Shopify CSV Legacy vs Current Headers: Handle, SKU, Price and Images
Many supplier exports and older tutorial templates still use Handle, Variant SKU, Variant Price and Image Src. Shopify's current product CSV documentation also describes URL handle, SKU, Price and Product image URL. Mixing old and current naming conventions is a practical source of confusion.
Example: why this problem happens
A merchant compares an old Excel template with an export from the current store and sees different column names for the same apparent concept. They rename every column at once, then accidentally create duplicate destination headers.
Diagnose the issue
| Older label often seen | Current field used in Shopify documentation | Caution |
|---|---|---|
| Handle | URL handle | Grouping products versus variants must remain unchanged. |
| Variant SKU | SKU | May have dependent variant option fields. |
| Variant Price | Price | Must remain a numeric selling price. |
| Image Src | Product image URL | Keep image associations and accessible URLs. |
| Body (HTML) | Description | Preserve HTML or text content appropriately. |
Step-by-step: what to do
- Export a fresh product CSV from the destination Shopify store to identify the format that store currently produces.
- Compare old and new column names one field at a time. Do not assume that similarly named fields imply identical import behavior.
- Check for duplicate normalized headers: for example, a file with both Handle and URL handle may become two columns with the same destination meaning.
- Run the safe CSV checker to preview recognized aliases, but inspect any field the checker does not recognize rather than dropping it.
- When updating existing variants, keep all dependent option fields present and validate a small test import.
Our tool only supports an intentionally small subset of Shopify's many product CSV fields. It cannot guarantee that every legacy app-specific attribute has a safe modern equivalent.
Can our free tools help?
Common question
Can I replace old column names automatically?
Safe alias mapping can help with recognized columns, but review variant dependencies, duplicate destination headers, and unsupported fields before exporting.
Official source and further reading
This explanation is independent and is not an official Shopify specification. Confirm current product import requirements in Shopify Help Center: current product CSV column descriptions before changing a production catalog.
Browse the SellerFile CSV guide library or practice with synthetic CSV sample files.