Shopify CSV Validator
Check and Fix before it breaks your store.
A CSV can pass Shopify’s syntax check and still wipe your prices, variants, or descriptions. Autonom’s Shopify CSV validator scans for the destructive issues Shopify’s own documentation warns about — and shows you exactly what would change before you import.
- ✓ 100% local processing
- ✓ No account required
- ✓ Free forever
Drop your CSVs here
or
No account. No upload. No tracking of file contents.
New here?
Ready to scan 0 files
All files will use the same mode. Files are scanned one at a time, in your browser.
What are you doing with these files?
What are you doing with this CSV?
Autonom detected the mode from your file. You can change it if needed.
This preview helps confirm you uploaded the right file. Autonom will not modify your original file.
Map your columns to Shopify
Some of your columns use non-standard names. Autonom can rename them so the scan works correctly.
Compare your store export against an update file
We'll show you exactly what this import will change in your store — before you import.
All processing happens in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.
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What this will change
Based on the export you provided. If your store changed since that export, values may differ.
⚠️ Blank values will erase data
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Shopify treats an empty cell in an included column as "clear this field." If you don't want to erase these values, remove the column from your update file or fill in the blank cells.
Field-by-field differences
No differences detected.
The update file will not change any existing product fields.
Checking your CSVs
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- Reading CSV structure
- Verifying encoding
- Checking Shopify headers
- Checking product handles
- Checking variant relationships
- Checking SKUs
- Checking prices and inventory
- Checking destructive blanks
- Checking HTML descriptions
- Checking image URLs
- Preparing report
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Potential store impact
This is what these CSVs may change, based on the file structure alone.
Autonom does not know your store's current data. These numbers are based on the file structure.
Issues found
No issues detected by the checks performed.
Download the readiness report below for your records.
Checks not performed
- Whether your store's current data matches these handles
- Whether image URLs are live (we verify format, not availability)
- Whether third-party apps will modify the import
- Whether Shopify will accept these files
What Autonom can fix
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Safe Automatic fixes
These will be applied automatically to your corrected files.
Review Fixes that need your approval
Autonom will not apply these without your confirmation.
Flagged What Autonom will not change
Autonom does not invent data. If a value is missing and we can't determine it safely, we flag it — we don't guess.
Your corrected CSVs are ready
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All files come in one ZIP download. Unzip to find the corrected CSVs, change logs, and the combined report.
Before you import
Autonom does not know your store's current data. A passing report does not guarantee Shopify will accept the import.
Done with this scan?
Why Shopify CSV imports break live stores
Shopify’s own product CSV documentation warns about these behaviors, but the warnings are easy to miss. Autonom surfaces them before you upload — with the exact row numbers affected.
Blank cells clear live data
If you include a column like Variant Price but leave cells
empty, Shopify treats the blanks as intentional overwrites. Existing
products with matching handles may have their prices cleared.
Handles overwrite quietly
Shopify matches rows to products by Handle. A matching
handle means every included column in that row replaces the live value.
Variants disappear silently
If a product has three variants in your store but the CSV only includes one, Shopify may delete the other two. No warning. No undo.
What Shopify Guard checks
Our Shopify CSV checker runs over thirty validation rules. Every issue sorted by severity. Every fix classified by safety.
Product structure
- Missing or duplicate headers
- Unknown columns Shopify will ignore
- CSV parsing errors
Identity
- Missing or duplicate handles
- Non-standard handle formats
- Missing product titles
Variants
- Orphaned variant rows
- Duplicate option combinations
- Incomplete option pairs
- Column inconsistency across variants
Prices & inventory
- Non-numeric or negative values
- Currency symbols and comma decimals
- Compare-at price errors
- Inventory tracker mismatches
Content & encoding
- UTF-8 BOM and encoding issues
- Smart quotes from Word
- Unclosed or dangerous HTML
- Category format problems
Images & file
- HTTP or malformed URLs
- Private CDN addresses
- Duplicate image rows
- Oversized files (split automatically)
Three tiers of repair — and complete transparency
Autonom separates every issue into one of three classes. The distinction matters because it tells you exactly what changed, and what didn’t.
