[Skip to main content](#vessel-content) # Importing - simple? I'm confused ## - **[chriso0258](/forum/user/10593-chriso0258 "View chriso0258's Profile")** - [![chriso0258's Avatar](https://www.hikashop.com/media/kunena/core/svg/person.svg)](/forum/user/10593-chriso0258 "View chriso0258's Profile") Topic Author - [ Offline](/forum/user/10593-chriso0258) Less More - Posts: 3 - Thank you received: 0 - - 14 years 3 days ago - 14 years 3 days ago [\#73503](#73503) by [chriso0258](/forum/user/10593-chriso0258 "View chriso0258's Profile") *[Importing - simple? I'm confused](/forum/4-how-to/73503-importing-simple-im-confused#73503 "I created 3 categories and 3 products and then exported to see what the formatting was so I could import. I'm really baffled. I have read that importing is the way to go, but if the attached file is...")* was created by *[chriso0258](/forum/user/10593-chriso0258 "View chriso0258's Profile")* I created 3 categories and 3 products and then exported to see what the formatting was so I could import. I'm really baffled. I have read that importing is the way to go, but if the attached file is any indication of what I have to format, I'm confused as this doesn't seem like a simple task. Please clarify for me what format I will need to import products. I have read the documentation but I'm still confused. Also, can you import categories as well? I did try experimenting and found that I ended up with a bunch of sub categories of the same name; which is why I decided to export first, to get a better picture of what my formatting should be. Do I need all this stuff or can I just add the information I want. I've also added a sample file of what I've been trying to import. If you can use that to give me some pointers that would be very helpful as I'm a very visual person. Thanks for your assistance. Chris Last edit: 14 years 3 days ago by [chriso0258](/forum/user/10593-chriso0258 "View chriso0258's Profile"). Please [Log in](/login?return=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaGlrYXNob3AuY29tL2ZvcnVtLzQtaG93LXRvLzczNTAzLWltcG9ydGluZy1zaW1wbGUtaW0tY29uZnVzZWQ/dG1wbD1tYXJrZG93bg==) or [Create an account](/register) to join the conversation. - **[nicolas](/forum/user/63-nicolas "View nicolas's Profile")** - [![nicolas's Avatar](https://www.hikashop.com/media/kunena/avatars/resized/size144/users/avatar63.png?1793428657)](/forum/user/63-nicolas "View nicolas's Profile") - [ Away](/forum/user/63-nicolas) Less More - Posts: 86323 - Thank you received: 14283 - - 14 years 2 days ago [\#73687](#73687) by [nicolas](/forum/user/63-nicolas "View nicolas's Profile") Replied by *[nicolas](/forum/user/63-nicolas "View nicolas's Profile")* on topic *[Re: Importing - simple? I'm confused](/forum/4-how-to/73503-importing-simple-im-confused#73687 "I created 3 categories and 3 products and then exported to see what the formatting was so I could import. I'm really baffled. I have read that importing is the way to go, but if the attached file is...")* You don't need every column which is in the exported CSV. The exported CSV is just adding all the information columns, whether they are filled or not. That way, you can see what columns you can use in your own CSV, but you don't need to have them all. Just add the ones you want. You can import categories as well. That is explained in the import documentation with examples. You're going in the good way with your CSV. CSV import is not complex per se. It just depends what you want to import. See the examples in the documentation. There are simple examples, with 2 to 4 data columns. But then it gets harder if you want to import a whole catalog of products with categories, variants, options, images, files, etc. Please [Log in](/login?return=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaGlrYXNob3AuY29tL2ZvcnVtLzQtaG93LXRvLzczNTAzLWltcG9ydGluZy1zaW1wbGUtaW0tY29uZnVzZWQ/dG1wbD1tYXJrZG93bg==) or [Create an account](/register) to join the conversation. Board Categories HikaShop Install & Update Product & Category Display Content Creation Sales and Orders Orders management Reports & Statistics Customers Checkout Payment Methods Shipping Methods Import & Export (CSV, XLS…) Specific Features Affilation Taxes Wishlist Vote Carousel & Slider Mass Actions Filters & Search Discount & Coupon Feature Request Integrations Showcase General Talk about HikaShop Development HikaShop 3.0 Beta Translation Commercial Jobs HikaShop Components HikaMarket Market: Feature requests Market: How to? Market: Bug Report HikaSerial General talk about HikaSerial Serial: Bug Report Serial: How to? 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