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Import Several Product Images from Single Row, Split by Semicolon

If you receive product image URLs from a supplier in one cell, eCommix – Google Sheets Sync can be used for a faster import workflow by keeping multiple image URLs in a single spreadsheet row and separating them with semicolons.

This is a practical workflow when supplier exports do not provide one row per image.

Real use case: Supplier feed sends all image URLs in one cell

Many supplier feeds provide multiple product image URLs in a single spreadsheet cell. Instead of manually splitting rows for every image, eCommix – Google Sheets Sync can support a faster workflow where image URLs are prepared as a semicolon-separated list in one row and imported after validation.

This is useful when onboarding a new catalog and cleaning image data before publishing products to Shopify.

Ops team cleans supplier image URLs and keeps ordering consistent
Content team adds alt text patterns in helper columns
Team validates a small batch before importing the full catalog

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

Typical format (single cell, multiple URLs)

In the image source cell, paste URLs like this:

https://cdn.example.com/img1.jpg;https://cdn.example.com/img2.jpg;https://cdn.example.com/img3.jpg

This guide covers the semicolon-separated single-row workflow for importing multiple images at once.

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spreadsheet row with multiple image URLs in one cell separated by semicolons

Recommended columns to include

For image imports, the Product Images preset typically uses:

Src (Image)
Position (Image)
Alt Text (Image)

You will also want product identifiers such as:

Handle (Product)
Id (Product) (especially for updates to existing products)

Recommended workflow in eCommix – Google Sheets Sync

Start from an export if you are updating existing products/images.
Select the Product Images preset.
Paste semicolon-separated URLs into Src (Image) (single-row workflow).
Fill optional Alt Text (Image) and Position (Image) values as needed.
Validate.
Import.

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Product Images preset selected in eCommix – Google Sheets Sync

Tips for clean image imports

Use absolute HTTPS image URLs
Remove spaces before/after semicolons
Keep URL order consistent if image order matters
Use Alt Text (Image) for accessibility and SEO

Position and alt text guidance

Position (Image) controls image order (when supported in your workflow)
Alt Text (Image) can describe the product or image angle, for example Front view - black t-shirt

If you are importing many products, create helper columns to generate alt text patterns automatically.

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helper columns generating alt text for image rows

When to use one row per image instead

If your team prefers explicit control of each image record, you can also use a traditional image import approach with one row per image. The semicolon method is mainly useful when source data already arrives as a single delimited cell.

Common mistakes to avoid

Using commas instead of semicolons in this workflow
Including broken URLs
Missing Id (Product) when updating existing products
Skipping validation before import

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validation/import status for image import rows

Final tip

Test the semicolon workflow on a small batch first (2-5 products) to confirm URL formatting, image order, and alt text behavior before running a large import.

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 data in spreadsheets and import changes back with validation, install eCommix – Google Sheets Sync and start with a small test batch first.

Install eCommix – Google Sheets Sync