How to add products to Shopify (4 Methods)

Adding products to your Shopify store is a crucial step in setting up your online business. Whether you’re just starting out or managing an extensive inventory, Shopify offers flexible ways to add products—both manually and automatically.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through both methods, helping you efficiently manage your product listings and streamline your store setup.

Prepare basic product information

Before adding a new product to your Shopify Store, you need to prepare these pieces of information so the process can go smoothly:

• Product descriptions
• Prepare product photos
• Optimize product image sizes

These are the very minimum details for your products so you can add them to your Shopify Store.

How to add products to Shopify Manually

Step 1: Enter your Shopify Account

Adding products to Shopify is very simple and straightforward. Assuming that you already have a Shopify account, you need to log in to it and go to Products -> Click on Add your products.

Step 2: Fill in the Product Information

Product details

Product titles and descriptions are very important because that is where your customers find information about your products. A lot of customers will read them so you need to be careful about it. Plus, they also have a huge effect on SEO ranking of a Product Page.

Product images

 You can add images, videos, or 3d models in the Media tab. Just make sure to optimize your images so they don’t slow down your store.

Product price

Enter the price at which you want to sell the product. You can also set a "Compare at price" to show customers the original price before a discount.

Inventory and shipping info

Input the available quantity of the product, select the inventory management system, and assign an SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) if applicable.

Product variants

Add variants for products that come in different options, such as size, color, or material. Each variant can have its own price, SKU, inventory, and shipping details.

Search engine listing

Customize the product's title, meta description, and URL handle. Ensure that keywords related to your product are included for better search engine optimization (SEO).

Sales channels

Select the channels where you want to sell this product (e.g., Online Store, Facebook, Instagram, etc.).

Product’s collection

Assign the product to one or more collections (e.g., “Summer Collection,” “Best Sellers”). Collections can be created based on specific criteria like product type, price, or tag.

Product organization information

This information includes Product Category, Product Type, Vendor, and Tags. It will help customers find the product they want faster and simpler.

Step 3: Activate the Product

After you have entered all the necessary information, change the dropdown input field and select “Active”. Click Save and the product is now visible on your store.

How to add products to Shopify Automatically (Import Products)

Now if you already have an established business with thousands of items, entering products one by one is not going to cut it. Thankfully, Shopify also has an import feature that allows you to import a product list to your Shopify store all at once. Here is how you do it:

• Convert the product data of your store into CSV files.
• On the Shopify admin dashboard, go to Products -> Import.
• Choose the CSV file, wait for the file to be uploaded, then click Import Products.
• After you have imported all your products, you need to double-check so all the information is correct.

Step 1: Prepare Your Product Data in CSV Format

If you’re starting from scratch, use a spreadsheet program like Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, or any CSV editor to create a CSV file. If you’re migrating from another platform, you may be able to export your product data directly into a CSV file.

Ensure that your CSV file includes all necessary product information in separate columns, such as:

• Handle: Unique identifier for the product (no spaces, lowercase letters only).
• Title: The product name.
• Description: A detailed product description.
• Vendor: The name of the manufacturer, brand, or supplier.
• Type: The category or type of product.
• Tags: Keywords that help organize and filter products.
• Price: The selling price of the product.
• Compare at Price: The original price before discount, if applicable.
• Cost per item: The cost of the product to you.
• SKU: Stock Keeping Unit, unique identifier for inventory tracking.
• Barcode: Universal Product Code (UPC) or ISBN for the product.
• Quantity: The number of items you have in stock.
• Weight: The weight of the product for shipping purposes.
• Image URLs: Links to the images of your products.
• SEO Title and Description: Optimized title and meta description for search engines.
• Variants: Details for any variations of the product, like size or color.

After filling out the necessary product information, save your spreadsheet as a CSV file. Ensure it is saved in UTF-8 format for compatibility with Shopify.

Step 2: Import the CSV File to Shopify

• Go to your Shopify admin dashboard and log in.
• On the left-hand sidebar, click on Products.
• At the top of the Products page, you will find the Import button. Click on it to begin the import process.

• In the "Import products by CSV file" dialog box, click Add file. Browse and select the CSV file you prepared earlier.

• Click Upload and continue to proceed with the import.

• Shopify will display a preview of the products that are about to be imported. Review this carefully to ensure that all information appears correctly.

• Finally, click Start Import to begin the import process.

Step 3: Verify and Adjust Imported Products

• After the import is complete, navigate back to the Products section of your Shopify admin. Review each imported product to ensure all details, images, and variants have been correctly imported.
• If you notice any errors or missing information, click on the specific product to edit its details. Make the necessary adjustments to ensure everything is accurate.
• If the products were imported as unpublished, you can now publish them to make them visible in your store. You can do this by selecting the products and choosing the "Make products available" option.
• To ensure everything works smoothly, consider placing a test order. This allows you to experience the customer journey and catch any potential issues before going live.

Duplicate Shopify Products

In a single store, it is normal for multiple products to have the same certain information. So instead of having to enter the information for each product, you can add a new product by duplicating the old ones and then changing their information.

Step 1: Duplicate an existing Product

Go to the Products section, choose an existing product, and click on its name to open its info page.

You should see the Duplicate button on the top right concern of the page. Click on it. 

Step 2: Customize the New Product

Enter the Title for the Product and then select details you want to copy over to the new product.

Step 3: Save the Product

Finally, press Duplicate the product to create the new product.

Add new products using Shopify POS

You can add products to your Shopify store using the Shopify POS app.

Step 1: Open your Shopify POS app

You can download the Shopify app from the Google Play Store or App Store for free. Open the app and log in to your account.

Step 2: Add a new product

On the Shopify POS screen, tap on the “+” button and then you can start adding new information and images for the product.

Once you are done, tap Save.

Managing Products on Shopify

Now you know how to add products to Shopify, you might want to learn how to manage your products on Shopify as well.

Archiving Products on Shopify

When to Archive a Product:

• Archiving a product is a good option when you want to temporarily remove a product from your store without deleting it permanently. Archived products will no longer appear in your online store but remain in your Shopify admin for future use.

How to Archive a Product:

• Go to the Products section in your Shopify admin.
• Select the product you want to archive by clicking on its name.

• On the product details page, scroll down and choose Archive Product.

• The product will be moved to the archived status and will not appear in your store.

Unarchiving a Product:

• To unarchive a product, go to the Products section and filter by Archived status.
• Select the product you want to unarchive, click More actions, and choose Unarchive product.

Deleting Products on Shopify

 When to Delete a Product:

• Deleting a product is a permanent action and should be used when you no longer need the product in your store or admin. Once deleted, the product will be removed permanently and cannot be recovered.

How to Delete a Product:

• Go to the Products section in your Shopify admin.
• Click on the name of the product you want to delete.

• Scroll to the bottom of the product details page and click Delete product.

• Confirm the deletion by clicking Delete in the pop-up window.

Bulk Delete Products:

• If you need to delete multiple products at once, select the checkboxes next to each product name in the Products list.
• Click the Actions button, then select Delete selected products.
• Confirm the deletion by clicking Delete.

By managing, archiving, or deleting products in Shopify, you can keep your store’s inventory up-to-date, organized, and relevant to your customers’ needs.

>>>> Read more: 

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