[Skip to main content](#vessel-content) # Questions about importing product with variants from csv ## - **[liaskas](/forum/user/59465-liaskas "View liaskas's Profile")** - [![liaskas's Avatar](https://www.hikashop.com/media/kunena/core/svg/person.svg)](/forum/user/59465-liaskas "View liaskas's Profile") Topic Author - [ Offline](/forum/user/59465-liaskas) Less More - Posts: 205 - Thank you received: 12 - - 5 years 5 months ago - 5 years 5 months ago [\#332485](#332485) by [liaskas](/forum/user/59465-liaskas "View liaskas's Profile") *[Questions about importing product with variants from csv](/forum/4-how-to/902557-questions-about-importing-product-with-variants-from-csv#332485 "-- HikaShop version -- : 4.4.2 -- Joomla version -- : 3.9.25 -- PHP version -- : 7.4.14 Hello We need a solution to the following issue. imported one main product with five variants through a csv file. question 1 The "main" product_id does not exist before the import so we can not set product_parent_id for the "variant" records in the csv file that we want to import. Tried to use the "product_code" of the main product as "product_parent_id" but during the import it changes to "0". How can we solve this problem Question 2 The appropriate characteristics (megethos and color on our sample csv) have been created but they are not applied to the "main" product. We had to apply the characteristics to the main product manualy after the import. Question 3 After applying the appropriate characteristics to the imported "main" product, there is no default value for each characteristic selected and we had to select manually. What is the way to set the default value to the variants? We attach the csv file that we used in case you need to check. Please advise... PS: Noticed that the "product_parent_id" field in #__hikashop_product table is int(11). The imported product code contains letters (example: F1005104). Is this the reason why the "product_parent_id" is always "0" after import? Normally this should accept letters as well. Thank you")* was created by *[liaskas](/forum/user/59465-liaskas "View liaskas's Profile")* -- HikaShop version -- : 4.4.2 -- Joomla version -- : 3.9.25 -- PHP version -- : 7.4.14 Hello We need a solution to the following issue. imported one main product with five variants through a csv file. question 1 The "main" product_id does not exist before the import so we can not set product_parent_id for the "variant" records in the csv file that we want to import. Tried to use the "product_code" of the main product as "product_parent_id" but during the import it changes to "0". How can we solve this problem Question 2 The appropriate characteristics (megethos and color on our sample csv) have been created but they are not applied to the "main" product. We had to apply the characteristics to the main product manualy after the import. Question 3 After applying the appropriate characteristics to the imported "main" product, there is no default value for each characteristic selected and we had to select manually. What is the way to set the default value to the variants? We attach the csv file that we used in case you need to check. *This attachment is hidden for guests. Please log in or register to see it.* Please advise... PS: Noticed that the "product_parent_id" field in #__hikashop_product table is int(11). The imported product code contains letters (example: F1005104). Is this the reason why the "product_parent_id" is always "0" after import? Normally this should accept letters as well. Thank you Last edit: 5 years 5 months ago by [liaskas](/forum/user/59465-liaskas "View liaskas's Profile"). Reason: Notice about product_parent_id column Please [Log in](/login?return=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaGlrYXNob3AuY29tL2ZvcnVtLzQtaG93LXRvLzkwMjU1Ny1xdWVzdGlvbnMtYWJvdXQtaW1wb3J0aW5nLXByb2R1Y3Qtd2l0aC12YXJpYW50cy1mcm9tLWNzdj90bXBsPW1hcmtkb3du) or [Create an account](/component/users/registration?Itemid=101) 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") - [ Offline](/forum/user/63-nicolas) Less More - Posts: 86358 - Thank you received: 14293 - - 5 years 5 months ago [\#332495](#332495) by [nicolas](/forum/user/63-nicolas "View nicolas's Profile") Replied by *[nicolas](/forum/user/63-nicolas "View nicolas's Profile")* on topic *[Questions about importing product with variants from csv](/forum/4-how-to/902557-questions-about-importing-product-with-variants-from-csv#332495 "-- HikaShop version -- : 4.4.2 -- Joomla version -- : 3.9.25 -- PHP version -- : 7.4.14 Hello We need a solution to the following issue. imported one main product with five variants through a csv file. question 1 The "main" product_id does not exist before the import so we can not set product_parent_id for the "variant" records in the csv file that we want to import. Tried to use the "product_code" of the main product as "product_parent_id" but during the import it changes to "0". How can we solve this problem Question 2 The appropriate characteristics (megethos and color on our sample csv) have been created but they are not applied to the "main" product. We had to apply the characteristics to the main product manualy after the import. Question 3 After applying the appropriate characteristics to the imported "main" product, there is no default value for each characteristic selected and we had to select manually. What is the way to set the default value to the variants? We attach the csv file that we used in case you need to check. Please advise... PS: Noticed that the "product_parent_id" field in #__hikashop_product table is int(11). The imported product code contains letters (example: F1005104). Is this the reason why the "product_parent_id" is always "0" after import? Normally this should accept letters as well. Thank you")* Hi, Your CSV is not bad, but I'm surprised it works at all. The column titles are missing the prefix product_ for almost all of them. type should be product_type, code should be product_code, category should be categories, name should be product_name, description should be product_description, image1 image2 image3 and image4 should be regrouped into one column separated with commas or semi colons with the column name "images", etc. Please create a product like you want via the interface and export it. Then, open the CSV generated and you'll see all the correct column names you should use. Also, note that if all the variants have the same text as the main product for a column, you can only fill the cell of the main product and leave the variants cell empty. That way, the variants will automatically use the information of the main product on the product details page. Please [Log in](/login?return=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaGlrYXNob3AuY29tL2ZvcnVtLzQtaG93LXRvLzkwMjU1Ny1xdWVzdGlvbnMtYWJvdXQtaW1wb3J0aW5nLXByb2R1Y3Qtd2l0aC12YXJpYW50cy1mcm9tLWNzdj90bXBsPW1hcmtkb3du) or [Create an account](/component/users/registration?Itemid=101) to join the conversation. - **[liaskas](/forum/user/59465-liaskas "View liaskas's Profile")** - [![liaskas's Avatar](https://www.hikashop.com/media/kunena/core/svg/person.svg)](/forum/user/59465-liaskas "View liaskas's Profile") Topic Author - [ Offline](/forum/user/59465-liaskas) Less More - Posts: 205 - Thank you received: 12 - - 5 years 5 months ago [\#332499](#332499) by [liaskas](/forum/user/59465-liaskas "View liaskas's Profile") Replied by *[liaskas](/forum/user/59465-liaskas "View liaskas's Profile")* on topic *[Questions about importing product with variants from csv](/forum/4-how-to/902557-questions-about-importing-product-with-variants-from-csv#332499 "-- HikaShop version -- : 4.4.2 -- Joomla version -- : 3.9.25 -- PHP version -- : 7.4.14 Hello We need a solution to the following issue. imported one main product with five variants through a csv file. question 1 The "main" product_id does not exist before the import so we can not set product_parent_id for the "variant" records in the csv file that we want to import. Tried to use the "product_code" of the main product as "product_parent_id" but during the import it changes to "0". How can we solve this problem Question 2 The appropriate characteristics (megethos and color on our sample csv) have been created but they are not applied to the "main" product. We had to apply the characteristics to the main product manualy after the import. Question 3 After applying the appropriate characteristics to the imported "main" product, there is no default value for each characteristic selected and we had to select manually. What is the way to set the default value to the variants? We attach the csv file that we used in case you need to check. Please advise... PS: Noticed that the "product_parent_id" field in #__hikashop_product table is int(11). The imported product code contains