Before answering the query of how to import products in Magento 2, let me ask you a question. Have you ever relocated? If so, you would most definitely agree that it is strenuous.

Apparently, shifting is not a favorite activity for most people. Many of you are familiar with this feeling of despair and confusion, where you have to decide what to load into the truck and what to leave behind. 

Then, you take a step and decide on all the details: you rent a truck, load everything, and send it to the new address.

Making an eCommerce shift isn’t easy either. There are many hurdles that you must drive through while transporting hundreds or in rare cases, even thousands of items into your newly created eCommerce store.

You may be wondering where the truck is in this case – well, that’s what this blog is mainly focused on, which is Magento 2 product import.

How to import products in Magento 2?

Many online businesses seek to use the bulk import function which is one of the key features of Magento 2. When making an online shop with a huge array of products, this function saves store owners a considerable amount of time. In this article we will explain to you the process of how to import products in Magento 2.

Requirements Before You Learn How To Import Products in Magento 2

Prior to the commencement of Magento 2 product import process, the following procedures must first be completed:

  1. To import products in Magento 2, a spreadsheet featuring the information that you wish to upload into Magento 2 is required. In order to create the spreadsheet, you need to provide the columns such as, product name, SKU, price, description etc.
  2. You should go ahead and confirm that the spreadsheet is stored in the CSV format, which is the one that is recognized by Magento 2 as the acceptable format for product imports.

How To Import Products in Magento 2?

After knowing the necessary requirements, let’s tackle the important question of how to import products in Magento 2. If you already have all the product details and images ready to go, then  follow this guide in order to import products in Magento 2:

  1. Start off by accessing the Magento 2 backend and go to System > Import.
How to import products in Magento 2: System > Import
  1. Go to the Import settings section, and from the drop down of Entity Type select Products.
How to import products in Magento 2: Import settings
  1. As previously discussed in this article, before you import products, first ensure that you have created a CSV file with all the product information. To see the most optimal way of structuring the CSV file, view the “Download Sample File” link provided by Magento..
Download sample file
  1. Ensure structural and format similarities of the CSV File to the format of the sample file given in the previous step.
Structure and format of the sample file.
  1. Proceed to the Import product pages and select the CSV file button which contains the product information.
File to import
  1. Now, you need to set the Import Behavior accordingly. If this is your first time adding products select “Add/Update” and if you are updating existing ones select “Update”.
Import behaviour
  1. Validate your CSV file by clicking on Check Data. Magento 2 will display whether the CSV file is suitable based on if there are any issues with the product information.
Check data

File is valid
  1. Select Import, if the file is suitable. Magento 2 will import the products and show a success notification when done.
Import successfully done
  1. Now, check the Products section in your Magento 2 store to see if the imported products are fine and that there are no discrepancies.

How To Import Product Images In Magento 2?

Hopefully, now you have the answer to your question regarding how to import products in Magento 2. But that’s not enough. To be able to import product images in Magento 2, do the following:

  1. Make a CSV file with your product data along with the image files or URLs.
  2. Import the product images to the Magento server using the Admin panel or place them in the media/import folder directly.
  3. Open the Admin panel, go to System > Data Transfer > Import.
  4. This time around, select the entity type as “Products” and pick your CSV file.
  5. You can type in “pub/media/import” in the third box or the place where you keep your image files in.
  6. Add your product attributes to the corresponding columns in the CSV file including the image columns.
  7. The “Check Data” option could be used to confirm your data correctness , and the “Import” option to launch the import process.
  8. Once the import is complete, check the Admin panel for the products to see if the images were successfully linked to the product.

Also read: How to write engaging product titles for eCommerce site?

Different ways to import products in Magento 2

Magento 2 allows users to import products in a way they find most appropriate, depending on their levels of proficiency and available resources. In this regard, the key methods of importing products include the following:

1. CSV File Import (Built-in Import Functionality)

This is the most common method to import products in Magento 2. With the built-in import tool, it is possible to import a CSV file comprising all product data including the appellations, monetary value, description, and images.

Best Used In: Comprehensive activities of product addition and transactions making use of relevant information.

Procedure: From the upper navigation bar, click on System > Import, select the CSV file and press the Validate button followed by the Import function.

