How to Create, Update, and Delete Shopify Products, Variants, and Images from a Spreadsheet

eCommix – Google Sheets Sync lets you manage Shopify catalog changes in Google Sheets instead of editing products one by one in the admin. The key is using the right columns for each operation and understanding how the importer detects create, update, and delete.

This guide focuses on the minimum fields you need for products, variants, and images, plus row examples you can copy into your workflow.

Real use case: One spreadsheet for catalog onboarding and ongoing maintenance

A merchant imports a new supplier catalog, adds missing variants, fixes pricing on existing SKUs, and removes stale images, all from the same spreadsheet workflow. Instead of switching between different Shopify admin screens, the operations team exports current data, edits only the required rows, validates, and imports.

New products are created from rows with new handles and titles
Existing variants are updated using exported product and variant IDs
Old images are removed by blanking the image source field on exported rows

Use eCommix – Google Sheets Sync to export Shopify products to Google Sheets, bulk edit safely, validate changes, and import updates back to Shopify.

Learn more on ecommix.io

Install eCommix – Google Sheets Sync on Shopify

Before you start

Use the Product Fields, Variant Fields, or Product Images preset depending on what you are changing
For updates and deletes, export first so you have the Shopify IDs in your sheet
Run Validate before Import
Keep product, variant, and image deletes in small reviewed batches

[SCREENSHOT PLACEHOLDER]
sheet with Product Fields, Variant Fields, and Product Images presets highlighted

Products: required fields and examples

Product-level operations use columns such as Handle (Product), Id (Product), Title (Product), Vendor (Product), Status (Product), and other product fields.

Operation	Required fields	Why these fields matter
Create product	`Handle (Product)`, `Title (Product)`	A new row with a handle and no product ID is treated as a new product. Add any other product fields you want to set on create.
Update product	`Id (Product)` plus the product field(s) you want to change	The importer uses the product ID to safely target the existing Shopify product.
Delete product	`Id (Product)`, blank `Title (Product)`, and at least one other populated product column such as `Status (Product)` or `Vendor (Product)`	Product delete is triggered by an exported row where title is cleared but the row still clearly contains product data.

Example: create product

Handle (Product)	Title (Product)	Vendor (Product)	Status (Product)
`linen-shirt`	`Linen Shirt`	`Northwind`	`ACTIVE`

Example: update product

Handle (Product)	Id (Product)	Title (Product)	Vendor (Product)
`linen-shirt`	`gid://shopify/Product/1001`	`Linen Shirt`	`Northwind Apparel`

Example: delete product

Handle (Product)	Id (Product)	Title (Product)	Status (Product)
`linen-shirt`	`gid://shopify/Product/1001`		`ACTIVE`

Important: deleting a product removes the product and all its variants. Use this only when you really want the whole product gone.

Variants: required fields and examples

Variant operations rely on product-level context plus variant identifiers or option values. Common columns include Id (Product), Id (Variant), Option 1 Name (Product), Option 1 Value (Variant), SKU (Variant), and Price (Variant).

Operation	Required fields	Why these fields matter
Create variant for existing product	`Id (Product)`, variant option value column such as `Option 1 Value (Variant)`, and the variant field(s) you want to set	The importer needs the existing product ID to attach the new variant to the right product.
Create new product with variants	`Handle (Product)`, `Title (Product)`, `Option 1 Name (Product)`, and variant option value columns on the grouped rows	This creates the product and its variants together in one grouped import.
Update variant	`Id (Product)`, `Id (Variant)`, plus the variant field(s) you want to change	The product ID and variant ID together make the update unambiguous.
Delete variant	`Id (Product)`, `Id (Variant)`, and blank option value columns such as `Option 1 Value (Variant)`	Variant delete is detected when an existing variant row keeps its IDs but its option values are cleared.

