🔧 Quick Info: This tool scans your catalog for products with missing or invalid data and exports a report. Choose which checks to run (empty SKUs, missing images, blank descriptions, invalid UPC/GTIN codes, sale price issues, etc.), and we’ll flag every problem found.
What It Does
Missing Data Finder scans your BigCommerce catalog and flags products that are missing required information, have invalid values, or are still set to a default. You pick which checks to run (for example empty SKUs, missing images, blank descriptions, invalid UPC/GTIN codes, or a sale price that’s higher than the regular price), and the tool produces a downloadable report listing every problem it found, one row per issue. The report runs in the background and is delivered when it’s ready, so you can leave the page while it works. A product can appear on multiple rows if it fails more than one check.
When Should You Use This?
Use this tool to audit your catalog before a launch, a migration, or a marketing push, anytime you want to find products that are incomplete or misconfigured. It’s handy for spotting items that will look bad on the storefront (no image, no description), items that may be rejected by Google Shopping or other feeds (missing or invalid UPC, GTIN, or MPN), and pricing mistakes (a sale price set above the regular price).
Before You Get Started
- Have a connected BigCommerce store.
- Have permission to read products on the connected store (the tool reads your catalog through the BigCommerce API).
- No upload file is needed – this tool creates a report for you.
How to Use It
1 Open the Tool
Navigate to the Missing Data Finder tool in your Your Store Wizards dashboard for your BigCommerce store.
2 Select Products to Scan (Optional)
On the Select Products step, leave the filters blank to scan every product, or narrow the scan using any combination of:
- SKU – A single SKU or comma-separated list of SKUs
- Keyword – Search by product name or SKU
- Select Categories and Brand
- Product Availability – Available, Disabled, or Preorder
- Product Condition – New, Refurbished, or Used
- Featured Products, Product Shipping Type, Product Stock Status, and Product Visibility
3 Select Which Checks to Run
On the Select Fields step, tick the checks you want to run. Each ticked box is a rule the tool will test every product against. A common starter set is pre-selected for you (SKU, Images, Image Alt Tags, UPC, GTIN, MPN, and Sale Price greater than Price). See the File and Field Reference below for the complete list of available checks.
4 Configure Export Options
On the Export Options step:
- Filename – Enter a name for your report. A default with today’s date is pre-filled.
- File Format – Choose between CSV or Excel (.xlsx).
5 Confirm Email Notification
On the Email Delivery step, choose whether you’d like an email when the report completes, and confirm the email address to notify.
6 Start the Scan
Submit. The scan runs in the background. When it’s finished you’ll be notified and can download the report.
File and Field Reference
You can export as CSV or Excel (.xlsx). Every issue found is listed as its own row with columns for SKU, Field name, Additional Info (context when available), and Error type. A product can appear on multiple rows if it fails more than one check.
Available Checks
You can run any combination of these checks:
| Check Name | What It Looks For |
|---|---|
| Brand is empty | Product has no brand assigned. |
| Categories is empty | Product isn’t assigned to any category. |
| Description is empty | Product has no description. |
| GTIN is empty / GTIN invalid | The GTIN code is blank or contains invalid characters (not all digits). |
| Image Alt Tags are empty | One or more product images have no alt text (the report lists each affected image). |
| Images are empty | Product has no images. |
| Meta Description is empty | No meta description set. |
| MPN is empty | The MPN code is blank. |
| Name is empty | Product has no name. |
| Page Title is empty | No page title set (the product falls back to using its name). |
| Product Tax Class is default / Product Tax Code is default | The tax setting is still on its default value. |
| Sale Price > Price | The sale price is set higher than the regular price. |
| Search Keywords is empty | No search keywords set. |
| SKU is empty | Product has no SKU. |
| Sort Order is empty | No sort order set. |
| UPC is empty / UPC invalid | The UPC code is blank or contains invalid characters (not all digits). |
| Weight / Width / Height / Depth is empty | A dimension is missing (checked only on physical products; digital products are skipped). |
Troubleshooting
My report is empty
That’s good news – it means none of the products in your filter failed any of the checks you selected. If you expected results, widen your filters (leave them blank to scan everything) and make sure you’ve ticked the checks you care about.
My report has fewer products than expected
Check your filters in the Select Products step – an active SKU, keyword, category, or status filter limits what’s scanned.
Dimension checks didn’t flag anything
Weight, Width, Height, and Depth are only checked on physical products. Digital products are skipped for those checks.
Large catalogs take a while
The scan processes your products in the background and notifies you when the report is ready. You don’t need to keep the page open.
Permission or API errors during the scan
The tool reads from your store via the BigCommerce API. Check out our guide on resolving API permission errors.