Importing Products

Import your catalog from Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, or CSV into WISEPIM. First import auto-maps categories and attributes so you are ready instantly.

Your product data lives somewhere already: in Shopify, Magento, WooCommerce, a spreadsheet, or all of the above. Importing brings it into WISEPIM so you can start improving it.

Bringing in a catalog for the very first time? Follow the step-by-step guide: Import your first catalog.

On your first platform import, WISEPIM automatically pulls in your categories and attributes alongside your products. No manual setup required. Your catalog structure is ready from the start.

Import sources

The import modal builds its list of sources automatically. Any connected integration that supports import appears as an option, so the more platforms you connect, the more you can import from. You don’t need to manage a fixed list.

• E-commerce platforms: any connected integration that supports import, for example Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, Lightspeed, Lightspeed E-Series (Ecwid), BigCommerce, PrestaShop, Shopware, Squarespace, CCV Shop, and more
• CSV files: any spreadsheet with product data
• Excel files: .xlsx workbooks, with a sheet picker
• Web scraping: paste a URL and let AI extract products, no file or API needed (see Web Scraping Import)
• Demo data: a ready-made sample catalog for your industry, perfect for exploring WISEPIM before you import your own

If you don’t see a platform in the list, it just means it isn’t connected yet. Set up the integration on the Integrations page and it will appear automatically.

Connect your platform first

Before importing from an e-commerce platform, you need to set up the integration. Each platform has its own way of generating API credentials. Follow the guide for your platform:

Shopify

Generate a custom app and API key

WooCommerce

Create REST API keys

Magento

Set up an integration token

Lightspeed

Connect your Lightspeed account

Kaufland

Get your Kaufland API credentials

WebshopImporter

Configure WebshopImporter

Once your credentials are ready:

1. Go to the Integrations page
2. Select your platform and enter your API credentials
3. Test the connection
4. Save

The import modal only shows platforms that have been successfully connected. If your platform doesn’t appear, head to Integrations and set it up first.

Running a platform import

1. Go to the Products page

   Click the Import button in the toolbar.

2. Pick your source

   Select the platform you want to import from. Only connected integrations are shown.

3. Choose a store (if you have more than one)

   If a platform has several stores connected, WISEPIM asks which one to import from. With a single store, it skips this and goes straight to the import.

4. Narrow the scope, if you want

   Under One-time import scope you can limit this run instead of pulling the whole store: only products modified since or created since a date (with 24 hours, 7 days and 30 days presets), a maximum number of products, Only these SKUs or Exclude these SKUs (paste a list or a spreadsheet column, up to 5,000), and Only these categories already in your project (up to 500). Some platforms add their own parameters, such as status, vendor, product type or tag. Which options appear depends on what the platform’s API can filter on.

5. Let WISEPIM do the work

   WISEPIM connects to your platform, discovers your products, and pulls everything in, including categories, attributes, and product relationships.

6. Review your catalog

   Once the import completes, spot-check a few products to make sure everything came through correctly.

Imports run in the background. You can keep working in WISEPIM while your products are being pulled in. You’ll get a notification when it’s done.

CSV import

If your data lives in a spreadsheet, use CSV import. The CSV importer walks you through four steps: Upload, Configure, Mapping, and Importing.

Prepare your file:

• First row should contain column headers
• Use UTF-8 encoding
• Include at least product names and SKUs

The importer is forgiving about the rest. It reads UTF-8, Windows-1252 and UTF-16 files, honours Excel’s sep=; line, skips title or supplier preamble rows above the header, and cleans numbers written as € 1.299,00, 899,-, (12.50) or 1,299.00. Placeholders such as UNKNOWN stay empty instead of turning into 0. Barcodes typed as =8718164601441 or in scientific notation are recovered, and an invalid check digit is a warning, not a failed row.

Files must be .csv and up to 300 MB. WISEPIM warns you as files get large (over 10 MB, 50 MB, and 100 MB) so you know a big upload may take a moment; files over 80 MB are uploaded in chunks. Excel workbooks have a smaller limit, see Excel import.

1. Upload

   Drag in your file or browse for it. WISEPIM analyzes it and shows the row count, the detected delimiter, and the encoding. On a very large file the row count is an estimate at first, shown with a ≈ in front of it, until parsing finishes. If it guessed wrong, you can switch the delimiter (comma, semicolon, tab, tilde, or pipe) or encoding right here, and it will recognize source systems like Shopify, WooCommerce, and Magento exports automatically.

2. Configure

   Set how the import should behave before you map anything. This step is where you choose:

   • Duplicate handling: what happens when a product already exists, matched by SKU. Choose Update existing products (merge new data into them), Skip duplicates (leave them unchanged), or Create as new (add them with a unique SKU). This is a per-import choice - it is saved in import templates, and it is independent of the project-wide conflict resolution setting that governs platform imports.
   • Multi-value delimiter: the character that separates several values in one cell (see below)
   • Dynamic attributes: turn extra columns into attributes automatically, and optionally create any that don’t exist yet
   • Nested data: handle JSON columns and parent/variant relationships when your file contains them
3. Mapping

   Match your CSV columns to WISEPIM fields. Auto-mapping proposes matches, you decide the rest, and the Sample readiness panel tells you when the import can start. See Map your columns below. Save the result as a template or recipe to reuse next time.