2. Magento API (REST or SOAP)

With Magento API, one can automatically update the products in their store by integrating it with other external systems, thereby automating the Magento 2 import. Developers can create scripts to transfer data from an ERP, CRM or other eCommerce platforms.

Best Used In: Frequent or rare imports and large data imports.

3. Third-party Extensions

A number of extension packages have been developed for Magento 2 in an effort to optimize, speed up and lessen the complexity of the Magento 2 product import process. Among the supplementary benefits offered by such applications are the following:

  • Integrating attributes automatically.
  • Ability to import data from Excel spreadsheets among other formats aside from CSV.
  • Capacity to set a time for imports.
  • Examples: Firebear studio’s improved import & export extension.

4. Direct Database Import

Magento’s database tables may be filled up with new products using SQL queries. This approach is only recommended to advanced users.

Best for: Import of complicated cases that need special treatment.

Warning: A lack of care may result in data inconsistency or corruption when using this technique.

5. Custom Scripts

While Magento already has procedures in place for importing data from certain other platforms, developers can use these tools to develop unique scripts meant for custom import scenarios. These scripts may extract data from several locations, compile segments in the preferred manner, and send it to Magento.

Best for: Business needs that require an imbedded import process within their operational workflows.

Troubleshooting – Importing products in Magento 2

It is not unusual to encounter problems when importing images. Here are usual times we troubleshoot to fix such issues:

1. Error: “Data format not supported”

  • Cause: Your CSV file does not meet the standards required.
  • Solution: Grab a copy of the template from the import section of Magento and confirm that your CSV file adheres to it exactly.

2. Error: “Image not available”

  • Cause: The images referenced in the files could not be found in the folders indicated.
  • Solution: Confirm that images are present in the right folder (ie pub/media/import) and that their names in the CSV are accurate.

3. Frontend lacks Products Displayed

  • Cause: The products imported could possibly be disabled or not set to be viewed within a certain category or have a stock status of
    ‘Out of Stock’.
  • Solution: Please take a look at the product’s status assigned to them, the visibility settings put in place and the availability in stock.

4. Slow Import Happens Too Frequently

  • Cause: Large CSV files or slow servers
  • Solution: Split smaller import files apart and ensure that your server is being adequately supplied with memory and timeout settings.
  • Cause: Magento is unable to find the custom attributes that you have included in your CSV document.
  • Solution: Prior to importing, register custom attributes in Magento or allocate them while importing via extension.

Conclusion

At this point, you know how to import products in magento 2 . The product import function in Magento 2 is relatively simple and will assist the store owners in saving plenty of time and hassles. After completing the steps described in this blog, you will know how to import products into your Magento 2 store within a few clicks. If, during the import, you encounter various difficulties, look up the relevant section of the Magento 2 documentation for further explanation.

Once you start the process, the exciting eCommerce sphere with Magento awaits you, so hopefully the truck is at the ready for relocation. And if you ever find youself in an uncertain space, don’t hesitate to reach out to  HumCommerce Magento professionals who will be able to help you going forward with the site with no issues.

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FAQs

1. How can I import configurable products with Magento 2?

Configurable products can be imported, the first step is to prepare a CSV file containing the parent (configurable) and child products. Don’t forget to add attribute values in the CSV file and associate the parent product with the child one.

2. What type of file is appropriate for importing products to Magento 2?

Commas are used to separate values in a spread sheet, this type of file is supported by Magento 2 files for the purpose of product importation. Kindly ensure that your CSV file meets the structure set by Magento to avoid undue inconveniences.

3. While using Magento 2, is the scheduling of product imports a possibility?

Yes, third party app can be used to automate regular product imports data synchronization enabling the setting of schedule synchronizations.

4. How do I import product images from a remote server saying a URL?

In your CSV file, under the images section, make use of columns linking to the images with the full URL address. Ensure that the URLs that will help fetch the images are accessible since the aim behind the tool is to link to images which modernizes the import process.

5. What would happen when an error occurs in the whole import process?

Detailed error details are shown by Magento during shifting of states to ‘Check Data’ therefore possible conflicts that occur ion CSV files and other particulars should be solved first before enabling import.