letters (example: F1005104). Is this the reason why the "product_parent_id" is always "0" after import? Normally this should accept letters as well. Thank you")* We tried importing using... Hikashop - Product Cron Update and then tried RO CSVI We have set the column names and the corresponding database name. anyway... it is imported! Noticed that the "product_parent_id" field in #__hikashop_product table is int(11). The imported product code contains letters (example: F1005104). Is this the reason why the "product_parent_id" is always "0" after import? Normally this should accept letters as well. May that be the problem? Please [Log in](/login?return=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaGlrYXNob3AuY29tL2ZvcnVtLzQtaG93LXRvLzkwMjU1Ny1xdWVzdGlvbnMtYWJvdXQtaW1wb3J0aW5nLXByb2R1Y3Qtd2l0aC12YXJpYW50cy1mcm9tLWNzdj90bXBsPW1hcmtkb3du) or [Create an account](/component/users/registration?Itemid=101) 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") - [ Offline](/forum/user/63-nicolas) Less More - Posts: 86358 - Thank you received: 14293 - - 5 years 5 months ago [\#332502](#332502) by [nicolas](/forum/user/63-nicolas "View nicolas's Profile") Replied by *[nicolas](/forum/user/63-nicolas "View nicolas's Profile")* on topic *[Questions about importing product with variants from csv](/forum/4-how-to/902557-questions-about-importing-product-with-variants-from-csv#332502 "-- HikaShop version -- : 4.4.2 -- Joomla version -- : 3.9.25 -- PHP version -- : 7.4.14 Hello We need a solution to the following issue. imported one main product with five variants through a csv file. question 1 The "main" product_id does not exist before the import so we can not set product_parent_id for the "variant" records in the csv file that we want to import. Tried to use the "product_code" of the main product as "product_parent_id" but during the import it changes to "0". How can we solve this problem Question 2 The appropriate characteristics (megethos and color on our sample csv) have been created but they are not applied to the "main" product. We had to apply the characteristics to the main product manualy after the import. Question 3 After applying the appropriate characteristics to the imported "main" product, there is no default value for each characteristic selected and we had to select manually. What is the way to set the default value to the variants? We attach the csv file that we used in case you need to check. Please advise... PS: Noticed that the "product_parent_id" field in #__hikashop_product table is int(11). The imported product code contains letters (example: F1005104). Is this the reason why the "product_parent_id" is always "0" after import? Normally this should accept letters as well. Thank you")* Hi, It's normal that the product_parent_id is 0 for the main product in the database. It should be the id of the parent product for the variant entries in the hikashop_product table. If you have 0 in there for the variant entries after a HikaShop import, it means that the import saw the variant rows as main products and not variants of the first entry (probably because the "type" and "parent_id" columns should be named "product_type" and "product_parent_id" in the CSV). I can't comment on RO CSVI. I don't know how it handles variants import. Please [Log in](/login?return=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaGlrYXNob3AuY29tL2ZvcnVtLzQtaG93LXRvLzkwMjU1Ny1xdWVzdGlvbnMtYWJvdXQtaW1wb3J0aW5nLXByb2R1Y3Qtd2l0aC12YXJpYW50cy1mcm9tLWNzdj90bXBsPW1hcmtkb3du) or [Create an account](/component/users/registration?Itemid=101) to join the conversation. - **[liaskas](/forum/user/59465-liaskas "View liaskas's Profile")** - [![liaskas's Avatar](https://www.hikashop.com/media/kunena/core/svg/person.svg)](/forum/user/59465-liaskas "View liaskas's Profile") Topic Author - [ Offline](/forum/user/59465-liaskas) Less More - Posts: 205 - Thank you received: 12 - - 5 years 5 months ago - 5 years 5 months ago [\#332528](#332528) by [liaskas](/forum/user/59465-liaskas "View liaskas's Profile") Replied by *[liaskas](/forum/user/59465-liaskas "View liaskas's Profile")* on topic *[Questions about importing product with variants from csv](/forum/4-how-to/902557-questions-about-importing-product-with-variants-from-csv#332528 "-- HikaShop version -- : 4.4.2 -- Joomla version -- : 3.9.25 -- PHP version -- : 7.4.14 Hello We need a solution to the following