Why export at all
The shop dashboard is the right place to handle a single order. It is not the right place for a month's accounts, a tax return or a conversation with your supplier. Those happen in a spreadsheet. Exporting gives you a copy of your data in a format every spreadsheet understands.
Exporting orders
Export the orders as a CSV file at the end of each month and keep it with your records. Each row is an order, so you can total sales, see which products sold most, and check which orders were paid online and which were paid by arrangement in chat. If you work with an accountant, this is the file they will ask for.
Exporting products
The products export is a list of everything in your catalogue. It is useful for a stock count, a price review, or simply a backup before you make big changes. Sort it by price or by category and gaps become obvious.
Loading products back from a CSV
The same format works in the other direction. You can load products from a CSV file saved from Excel or Google Sheets. The dashboard offers a template, shows a preview before anything is saved, and names each problem by its row number. Nothing is saved while the file has errors.
A row whose SKU already exists updates that product, and any other row adds a new one. That makes a bulk price change simple: export, change the prices in the spreadsheet, and load the file back. Up to 2,000 rows fit in one file, and your plan's product limit still applies.
A simple monthly routine
- Export last month's orders and save the file with the month in its name.
- Export the products and check prices and descriptions.
- Make any changes in the spreadsheet.
- Load the product file back and review the preview before saving.
Fifteen minutes a month keeps your records tidy and your catalogue up to date.