Choose a consistent product record
Create a sample sheet with the fields the store needs: product name, SKU, description, price, stock status and relevant attributes. Separate a parent product from its purchasable variants. Agree conventions for units and naming before importing data. A small, well-reviewed sample reveals structural problems more cheaply than repairing a full catalogue after launch.
Connect images to the right items
Use stable filenames or an image reference column rather than a folder of ambiguous files. Confirm permission to use each photograph and identify the primary image, supporting views and variant-specific images. Write useful alternative text where an image communicates information. Check whether the actual product colour or configuration matches the image shown to customers.
Define who controls changing values
Prices, inventory and descriptions may come from different systems. Name the source of truth for each field and decide how updates reach the website. If inventory is maintained elsewhere, document sync timing and the behaviour when that connection fails. Manual editing in two systems can produce conflicting values unless responsibilities are explicit.
Run a test import and export
Import a representative group with variants, unavailable items and long descriptions. Check product pages, filters, cart selections and exports. Correct the mapping before repeating the process for the full catalogue. Keep the original data and a record of transformations so a future migration or supplier change does not require reconstructing the catalogue from the storefront.
Your practical checklist
- Approve a representative product sheet
- Map variants and images consistently
- Name a source of truth for changing fields
- Test an import and a usable export
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