Automatic fixes
Deterministic corrections that cannot lose information. Applied without asking, listed in the change log.
- BOM and encoding fixes
- Smart quote replacement
- Whitespace trimming
- Currency symbol stripping
- Handle normalization
Fixes that need your approval
Changes that might collide with your conventions. Each has a checkbox, a preview, and a plain-language reason.
- Handle generation from titles
- HTTPS upgrades
- HTML tag repair
- File splitting for oversized CSVs
- Duplicate SKU suffixing
What Autonom will not change
Missing values, ambiguous data, and things that require your judgment. We flag them — we never invent them.
- Missing product titles
- Non-numeric prices
- Orphaned variants
- Invalid status values
- Dangerous HTML tags
How it works
Here’s how to validate a Shopify CSV before import in four steps.
Drop your CSV
Autonom reads the file in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.
Review the readiness report
Every issue is grouped by severity. Each one tells you what’s wrong, why it matters, and which rows are affected.
Decide what to fix
Safe fixes are automatic. Review fixes have checkboxes. Anything Autonom won’t touch is flagged for you.
Download your files
One ZIP with your corrected CSV (or split parts), a change log, a full report, and an import checklist.
Your file never leaves your browser
Autonom processes everything locally using JavaScript. No server. No account. No tracking of file contents.
You can verify this yourself. Open your browser’s DevTools, watch the Network tab during a scan, and you will see zero outbound requests for your CSV. The tool displays a live privacy monitor during processing.
More readiness tools, coming soon
Every Autonom tool follows the same rule: destination-specific readiness, local processing, honest reports.
Image Fit
Exact-KB compression for portals that reject files over a specific size.
Available nowBrand Kit
One logo → every social and web asset in a single ZIP.
Available nowPDF Preflight
Print and submission readiness for KDP, academic, and commercial press.
Coming soonPromptSafe
Scrub API keys and PII from text before sending to an AI.
Coming soonContextClean
Clean PDF text extraction into token-optimized context.
Coming soonDeliveryBox
Clean project folder handoffs with a manifest and no system junk.
Coming soonFrequently asked questions
Is my file uploaded to Autonom?
No. Everything runs in your browser. Your CSV is never sent to a server. You can verify this in your browser’s DevTools Network tab.
Is this free?
Yes. Every feature is free. No account. No paywall. No watermark.
Does Autonom connect to my Shopify store?
No. Autonom never connects to your Shopify store. It generates a corrected file you choose to import yourself.
Can Autonom guarantee my import will succeed?
No. We don’t know your store’s current data. We check what we can check and tell you what we can’t.
What happens if my file is over 15 MB?
Autonom splits it into parts under Shopify’s limit. Products stay whole — all variant rows of the same Handle go into the same part.
What if my file uses semicolons instead of commas?
Autonom detects it and offers a one-click conversion. This is common with European Excel exports.
What is a destructive blank in a Shopify CSV?
A blank cell in a column you’ve included. Shopify treats blanks in included columns as intentional overwrites. Autonom flags them before you import.
Does Autonom modify my Shopify store?
No. Autonom never connects to your store. It generates a corrected file you choose to import yourself.
What file types are supported?
CSV files in Shopify’s product export format. Up to 50 MB.
Can I use this on my phone?
Yes. It works in all modern mobile browsers.
How is this different from Shopify’s built-in preview?
Shopify’s preview runs after you click import. Autonom runs before, on your local machine, with a broader set of checks — including destructive blanks, variant inconsistencies, and file size handling.
Will Autonom fix my file or just tell me what’s wrong?
Both. Safe fixes are applied automatically. Review-required fixes need your approval. Issues that would require inventing data are flagged for you to fix in the source.