4. Importing

   WISEPIM imports your products in the background and shows progress as it goes.

Map your columns

The mapping step has three modes. Switch between them whenever you like; they all edit the same mapping.

Mode	What it is for
Map	Map columns quickly with searchable rows. Best for large files.
Groups	Work side by side with grouped attributes and drag and drop.
Review	Review coverage, gaps, and every active mapping.

Auto-map unmatched finds matches for your unmapped columns with AI and smart name matching. The suggestions land in a review list first, each with a confidence level (High, Medium, Low) and the reason for the match. Uncheck the ones you do not want, change a target where needed, then apply the rest.

Filter the columns by status to focus on what is left: Unmapped, Mapped, Ignored, Required, Locked, Conflicts, or Low confidence. The issue queue counts what still needs a decision (“3 issues need attention”) and steps you through them; press ⌘J to jump to the next one. Every change is listed under Change history, with Undo and Redo.

Sample readiness checks the mapping against the preview rows and lists the blockers before you can start: unresolved columns, required fields still missing, mapping conflicts, errors in the sample, and duplicate headers. Every source column needs an explicit decision: map it, ignore it, or mark it not applicable. Only the preview sample is validated up front; the remaining rows are checked during the import itself.

The Transform preview (trim whitespace, text case, date and number display) shows what a cleanup would look like on a small sample before you map. It is a preview only for now: the settings are saved with your profile and sent along with the import, but the CSV importer does not apply the transformations yet.

Mapping tools

The Mapping tools panel has three tabs:

• Recipes: save the current mapping as a recipe and apply it to the next file from the same source. Recipes are stored on this device for the active project, up to 20. Pick one and the Schema comparison shows which fields are reused, new, or removed before you apply it.
• Rules: a Bulk mapping rule for files with many similar columns. Match columns by Starts with, Ends with, Contains, or Has tokens, then choose an action: Map by remaining name, Map to one target, Ignore fields, or Mark not applicable. Preview shows the matches, changes, and issues without touching the mapping; Apply rule commits them.
• Warnings: sample values that may not fit the type of the field they are mapped to, so a text column pointed at a number field is caught before the import.

Variants in a flat file

Supplier files usually list every size and color as its own row. The importer’s Nested Data step can turn those rows into proper parent/variant structures during the import, so you don’t have to group them afterwards.

When the file’s structure suggests variants, the step shows a Variants detected chip and proposes a setup. Enable nested data handling and pick a Variant mode:

• No variants: import all rows as separate products.
• Parent-Child: link variants to parent products using an identifier column - pick the Parent identifier column and the Child/SKU identifier column.
• Grouped by attribute: group rows by a shared attribute, for example all colors of the same product.

WISEPIM shows how many Parents, Variants, and Standalone products the setup produces before you import, and suggests a grouping column when values in one column repeat while another stays unique - with the honest caveat that a repeating column isn’t always a parent, so check before accepting. A row with a blank child SKU is treated as parent metadata: its fields feed the configurable parent instead of becoming a variant.

Import templates

Once you’ve mapped a file, save the setup as a template: your column mappings and duplicate-handling choices, reusable on every future import with the same file shape. WISEPIM ships built-in templates for common source systems, detects Shopify, WooCommerce, and Magento exports and offers the matching one, and you can save your own. Next time you import a file from the same supplier or export, apply the template and skip the mapping work. For a quick, on-device alternative, use a recipe.

When you apply a saved template to a file whose headers differ, the Profile compatibility check shows which mappings are compatible, which saved columns are missing from this file, and which columns are new. Apply compatible mappings applies only the matches and leaves the new columns unresolved for you to review. A template cannot be applied while the file has duplicate headers.

Closed the tab halfway through? The importer keeps a draft of your mapping and settings. Come back and it offers Resume your import setup: re-upload the same file, or one with the same columns, and your mappings and settings are restored. Only the setup is kept, never the file contents. If the columns changed, the draft is not applied and you can discard it.

Multiple images in one column

A single CSV column can hold multiple image URLs separated by a delimiter. WISEPIM splits them automatically: the first URL becomes the main product image and the remaining URLs are added as gallery images.

You set the separator in the Multi-Value panel of the Configure step. The default is the pipe character (|), which is the most common choice, and you can switch it to a semicolon (;) or comma (,) to match your file.

If WISEPIM finds several image columns in your file, it surfaces a notice: “Multiple image URLs detected.” The first column mapped to images becomes the main image; the rest go into the gallery. No extra steps needed.

Nested category paths

Your file can carry a whole category tree in one cell. Write the path with slashes and WISEPIM builds every level for you:

Home/Kitchen/Knives

That creates Home, then Kitchen under it, then Knives under that, and puts the product in the deepest one. Separate several paths with a comma to assign a product to more than one branch:

Home/Kitchen/Knives, Gifts/Under 50

Existing categories are reused, so importing the same paths again does not create duplicates.

