Listwright · Operator worksheet

Your catalogue cleanup checklist

Use one copy per job, from the first file to the merchant's final review.

Tick a step only after checking the evidence. Record anything unresolved in the hold list. A completed worksheet is not an automatic import approval.

This page does not send or save your answers. Use your browser's Print command to print it or save a PDF before leaving. Keep sensitive shop details out of this worksheet.

See the sample cleanup Catalogue cleanup service

1. Agree the job

Job reference / operator / date

Shop / merchant reviewer

New products, existing updates, or both?

Shop currency / inventory locations

Source filename / version / received date

Source data rows / products / variants

Confirm the destination store, file purpose, currency, and who can approve product facts. Record included work, exclusions, deliverables, timing, and the agreed quote. Get approval before cleanup begins. Keep an untouched original. For updates, obtain a dated export of the affected existing products before editing. Agree who will import, how to test, and how long working files will be kept. Scope / quote approval reference / delivery date / file retention agreement

2. Map and reconcile the file

Map source columns to the current Shopify template and record any transformations or excluded columns. Keep SKUs and barcodes as text. Check leading zeros, long codes, and unexpected spreadsheet formulas or date conversions. Review suspected duplicates against source evidence. Record the merchant's decision before merging or omitting rows. Check product grouping, handles, and option combinations. For updates, confirm existing matches and dependent option columns before changing variants. Mapping / duplicate evidence / approved decisions

3. Resolve facts and approve changes

Distinguish missing values from intentional zeros. Confirm units, currency, prices, and stock meanings with the merchant. For updates, review empty included cells separately from omitted columns. An empty cell can clear an existing value. Hold rows with unknown prices, ambiguous matches, or unapproved facts. Record each missing answer and its owner. Give the merchant a before-and-after change report, hold list, and proposed product and variant counts. Obtain approval for the file version to test. Hold list: row or SKU / question / owner / resolution Approved file version / reviewer / date / evidence reference

4. Test before the full batch

Prepare a small, representative sample of complete products with their variants. Use draft status for new products. Agree a safe test approach for existing products. Have the agreed importer review Shopify's preview, overwrite choice, and publication settings before proceeding. Read the processing report. Investigate skipped rows, errors, unexpected matches, or changed counts before approving the next batch. Inspect imported products and variants in the store: SKU, options, prices, stock tracking and quantities, images, and publication status. Confirm values that should remain unchanged. Sample file / expected and actual counts / results / corrections / merchant approval

5. Deliver and learn

After sample approval, agree the full-batch plan. Repeat the processing-report and store checks after each import. Reconcile delivered, omitted, and held rows. Hand over the final version, mapping, change report, hold list, and test results. State clearly if the merchant still needs to perform the import. Record the merchant's acceptance or remaining actions. Follow the agreed retention or deletion schedule for working files. Record time spent, repeated problems, quoted versus actual effort, and whether the merchant would pay for another cleanup. Delivered files / acceptance / remaining actions / retention date Time spent / repeated issues / merchant feedback

Before each job, check Shopify's current guidance on product CSV columns and update behaviour and importing products.