 colors = 3 rows. Product columns (title, description, handle, tags, status) appear on the first row only. Variant columns (SKU, price, stock, Option1 Name, Option1 Value) appear on all rows.

Key columns: Handle, Title, Body (HTML), Vendor, Type, Tags, Published, Option1 Name/Value, Option2 Name/Value, Variant SKU, Variant Price, Variant Compare At Price, Variant Inventory Qty, Image Src, Image Position, Image Alt Text, SEO Title, SEO Description.

Shopify CSV export limits

No metafields: not exported natively.
No translations: default language only.
Multiple images: on separate rows, not columns — complicates parsing.
No collection associations: not included.
Encoding: UTF-8 required; Excel can corrupt accents on direct open.

If you open the Shopify CSV in Excel, use Data > From Text/CSV and select UTF-8 encoding. Direct open can corrupt accents and emojis.

One-click AI copy

Seegea generates description, meta title and meta description from attributes. No Excel needed.

Bulk image optimization

WebP compression, AI alt text, cropping from Seegea's tabular grid.

Versioned rollback

Every Seegea change is versioned. Undo in one click, no CSV file to keep.

How to use the Shopify CSV safely

Export the CSV the same day as the import (fresh data)
Open in Google Sheets (not direct Excel) to avoid encoding corruption
Only modify the target columns (leave untouched columns alone)
Test the import on 10 products before running it on the full catalog
Keep the original export as a manual rollback file

Field	Native CSV	Via API	Seegea
Products and variants	Yes	Yes	Yes
Metafields	No	Yes	Yes
Image alt text	Partial	Yes	Yes (AI)
Translations	No	Yes	Partial
Rollback	No	No	Yes

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FAQ

One row per variant. The first row carries product data (title, handle, description, type, tags). Subsequent rows repeat the handle and add variant data (SKU, price, stock, options).

Shopify CSV export: everything about products, variants and metafields