This saves you building the tree by hand before an import. Export the category path from your old system into one column, map it to categories, and the structure comes across with the products.

Template defaults fill the rest

Your file rarely has every field. Product template defaults close that gap: any field your file doesn’t map gets the default value you set in Import settings, so new products land complete instead of half empty.

Defaults can cover status, type, visibility, brand, supplier, price, cost, stock, shipping, units, country of origin, and product family. Text fields can also use pattern defaults with {{variable}} placeholders, so a value like {{brand}} {{name}} is built per product.

Template defaults are on by default and you can turn them off for a single import. They only apply when a product is created. Updates to products you already have are never touched, so a re-import can’t overwrite real data with a default.

A re-import never turns a missing value into a zero either. When the source leaves out a price or a stock quantity, WISEPIM keeps the value you already have. A real 0 in the source is still stored as 0.

Excel import

Prefer to work in Excel? Choose Excel Import in the import modal to open the dedicated Excel importer. It accepts .xlsx workbooks up to 10 MB. Older .xls files are not supported: save them as .xlsx first.

1. Open the Excel importer

   Click Import on the Products page and pick Excel Import.

2. Upload your workbook and pick a sheet

   Drag in or browse for your .xlsx file. If the workbook has more than one sheet, use the Sheet selector to choose the one to import from.

3. Map and import

   Match your columns to WISEPIM fields in the same mapping workspace as the CSV importer, including the Sample readiness check and draft resume. Then start the import. WISEPIM brings your products in and notifies you when it’s done.

Demo data

Want to explore WISEPIM before importing your own catalog? Choose Demo Data, pick your industry, and WISEPIM loads a sample catalog with products, categories, attributes, and families already set up. It’s the fastest way to see how everything fits together, and you can clear it out later when your real products are ready.

How long does it take?

Import speed depends on catalog size and your platform’s API rate limits. Each platform throttles requests differently, so times can vary.

Catalog size	CSV import	Platform import
Under 100 products	A few seconds	Under a minute
100–1,000 products	Under a minute	5–15 minutes
1,000–10,000 products	A few minutes	15 minutes – 1 hour
10,000–50,000 products	A few minutes	1–4 hours

CSV imports are fast because there’s no API rate limiting involved. Platform imports depend on how quickly the source platform serves requests. Shopify, Magento, and WooCommerce all have different rate limits.

Start with a small test batch to verify everything works before importing your full catalog.

Post-import completeness scan

Once a CSV import finishes, WISEPIM automatically scans the imported products for missing critical fields, like a main image, weight, and price. If any gaps are found, the Import Cleanup Wizard opens.

The wizard walks you through each gap one step at a time:

• Missing images: WISEPIM checks whether an unmapped column in your original file might hold the image URLs. If so, it suggests re-running the import with that column mapped. You can also paste a placeholder URL to fill all products at once.
• Missing weight or price: AI reads each product’s existing title and description and extracts the value where it finds one. For products where it can’t, you can set a single value for all of them.
• Other field gaps: similar step-by-step fix options, including AI enrichment for text fields.

You can skip any step and come back later. Skipped gaps stay visible on the Products page as a banner until all critical fields are filled.

After your import

Once your products are in, here’s what to do next:

1. Work through the Cleanup Wizard: if critical fields are missing, the wizard opens automatically. Fix them before you publish
2. Spot-check your data: open a few products and verify the information came through correctly
3. Review your categories: your category structure was imported automatically. Make sure it looks right
4. Check your attributes: same for attributes. They’re already there, ready to use
5. Enrich with AI: this is where WISEPIM starts earning its keep. Select products and let the AI improve your content

Undo an import

Imported the wrong file, or the wrong store? Open the import in the Process Tracker and choose Rollback. It removes what that import brought in, so you can fix your file and run it again from a clean starting point.

Rollback is only available on import tasks. Do it before you start enriching, so you don’t throw away work you did on top of the imported products.

Where each product came from

Every product remembers the source it first arrived from: a platform, a file, a scrape, or a feed. WISEPIM records this once, on the first import, and never changes it afterwards, so it stays a reliable record of origin.

You can filter your catalog by import source on the Products page. That makes it easy to answer questions like “show me everything that came from this supplier’s file” before a bulk edit, an enrichment run, or a cleanup.

Troubleshooting

Import not starting

• Check that your integration is connected and tested on the Integrations page
• Verify your API credentials haven’t expired
• Make sure your API user has the right permissions

No products found

• Confirm your store actually has published products
• Check API user permissions, as some platforms restrict product visibility
• Try re-testing the integration connection

CSV issues

• Save as CSV (UTF-8): encoding problems cause garbled text
• Remove special characters from column headers
• Make sure required fields (name, SKU) are mapped

Slow import

Large catalogs take time, and platform API rate limits can slow things down. If an import seems stuck, check the Process Tracker for status updates.

Related

Import Settings

Configure the mappings and defaults every import runs with.

Web Scraping Import

Import products straight from any webshop URL.

Process Tracker

Follow long-running imports and see exactly what changed.

Exporting Products

Send your enriched catalog back out to your channels.

Import your first catalog

A guided first import, from source file to a catalog you can work with.