🔧 Quick Info: This tool updates existing product variants in your BigCommerce store from a spreadsheet. Upload a file, match your columns to variant fields, and we’ll update prices, stock, weights, and more based on the Variant SKU.
What It Does
Import Product Variants updates existing variants in your BigCommerce store using data from a spreadsheet. You upload a file, map your columns to variant fields, and the tool finds each variant by its Variant SKU, then updates whatever values you provided. Important note: this tool only updates variants that already exist – it won’t create new ones. Any row with a Variant SKU that doesn’t match an existing variant gets reported as an error. When the import finishes, you’ll get an email with the results and a downloadable file listing any rows that had problems.
When Should You Use This?
Use this tool whenever you need to bulk-update your variants instead of editing them one at a time. Common scenarios include updating pricing across many variants at once, refreshing stock levels for a bunch of SKUs, updating weights or dimensions in bulk, or changing identifiers like UPC, MPN, GTIN, or Bin Picking Number across multiple variants. It’s perfect when you have a spreadsheet of changes ready to go.
Before You Get Started
- Make sure the variants you want to update already exist in BigCommerce. This tool only updates existing variants, it doesn’t create new ones.
- Prepare your file with column headers in the first row.
- Include a “Variant SKU” column – this is how each row gets matched to the correct variant.
- Have your file saved in a spreadsheet format you can upload (CSV or Excel).
- Double-check you’re connected to the right store before you start.
How to Use It
1 Open the Tool
Navigate to the Import Product Variants tool in your Your Store Wizards dashboard for your BigCommerce store.
2 Review the File Requirements
On the Upload Variants step, you’ll see a note about file requirements. Your file’s first row must contain column headers, and you must have a “Variant SKU” column so the tool can match each row to the right variant.
3 Upload Your File
Choose your CSV or Excel file and upload it to the tool.
4 Map Your Columns
Once the file uploads, you’ll see the column matching section. Map each column in your file to the matching variant field. At minimum, you must map your Variant SKU column to the Variant SKU field. Any columns you don’t map will be ignored.
5 Confirm Email Address
Continue to the Email step and confirm the email address where you want the completion notice sent.
6 Start the Import
Submit and you’ll see a confirmation that the process has started. The import runs in the background, so you can close the page and work on other things.
7 Check Results
When the import finishes, you’ll get an email. If any rows had problems, download the errors file to see what needs fixing, and you can edit and re-upload those rows.
File and Field Reference
Your file’s first row must contain column headers, and a Variant SKU column is required. After uploading, you map each of your columns to one of the fields below. You only need to include the columns for values you actually want to update – everything else stays as it is in BigCommerce.
| Column Name | Required? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Variant SKU | Yes | Used to find the existing variant to update. Must match a variant already in your store. |
| Bin Picking Number | No | Warehouse bin/picking reference. |
| Cost Price | No | Numeric value. |
| Depth | No | Numeric value. |
| Fixed Cost Shipping Price | No | Numeric value. |
| Gtin | No | Global Trade Item Number. |
| Height | No | Numeric value. |
| Image URL | No | Web address of the variant image. |
| Low Stock | No | Inventory warning level (numeric). |
| Mpn | No | Manufacturer Part Number. |
| Price | No | Numeric value. |
| Purchasable | No | True/false value for whether the variant can be purchased. |
| Retail Price | No | Numeric value. |
| Sale Price | No | Numeric value. |
| Sku | No | The product’s SKU. Helps locate the product the variant belongs to. |
| Stock | No | Inventory level (numeric). |
| Upc | No | Up to 32 characters. |
| Weight | No | Numeric value. |
| Width | No | Numeric value. |
Troubleshooting
My import didn’t change anything or rows were skipped
Each row is matched using the Variant SKU. If a row’s Variant SKU doesn’t match an existing variant in your store, that row is reported as “Variant not found” and skipped. Check the errors file to see which SKUs had problems, and verify they exist in BigCommerce before trying again.
The tool says it can’t read my columns
Make sure the very first row of your file contains the column names, and that one of them is “Variant SKU”. Fix the header row and re-upload.
Can I create brand-new variants with this tool?
No. This import only updates variants that already exist in your BigCommerce store. If you need to create new variants, you’ll need to do that in BigCommerce first or use a different method.
I got an API permission error
Your store connection may be missing a required permission. Check out our guide on resolving API permission errors.
Where do my results go?
You’ll receive an email when the import completes. If any rows couldn’t be processed, they’ll be listed in a downloadable errors file that you can download, fix, and re-upload.