Supplier product import: XML, CSV and Excel

Suppliers share their product lists in different ways. I work with three file types:

• XML feed – the supplier’s product file, sent to you or published at a web address. It holds product names, codes, descriptions and links to photos.
• CSV – a plain table in a text file: one row per product, with the product details in columns.
• Excel – the same kind of table in Excel format. I prepare it for import and check that every column is filled in the same way.

From the file I bring across what the supplier provides: name, product code, manufacturer, price, description, photos, category and options such as size or colour. I do not import data your shop does not need.

OpenCart and WooCommerce

OpenCart has no built-in product import from a file, so an OpenCart XML import needs an extra extension or a separate import tool. WooCommerce has a standard CSV importer, while an XML feed needs an extra plugin. The right route depends on your shop’s version and the supplier’s file; I will advise which one to use after the check. I also work with very old OpenCart versions such as 1.5.

If a paid extension or plugin is needed, you buy the licence. We agree whether it is needed before the work starts.

An import into a live shop can create duplicate products, overwrite existing descriptions or mix up categories. That is why I never run an import straight on the live shop.

1. Free review. I review the supplier’s file and your shop, then set out in writing what I would do and what it would cost.
2. Backup. I make a backup of the whole website and the database. If anything went wrong, the shop could be restored to its previous state.
3. Trial import. I import the products in a test copy. I check that they land in the right categories, that photos show, that there are no duplicates and that existing products are unchanged.
4. Go live after checking. Once everything is right in the test copy, I repeat the import on your live shop. Your shop keeps trading as usual while I work.

I match existing products by product code, so the same product is not created twice. At the end I report how many products were added and which ones had missing data in the file, such as a photo or a category, so you can see what still needs filling in.

What I need from you

• the supplier’s file, or the address where it is published;
• access to the admin panel, the website files (FTP or SFTP) and the database;
• any preferences for how the new products should be grouped into categories.

The price is agreed before I start, and you pay in instalments. We can issue a VAT invoice.

A supplier file sometimes has only a short description, in English or another language, and photos that are too large and slow the page down. On a product page like that, customers may not be sure what they are buying.

• Descriptions. For shops selling in Lithuania I write clear product descriptions in Lithuanian: what the product is, who it suits and its main features.
• Photos. I download the photos from the supplier and reduce their file size, so product pages open quickly. If the supplier has videos, they can be added to the product.
• Categories. I map the supplier’s categories to your shop’s categories, so new products appear where customers look for them.
• Titles and addresses for search (SEO). For each product I set the page address, title and description that buyers see in Google results.

Past work: e.segris.lt

e.segris.lt – an old hunting gear shop on OpenCart 1.5. I added Lithuanian product descriptions with photos and video. I also gave the shop a new look for phones and computers, set up SSL (HTTPS) and worked on SEO. Screenshots are in the Past work section.

If you want the imported products looked after together with the rest of the shop, see Online store maintenance. Other OpenCart work is described on the OpenCart developer page.