Keep the right facts with the right variant.

Two finishes. Two identities.

This is a fictional example. A supplier calls two products ‘Arden wall light.’ The merchant groups them under one product handle, with a finish option for each variant. The shared product name does not make the specifications interchangeable.

A product-level field can overstate a variant fact.

Replacing a shared product specification metafield with ‘120 mm’ would attach the brass model’s measurement to the black model as well. A correct source quote can still produce an incorrect repair when it is applied at the wrong level.

A safe decision holds the shared claim until the evidence supports every affected variant, or leaves the existing field untouched. Do not silently choose the first row or the most common value.

• Retain the exact SKU, handle and option combination for each row.
• Record which source identifies the item and which passage supports the proposed fact.
• Check every affected variant before applying a shared product-level change.
• Keep unresolved records in the review ledger instead of merging them by title similarity.

Check the import structure as well as the prose.

Shopify documents dependencies between variant fields and option columns. Its current CSV guidance warns that omitting required option information during a variant update can create a default variant and remove existing variants. Use a complete export and read the current import guidance before uploading a changed file.

Specstead keeps identity and commerce fields outside its repair scope. Its free check and review steps concern the supplied file and evidence; they do not inspect your live store or establish that Shopify has accepted an import.

Inspect an example, then check your own family.

Download the fictional catalogs, exact-item records and expected reviews. The preliminary fit checker helps separate a supported repair from a task that needs another workflow.

The free preflight checks whether your CSV fits Specstead’s supported scope. It does not change your file or store. Source-backed proposals and customer decisions follow in a private workspace.

Start with the free check See input requirements

Sources and method.

Examples on this page are invented to explain review decisions. They are not customer results or measured platform tests. Guidance checked 2026-10-11; Specstead’s implemented scope is described in the file guide.

• Shopify: using CSV files to import and export products