Example: create variant for an existing product

Handle (Product)	Id (Product)	Option 1 Name (Product)	Option 1 Value (Variant)	SKU (Variant)	Price (Variant)
`linen-shirt`	`gid://shopify/Product/1001`	`Size`	`XL`	`LINEN-XL`	`69.00`

Example: create a new product with two variants

Handle (Product)	Title (Product)	Option 1 Name (Product)	Option 1 Value (Variant)	SKU (Variant)	Price (Variant)
`ribbed-tank`	`Ribbed Tank`	`Size`	`S`	`TANK-S`	`34.00`
`ribbed-tank`		`Size`	`M`	`TANK-M`	`34.00`

Example: update variant

Handle (Product)	Id (Product)	Id (Variant)	Option 1 Value (Variant)	Price (Variant)
`linen-shirt`	`gid://shopify/Product/1001`	`gid://shopify/ProductVariant/2001`	`M`	`59.00`

Example: delete variant

Handle (Product)	Id (Product)	Id (Variant)	Option 1 Name (Product)	Option 1 Value (Variant)
`linen-shirt`	`gid://shopify/Product/1001`	`gid://shopify/ProductVariant/2001`	`Size`

Important: the variant delete pattern is based on exported rows. Keep the IDs, then clear the option value columns that identify the variant row.

[SCREENSHOT PLACEHOLDER]
variant rows showing create, update, and delete patterns in one grouped product section

Images: required fields and examples

Image operations usually use Id (Product), Id (Image), Src (Image), Position (Image), and Alt Text (Image).

Operation	Required fields	Why these fields matter
Create image for existing product	`Id (Product)` and `Src (Image)`	The product ID tells Shopify which product gets the new image, and the source URL is the image to import.
Create image for a new product	Product create fields on the group plus `Src (Image)`	The image can be created in the same grouped import as the new product.
Update image	`Id (Product)`, `Id (Image)`, plus the image field(s) you want to change	The importer needs both IDs to safely update an existing image record.
Delete image	`Id (Product)`, `Id (Image)`, and blank `Src (Image)`	Image delete is triggered when the image source is cleared on an exported image row.

Example: create image for an existing product

Handle (Product)	Id (Product)	Src (Image)	Position (Image)	Alt Text (Image)
`linen-shirt`	`gid://shopify/Product/1001`	`https://cdn.example.com/linen-shirt-front.jpg`	`1`	`Linen Shirt front view`

Example: update image alt text

Handle (Product)	Id (Product)	Id (Image)	Src (Image)	Alt Text (Image)
`linen-shirt`	`gid://shopify/Product/1001`	`gid://shopify/ProductImage/3001`	`https://cdn.example.com/linen-shirt-front.jpg`	`Linen Shirt front view on white background`

Example: delete image

Handle (Product)	Id (Product)	Id (Image)	Src (Image)
`linen-shirt`	`gid://shopify/Product/1001`	`gid://shopify/ProductImage/3001`

If your source data puts multiple image URLs into one cell, you can also use a semicolon-separated image workflow, but the safest update and delete flows still start from an export so the image IDs are already present.

Quick reference: what usually requires an export first

Workflow	Export first?	Reason
Create new product	No	You can create from new rows with no Shopify IDs yet.
Create variant on existing product	Recommended	You need `Id (Product)` to attach the variant safely.
Create image on existing product	Recommended	You need `Id (Product)` to attach the image safely.
Update product	Yes	You need `Id (Product)`.
Update variant	Yes	You need `Id (Product)` and `Id (Variant)`.
Update image	Yes	You need `Id (Product)` and `Id (Image)`.
Delete product	Yes	You need `Id (Product)` and an exported row structure.
Delete variant	Yes	You need `Id (Product)`, `Id (Variant)`, and the variant row already laid out.
Delete image	Yes	You need `Id (Product)` and `Id (Image)`.

Recommended workflow in eCommix – Google Sheets Sync

Export the relevant catalog data.
Choose the preset that matches the scope: Product Fields, Variant Fields, or Product Images.
Edit only the rows and columns you intend to change.
Run Validate and read the STATUS column.
Import only after the intended create, update, or delete messages look correct.

Common mistakes to avoid

Updating existing products without exporting first to get IDs
Trying to create a variant on an existing product without Id (Product)
Trying to update or delete images without Id (Image)
Blanking Title (Product) by accident on a product delete-capable row
Running deletes in large batches without review

Final tip

If you want the safest spreadsheet workflow, think of it this way: new rows create, exported IDs update, and blanking the delete trigger field on exported rows deletes. That mental model will help your team avoid most import mistakes.

Related Shopify Spreadsheet Guides

Continue with these related tutorials to build a complete bulk-edit workflow in Shopify:

Install eCommix – Google Sheets Sync

If you want to manage Shopify products, variants, and images from Google Sheets with validation before import, install eCommix – Google Sheets Sync and start with a small test batch first.

Install eCommix – Google Sheets Sync