How to Import Customers to Shopify Using CSV

You left your old e-commerce platform, but not the customers! It’s time to migrate them to your brand-new store as well. Keep reading this blog post for a step-wise method to import customers to Shopify using CSV.

The centuries-old adage — ‘Customer is King’ holds true for your online business as well.

Not importing the customers to Shopify after the migration process is just like saying to them, ‘Hey, I don’t know you! I think we never met before!’ when they come back to find previous order details. Thankfully, Shopify offers options to import existing customer lists to the platform so that it does not happen with any merchant!

In this blog post, I am going to share the complete step-wise method to import customers to Shopify using CSV.

Let’s dive in…

Table of Contents

• Different Ways to Import Customers to Shopify
• How to Import Customers to Shopify Using CSV?
  • Step 1: Prepare Customer CSV File
  • Step 2: Go to Admin > Customers > Import
  • Step 3: Upload Customer CSV File
• Import Customers to Shopify Using CSV: Best Practices
• Next Steps After Importing Customers to Shopify

Different Ways to Import Customers to Shopify

There are three ways to import customers to Shopify:

1. Manually
2. Using Shopify API
3. Using CSV

In case you just have a few entries, you can do it manually by creating customer accounts for each of them. But, it may not be the most feasible option if you got hundreds or thousands of customers (if you’re a renowned brand) onboard.

Shopify API can be another option to import customers to Shopify. You can use Shopify admin APIs to create customer accounts. This method may not be simply feasible for normal operations.

The customer Import-Export functionality of Shopify can be the best option here to import customers to Shopify in bulk. Simply create a CSV file prescribed format, upload it to Shopify, and you’re done! The entire method to import customers to Shopify using CSV is explained below. It is similar to the Shopify product import via CSV functionality.

How to Import Customers to Shopify Using CSV?

Follow these simple steps to import customers to Shopify using a CSV file without any issues:

Step 1: Prepare Customer CSV File

First of all, you need to prepare the CSV file before importing it to the Shopify platform.

Remember, different e-commerce platforms use different variables, and therefore the customer file you exported from your old platform may not be compatible with Shopify. Here are some considerations to make the customer CSV file ready to import into the Shopify platform.

• Download the template customer CSV file and use it as a reference.
• The first row should contain headers supported by Shopify as given in the template. (Learn more about descriptions)
• Headers are case-sensitive.
• Email field is required (it can also be blank.)

Once the file is ready, save it as a CSV file.

Step 2: Go to Admin > Customers > Import

Now, log into your Shopify admin panel. Click on the Customers option in the left menu, and click on the Import option at the top-right corner of the customer’s page.

Step 3: Upload Customer CSV File

Now, a popup will appear on the screen, where you need to upload the created CSV file.

Important thing: Check the ‘Overwrite existing customers that have the same email or phone’ if you want to replace the details of current customers with the same email or phone with a new one.

Finally, click on the Import Customers button to start the import process.

Now, wait for the import process to be completed.

Depending on the number of entries, it can take a few minutes to complete.

Once, the customer import process is complete, you’ll receive a notification! 🔔

In the following screenshot, you can see the customers are successfully imported to Shopify admin via CSV.

Import Customers to Shopify Using CSV: Best Practices

The Shopify import customers via .csv process may look straightforward, but it is prone to errors if not done correctly. Based on my personal experience with Shopify, here are some of the best practices to follow to avoid any mistakes and errors:

• Ensure that the .csv file is formatted correctly as per the template.
• Headers in Shopify are case-sensitive. Use proper capitalization to avoid any issues.
• After preparing the customer file, make sure to save it as a .csv file (instead of .xls).
• You can also use Google Sheets instead of Excel to prepare the .csv file.
• In the case of bulk importing, import a couple of entries first and check them to be on the safe side.

Next Steps After Importing Customers to Shopify

The import customers to Shopify using CSV does not involve any login credentials of the customers. You may need to re-invite customers to set their passwords and get access to their accounts on your brand-new Shopify store. The process is not complicated – you can move to the customer’s grid and send invitation emails from the Shopify admin. You can also use a Shopify app to send invitation emails in bulk.

Shopify store migration is not easy; you must take care of multiple things for a successful migration. Data security, maximum uptime, and search engine optimization are a few to name.

Feeling less confident about your Shopify migration? Contact us and let our Shopify experts help you through the entire process.