How to import a CSV or Excel file into PrestaShop
PrestaShop's native import works, provided the file is perfect. Here is the step-by-step method, the errors that most often block it, and another route: ListoMax reads your CSV or Excel file and publishes each row through the Webservice. And for a product sold in several colours, the Series feature publishes 12 listings in less than 2 minutes.
By the ListoMax team · Updated
How do you import a CSV file into PrestaShop 8 or 9?
With the back office import tool: you upload the file, map the columns, then run the import. Above all, allow time to prepare the file carefully.
Open the import tool
From the product list in the catalogue, the import button takes you to the Import page, which is also available under Advanced Parameters.
Choose the type of data
Select Products, upload your file, then set the language, the field separator and the multiple value separator.
Map the columns
Each column in the file is matched to a PrestaShop field: name, reference, price, categories, image URLs. One wrongly mapped column shifts the whole listing.
Run and check
Then check the products in the catalogue: categories, prices, images, visibility.
What about PrestaShop 1.7?
The principle is the same on PrestaShop 1.7, 8 and 9: a file, separators, column mapping. Only the screens change slightly. Before a large import, test it on a few rows.
Can you import an Excel file into PrestaShop?
Yes, the import tool accepts Excel workbooks as well as CSV. In practice, many merchants still go through a CSV, which is more predictable.
Multiple sheets, merged cells, formulas: a workbook can hold surprises. A CSV is plain text. If you start from Excel, save a copy in CSV UTF-8 format so that accented characters stay readable.
Semicolon or comma: which separator should you choose?
The separator Excel uses for CSV depends on your computer's regional settings: a comma on UK or US settings, often a semicolon on French or German ones. The PrestaShop import suggests the semicolon by default, with the comma then separating multiple values within one cell (several categories, several images). What matters is that the declared separator matches the one in the file, otherwise all the columns end up in a single one.
Which CSV template should you use to import PrestaShop products?
One row per product, one column per piece of information, and a first row of headers. The PrestaShop import page offers sample files to download.
In ListoMax, a CSV template and an Excel template can be downloaded from the software, already filled in with an example. The headers below are recognised automatically, along with their equivalents for each language.
| Information | Header recognised by ListoMax |
|---|---|
| Name per language | name_fr, name_en, name_es, name_de |
| Reference | reference or sku |
| Price and sale price | price, sale_price |
| Stock, weight, barcode | quantity, weight, ean |
| Classification | category, tags |
| Texts | description_fr, short_fr (and other languages) |
| Images and visibility | images, active |
| SEO | seo_title_fr, seo_desc_fr, seo_kw_fr |
Unknown columns are ignored without blocking the import, and the first six rows are displayed before you start. The details are on the ListoMax bulk import page.
How do you import PrestaShop products with images?
In the native import, the file contains the web addresses of the images, not the files themselves. These URLs must be publicly accessible.
Photos stored on your hard drive cannot be read by the store: you have to host them, then paste each URL. One wrong URL, and the product arrives without a picture.
In ListoMax, several image URLs fit in the same cell, separated by a vertical bar. And in the form, you drag your JPG, PNG, WEBP or GIF files straight in (up to 8 MB): they are uploaded to the store in full resolution, and the first one becomes the cover image. To handle large volumes of photos, read our guide to bulk upload product images.
How do you import combinations into PrestaShop with a CSV?
With the native import, combinations are handled separately: a second file, imported after the products, links each combination to its parent product.
Each row describes one combination: product, attributes, reference, stock, impact on price. Ten models in five sizes and four colours means two hundred rows to write without a single mistake.
ListoMax tackles the problem the other way round. You enter the attributes, the software generates every combination, each with its own reference, price impact, stock and EAN code, then creates them as combinations of the product. It is all explained on our page about creating PrestaShop combinations in bulk.
Why is my PrestaShop CSV import not working?
Most of the time, the file is to blame, not the store.
Accented characters are garbled
The file is not encoded in UTF-8. Save it again as CSV UTF-8 from your spreadsheet.
All the data is in one column
The declared separator does not match the one in the file: semicolon on one side, comma on the other.
Products arrive without images
The URLs are not public, contain a typo, or the server hosting them does not respond quickly enough.
Duplicate products
Running the same file again creates new listings if no key, such as the reference, allows existing products to be recognised.
The import stops halfway
A very long file can exceed your hosting limits: split it into batches.
No way to tell which row is the problem
In ListoMax, every failure is listed with its row number and reason, and an option lets you keep going despite errors.
For connection or permission errors, the help page on connecting PrestaShop explains every Webservice setting.
How do you import a supplier file into PrestaShop without reworking it?
Keep the file as it is: ListoMax recognises the useful columns and publishes each row as a complete listing.
| Native PrestaShop import | Import in ListoMax | |
|---|---|---|
| Preparation | File in the expected format, columns to map | Columns recognised automatically, preview of the first six rows |
| Formats | CSV and Excel workbooks | CSV and Excel, separator detected |
| Tracking | Manual check afterwards | Live counter, numbered errors |
| After the import | Corrections in the back office | Listings in the catalogue, editable and republishable |
| Several stores | One import per store | Ticked stores, PrestaShop and WooCommerce |
Each row is sent through the PrestaShop Webservice, with a short pause between two uploads. Also selling on WordPress? See how to import WooCommerce products from a CSV, or how to publish the same products to multiple stores.
To go further: the page on how to bulk add products to PrestaShop details everything created in the store, and our guide to translating your product listings into 8 languages covers multilingual columns. The software installs in a few minutes: see installing ListoMax on Windows.
Your questions, answered
What is the difference between the CSV import in PrestaShop 1.7, 8 and 9?
The principle is the same on all three versions: a file, separators, column mapping. The screens change slightly. ListoMax publishes to PrestaShop 1.7, 8 and 9 through the official Webservice.
Do I need to convert my Excel file to CSV?
For the native import, it is often safer, in CSV UTF-8 format. In ListoMax, it is not necessary: the first sheet of the Excel workbook is read directly.
Which separator should I use in a CSV for PrestaShop?
The semicolon is the separator suggested by default by the PrestaShop import. What matters is that it matches the setting you choose. ListoMax detects the separator automatically.
How long does it take to publish a product range in several colours?
With the Series feature, less than 2 minutes to publish 12 complete listings, according to the publisher's measurement. You fill in the listing once and enter the values, and ListoMax builds and sends the listings.
Can I import a CSV file into PrestaShop and WooCommerce at the same time?
With ListoMax, yes. You choose the destination stores before starting the import, and each row is sent to every ticked store.
Can I test the import without risk?
Yes. The free trial gives you 5 real publications, no credit card required. Untick Active product while testing: the listing is created in the store but stays invisible to your customers. Licences are detailed on the pricing page.
Try it on your own stores
5 real publications free, no credit card required. Then a lifetime licence: €49 for one computer, €149 for up to 20 computers.