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Running a Shopify store and need to move your collections around? Whether you’re reorganizing your store, switching themes, or migrating data, being able to import and export Shopify collections can save you a ton of time.
In this guide, We will walk you through exactly how to import and export collections in Shopify — without any coding or headaches. We’ll be using a handy tool called the StoreRobo Import Export App, which makes the whole process super simple. It’s perfect whether you’re dealing with Smart Collections, Custom Collections, or just want a clean, stress-free data migration.
Let’s dive in and get those collections moving!
Key Takeaways:
- Importing and exporting Shopify collections is a smart way to manage, migrate, or update your store’s data more efficiently.
- Using a tool like StoreRobo makes the entire process simple, whether you’re dealing with Smart Collections or Custom Collections.
- Whether you’re bulk editing, migrating stores, or running seasonal campaigns, this method saves time and keeps your store organized.
Why You Might Need to Import Export Shopify Collections?
If you’re wondering why importing and exporting collections even matters, you’re not alone. It might sound like something only developers or big brands need — but in reality, it can come in handy for all kinds of everyday store management tasks. Let me break down a few real-life scenarios where this feature can seriously save you time and effort.
1. Store Migration Made Easy
One of the most common use cases is store migration. Let’s say you’re launching a new Shopify store or moving from a different platform. Instead of recreating each collection manually (which can take forever), you can just export them from your old store and import them into the new one. It ensures your store’s structure stays intact, and you can hit the ground running without wasting time rebuilding everything from scratch.
2. Bulk Editing Collections
Another scenario is bulk editing your collections. Shopify doesn’t offer a super flexible way to manage collections in bulk from the admin dashboard. So, if you need to update titles, descriptions, product associations, or other details across multiple collections, it’s way easier to export them into a CSV file, make your edits offline, and import them back in. This workflow gives you more control and helps avoid human error during manual updates.
3. Reusing Collections for Seasonal or Multi-Store Campaigns
Finally, if you’re working with multiple storefronts or running seasonal promotions, you might want to reuse your collection structure. For example, you could export your current product collections for a holiday sale and re-import them later with some tweaks. This saves time setting up special collections and ensures consistency across different campaigns or stores.
Firstly, make sure you have installed the latest version of the StoreRobo Import Export app on your Shopify store.
With the free plan, you can import or export up to 10 collections in Shopify. If you want to import more collections, consider choosing a higher plan.
After installing and activating the app on your Shopify store, follow the below steps to export collections from your Shopify store.
Step 1: Choose Shopify CSV as Export Template
- Go to the Home page of the StoreRobo Import Export App.
- Under the export option, choose Shopify CSV as the export template.
- Then click on Proceed to continue.
Step 2: Choose the Data Type to Export
In this step, you have to choose the data type you want to export from your store. StoreRobo lets you export both Smart Collections and Custom Collections from Shopify.
Choose the data type and proceed to the next step.
Also Read: How to Bulk Import Shopify Discounts?
Step 3: Choose the Fields to Export
Now, click on the data type you selected in the previous step to view the advanced options.
You can choose the column you want to export from Shopify. Use the checkbox to select the columns and proceed to the next step.
Step 4: Use Filters for Exporting Data
In this step, you can choose different filters for exporting data from your store site. You can filter collection data based on handle, title, updated time, published time, and product count.
After choosing the export filters, you have the option to export the file to an FTP or SFTP server. If you want to export the collections data to an FTP server, enable the Export file to FTP/SFTP checkbox and enter the details of the FTP profile.
Step 5: Export or Schedule
Now, you can either click on the export button to export the collection data right away or choose to schedule it for a later time.
Once the export job is complete, you can see a summary of the export job.
Click on the Download File button to download the CSV file with collections data.
Follow the below steps to import collection data to Shopify using a CSV file.
Step 1: Upload the CSV file
From the Home page of the StoreRobo app, go to the Import section.
StoreRobo lets you import collections using four methods: Local, URL, FTP, and WooCommerce API. For this guide, we will be using the Local import method. Upload the CSV file from your local storage.
Then, choose Smart Collections or Custom Collections as the data type as per the input file. Click on Upload to upload the input data.
Step 2: Schedule or Import
Click on the Schedule button to schedule the import job, or click on the Import button to import the collections right away.
Once the import job is complete, you can see the summary of the import process.
StoreRobo is an advanced data import export suite for Shopify stores. It lets you import and export products, collections, and customers on your Shopify store. The app offers four methods for importing data to Shopify. You can import CSV files from your local storage, a public URL, or an FTP server.
The app also lets you directly import data from WooCommerce using WooCommerce API. You have advanced filters when exporting data from your Shopify store. With StoreFrog, you can also export product data to Google Shopping Feed.
The app supports scheduling the import/export job for a later time. It will automatically run the task as per the schedule. You can also run periodic import/export tasks using the scheduler. This app also lets you upload any custom CSV file for importing products. You can map the column fields in the input file to match them with Shopify column fields.
Frequently Asked Questions
Smart Collections are automated — they’re created based on conditions or rules (like product tags, price ranges, or inventory levels). Custom Collections, on the other hand, are manually created and allow you to add specific products yourself. StoreRobo supports both types when importing or exporting collections.
Yes! StoreRobo offers a free plan that lets you import or export up to 10 collections. If you’re managing a larger store or need to move more data, you might want to explore their premium plans for additional flexibility and features.
Absolutely. One of the best reasons to export collections is so you can edit them in bulk using a spreadsheet. Once you’re done editing, just import the CSV file back into Shopify using the StoreRobo app. It’s way faster than making changes one-by-one inside the Shopify admin.
Yes, it does! You can schedule both import and export jobs to run at a later time or set them up to run automatically on a recurring basis. It’s super helpful if you’re managing seasonal collections or syncing data across stores.
Importing and exporting product collections in Shopify will help you ensure efficient migration of data within Shopify stores. With a third-party app like StoreRobo, you can perform a seamless migration of your store data from one store to another.
This article was intended to help you with the import and export of collections in Shopify. If you find this to be helpful, please let us know in the comments.
We also recommend that you read the following article:
Getting Started with Shopify Import Export
