Shopify Product CSV encoding problems
What this means
The CSV may not be saved as valid UTF-8, or a spreadsheet editor may have changed special characters, smart quotes, currency symbols, or non-English text in a way Shopify cannot read reliably.
Why it matters before Shopify import
Encoding problems can cause Shopify to reject the file, replace characters, or read product text differently from what you see in Excel, WPS, Numbers, or another spreadsheet app.
How to fix it in the CSV
- Save or export the CSV as UTF-8.
- Avoid opening and saving the same CSV repeatedly across different spreadsheet apps.
- Check rows with accented characters, currency symbols, non-English text, or copied rich text.
- Keep the original Shopify export as a clean backup.
Example
| Visible value | Risk | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Café linen shirt | Saved in a legacy encoding | Export as UTF-8 CSV |
In this example, the accented character should be preserved in a valid UTF-8 CSV before import.