Shopify import fix

Shopify: Invalid variant

Shopify found a row with option values but no parent product to attach them to. This happens when the first row of a product has an empty Handle while later rows of the same product do not.

How to fix it

  1. Open your CSV and sort by Handle, so rows of the same product are adjacent.
  2. Make sure the FIRST row of every product has the Handle filled in.
  3. Leave Handle empty on subsequent rows of the same product; that is how variants attach.
  4. Check that every variant row has all three option values filled, even if blank options are unused.
  5. Re-import the file.

How to avoid it next time

Build the file in Shopify's own column order and never sort it before import. Sorting separates a product's rows and breaks the parent-child relationship.

Check the whole file before you import again

The free Shopify CSV checker names the exact line for each of these problems. The paid Rescue Kit adds 20 more error cases, a template in Shopify's column order, and the checker as a script you can run in a pipeline.

See the Rescue Kit →