- Short answer
- Only with Overwrite products with matching handles selected; then each column you include, even a blank one, replaces existing values
- Required columns
- Updating needs only Title and URL handle; empty must-have cells get defaults, and a missing Status column means active.
- Variants
- Updating variant columns like SKU without Option1 name and value deletes existing variants; changed option values get new variant IDs.
- Inventory quantity
- Set by product CSV only in single-location stores; multiple locations use the inventory CSV.
- Metafields
- Product metafields import by CSV; variant metafields don't.
- Undo
- No cancel once an import begins and no import history; the activity log shows recent changes.
- File size
- A product CSV can't exceed 15 MB.
What does Overwrite products with matching handles change?
If the overwrite option isn't selected, products that match an existing handle are ignored during CSV import, so your edits to them don't apply.
Shopify's route for changing existing products starts with an export of them. Edit that file, then in Products click Import, choose it and select Overwrite products with matching handles: where a handle in the file matches one in your store, the file's values replace the existing values for all columns included in the CSV.
- Products
- Import
Overwriting has two limits: a CSV can't delete products in bulk, which you do with bulk actions in the Products section of your admin, and it can't bulk update product availability on other sales channels.
What happens to blank and missing columns?
With overwrite selected, each field depends on whether its column is in the file and whether it's empty. When you update products, Title and URL handle are the only required columns, but the data in some columns depends on the data in others.
With Overwrite products with matching handles selected
| In your CSV | What happens to the existing product | Shopify's example |
|---|---|---|
| Column included, with a value | Replaced by the value in the file | — |
| Non-required column included but blank | Overwritten as blank | Vendor John's Apparel becomes blank |
| Non-required column left out of the file | Stays the same (a missing Status column uploads as active) | Variant image URL is kept |
| Non-required column that relies on columns left out | Existing data is deleted or removed | SKU without Option1 name and value deletes the variant option |
| Column that must have a value, left blank or omitted | Shopify creates a default value | — |
| Values in only some related columns | The import fails with an error | — |
Source: Shopify Help Center, Importing products and Using CSV files, read October 18, 2026.
So keep Title, URL handle and only the columns you're changing, plus the columns they rely on: for variant columns such as SKU, keep Option1 name and Option1 value. Also keep Status. Our advice for any other column you don't mean to touch: with overwrite selected, delete it from the file instead of emptying it, because, Status aside, a missing non-required column keeps its value and a blank one erases it.
What happens to variants, inventory and metafields?
A few columns change more than the field they hold.
- Variants: if you update variant columns such as SKU without the Option1 name and Option1 value columns, a new default variant is created and existing variants are deleted. Here's how variants survive a CSV import.
- Variant IDs: changing data in the Option1 value, Option2 value or Option3 value columns deletes existing variant IDs and creates new ones, which can break third-party dependencies on variant IDs.
- Inventory tracking: if existing inventory tracking options are removed, inventory is no longer tracked, so you may need to turn tracking back on for many products.
- Inventory quantity: the product CSV column applies only to stores with a single location. With multiple locations, use the inventory CSV, where including both On hand (current) and On hand (new) columns triggers safety validation that prevents accidental overwrites.
- Metafields: product metafields are supported in product CSV import and export; variant metafields aren't.
How do you import without losing data?
Shopify's caution before any import is to have a backup of your product data, and its Help Center lists exporting your products to a CSV as a way to create one. In Products, click Export before you upload the edited file.
- Products
- Export
That backup matters because an import can't be stopped midway or looked up afterwards:
Product imports started with a CSV file can't be canceled once they begin, and you can't view a history of past imports.
To review recent changes made by an import, Shopify points you to your store's activity log; the earlier values themselves are in the export you made first.
Your product CSV can't exceed 15 MB, so plan a large catalog import before you start.
Sorting a product CSV in a spreadsheet program such as Microsoft Excel or Apple Numbers can disassociate variants and image URLs. Importing a sorted file might overwrite your existing products with bad data that can't be recovered, and your products' images can be lost.
If you're a Shopify Partner running a large import for a merchant, Shopify says to test a small subset of changes on a dev store before the actual import job.
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