A Simple Pre-Import Checklist That Prevents Search & Feed Failures


Most product feed and search failures are not caused by platforms like Shopify, Google, or TikTok.
They are caused by small structural issues that quietly break downstream systems.


This checklist helps you catch those issues before you import or advertise—saving time, money, and
frustration



SKU & Variant Integrity
• Every product has a unique SKU
• No duplicate SKUs across parent or variants
• Parent/child relationships are consistent


Required Field Completion
• Title is present and meaningful
• Price is populated and numeric
• Inventory quantity exists (even if zero)
• Product handle or ID is valid


  • Description & Formatting Health
    • No broken HTML tags
    • No unsupported characters or emojis
    • Descriptions are not excessively long


  • Image & Media Validation
    • All image URLs resolve correctly
    • No placeholder or blocked URLs
    • Images meet minimum size requirements


  • Category & Taxonomy Alignment
    • Categories match platform expectations
    • No mismatched or deprecated category paths
    • Variants inherit correct category data
  • Tech image about Category


    Category & Taxonomy Alignment
    • Categories match platform expectations
    • No mismatched or deprecated category paths
    • Variants inherit correct category data

  • Tech Image Encodinf and file structure


    Encoding & File Structure
    • File uses UTF-8 encoding
    • Correct delimiters (commas, tabs)
    • No hidden columns or malformed rows

  • Tech Image Search Readiness Signals


    Search Readiness Signals
    • Titles include searchable keywords naturally
    • Variant options are clearly defined
    • No empty attributes that suppress ranking


Final Thought
Manual checks catch obvious problems. Systematic validation catches silent failures that block imports,
search visibility, and ad approvals before they cost you weeks of time.