Catch WooCommerce-to-Shopify CSV errors before import
Content and sources reviewed:
If Shopify has already rejected a CSV, start with the exact message in Shopify's import report. CatalogHandoff does not accept arbitrary Shopify CSV files or Shopify error reports. It checks a WooCommerce core product export while converting it, so it can catch supported parent-link, option, value, and mapping problems before you upload the generated file. Fix every blocking source row and convert again; do not remove source data merely to hide a warning.
Which problems can CatalogHandoff catch before import?
CatalogHandoff blocks output when a row cannot be represented safely. Examples include an unresolved variation parent, a fourth product option, a shipping-only tax state, a media-library image filename, an unsupported weight unit, or a product with neither a Name nor SKU from which a handle can be produced.
Official source: Product CSV Import Schema (reviewed )Official source: Product CSV Importer and Exporter (reviewed )Official source: WooCommerce WeightUnit enum (reviewed )Official source: Using CSV files to import and export products (reviewed )
How should you fix a reported row?
- Open the conversion report and find the one-based source row.
- Read the source field, explanation, suggested action, and official source.
- Correct the WooCommerce export or the product in WooCommerce.
- Export again and rerun the complete conversion.
- Confirm that no blocking issue remains before downloading the Shopify CSV.
What is the difference between an error and a warning?
Error: a variation refers to a parent that is absent from the file. No reliable Shopify handle or option group can be produced.
Warning: WooCommerce uses the notify backorder state. Shopify CSV exposes continue, but not the separate notification behavior, so the state is collapsed and reported.
Official source: Product CSV Import Schema (reviewed )Official source: Using CSV files to import and export products (reviewed )
What can the preflight prove?
Preflight checks the generated headers, required companions, row structure, and values handled by this converter. Separately, report serialization prefixes formula-triggering cells, and the browser preview renders merchant values as text. These checks cannot reproduce every Shopify store setting or app extension. A structurally valid CSV can still require store-specific decisions after import.