SKU BEACONFIELD NOTES / VARIANTS & IMAGES
One handle.
Several useful rows.
Reviewed November 2, 2026. Examples are illustrative and are not a complete import template.
A repeated product handle is not enough evidence to delete a row. In a Shopify product CSV, several records can belong to the same product. Review the option values and image fields together before deciding whether anything is redundant.
A three-record example
This simplified catalog has one mug, two color variants, and another product image. A dash below represents an intentionally empty cell; it is not text to paste into a CSV.
| CSV row | Handle | Title | Color | SKU | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | studio-mug | Studio Mug | Clay | 00017 | clay.jpg |
| 3 | studio-mug | — | Moss | 00018 | — |
| 4 | studio-mug | — | — | — | detail.jpg |
Removing every row after the first occurrence of studio-mug would discard the Moss record and the additional image record from this file. Filling every blank from the previous row would also change the data: the image-only record would gain variant fields that were not originally present.
Shopify’s instructions for additional product images use extra rows associated by handle. Its CSV reference also describes variant option columns and their dependencies. Use that reference when preparing a complete import file.
Compare option combinations, then inspect the rest
For a product with Color and Size options, compare the full tuple: handle, Color value and Size value. Clay / Small and Clay / Large describe different combinations even though the handle and one option match.
If the same full combination appears twice, pause and inspect both records. One may repeat image information; another may be an accidental duplicate with conflicting price or inventory data. SKU Beacon flags repeated option combinations as warnings, preserves both records and names the earlier CSV row. It cannot decide which record reflects your intended catalog.
A repeated SKU is also a warning, not an automatic deletion instruction. Keep identifiers as text, including leading zeros. When a suspicious record needs correction, edit the specific field after comparing it with your source catalog.
Keep blank cells until you understand the update
Blank is a value worth reviewing. An omitted column, an included blank field and a continuation row are different situations. Shopify’s overwrite documentation explains how included columns and existing product data interact. Avoid a blanket “fill down” or “delete empty fields” operation when preparing an update.
Before an import, keep an untouched export, review related option fields together, and inspect Shopify’s preview. Its common CSV problems guide can help interpret an actual importer error. No offline checker can confirm the state of your existing products.
What SKU Beacon preserves
Version 1 keeps record order, repeated handles, empty cells and identifier text. Optional repairs affect only surrounding header whitespace and selected scalar values. They do not deduplicate products, rewrite options or infer missing values. Parsing, review and CSV export run in your browser without uploading your catalog.
The workbench accepts UTF-8 comma-separated product files up to 15,000,000 bytes, 100,000 data rows and 2,000,000 cells. It stores up to 10,000 findings while keeping complete finding counts, and applies no more than 20,000 logged repairs in one pass. Remaining eligible repairs are left unchanged. See the full checklist and coverage limits for the selected checks; passing them is not a guarantee that Shopify will accept a file.
Check supported files in this personal preview. Complete exports up to 100 data rows are free; larger exports are not available yet. SKU Beacon is independent of Shopify.