issue. imported one main product with five variants through a csv file. question 1 The "main" product_id does not exist before the import so we can not set product_parent_id for the "variant" records in the csv file that we want to import. Tried to use the "product_code" of the main product as "product_parent_id" but during the import it changes to "0". How can we solve this problem Question 2 The appropriate characteristics (megethos and color on our sample csv) have been created but they are not applied to the "main" product. We had to apply the characteristics to the main product manualy after the import. Question 3 After applying the appropriate characteristics to the imported "main" product, there is no default value for each characteristic selected and we had to select manually. What is the way to set the default value to the variants? We attach the csv file that we used in case you need to check. Please advise... PS: Noticed that the "product_parent_id" field in #__hikashop_product table is int(11). The imported product code contains letters (example: F1005104). Is this the reason why the "product_parent_id" is always "0" after import? Normally this should accept letters as well. Thank you")* This is not true. I try to enter the value "F1005104" directly in the database product_parent_id field and it changes it to "0" I tried to enter the value "1005104" (same without the "F") and it was accepted. Are you sure that an int(10) Numeric Data Type accepts letters? Last edit: 5 years 5 months ago by [liaskas](/forum/user/59465-liaskas "View liaskas's Profile"). Please [Log in](/login?return=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaGlrYXNob3AuY29tL2ZvcnVtLzQtaG93LXRvLzkwMjU1Ny1xdWVzdGlvbnMtYWJvdXQtaW1wb3J0aW5nLXByb2R1Y3Qtd2l0aC12YXJpYW50cy1mcm9tLWNzdj90bXBsPW1hcmtkb3du) or [Create an account](/component/users/registration?Itemid=101) 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") - [ Offline](/forum/user/63-nicolas) Less More - Posts: 86358 - Thank you received: 14293 - - 5 years 5 months ago [\#332544](#332544) by [nicolas](/forum/user/63-nicolas "View nicolas's Profile") Replied by *[nicolas](/forum/user/63-nicolas "View nicolas's Profile")* on topic *[Questions about importing product with variants from csv](/forum/4-how-to/902557-questions-about-importing-product-with-variants-from-csv#332544 "-- HikaShop version -- : 4.4.2 -- Joomla version -- : 3.9.25 -- PHP version -- : 7.4.14 Hello We need a solution to the following issue. imported one main product with five variants through a csv file. question 1 The "main" product_id does not exist before the import so we can not set product_parent_id for the "variant" records in the csv file that we want to import. Tried to use the "product_code" of the main product as "product_parent_id" but during the import it changes to "0". How can we solve this problem Question 2 The appropriate characteristics (megethos and color on our sample csv) have been created but they are not applied to the "main" product. We had to apply the characteristics to the main product manualy after the import. Question 3 After applying the appropriate characteristics to the imported "main" product, there is no default value for each characteristic selected and we had to select manually. What is the way to set the default value to the variants? We attach the csv file that we used in case you need to check. Please advise... PS: Noticed that the "product_parent_id" field in #__hikashop_product table is int(11). The imported product code contains letters (example: F1005104). Is this the reason why the "product_parent_id" is always "0" after import? Normally this should accept letters as well. Thank you")* Hi, What is not true ? Everything you say in your message after this is compatible with what I say in my previous message. I never said that the product_parent_id column in the database accepts letters, which it doesn't. As I said: > It's normal that the product\_parent\_id is 0 for the main product in the database. > It should be the id of the parent product for the variant entries in the hikashop\_product table. So either the value should be 0 or the product_id of the variant in that same table. And the product_id is always a number since it's an auto_increment integer column. Please [Log in](/login?return=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaGlrYXNob3AuY29tL2ZvcnVtLzQtaG93LXRvLzkwMjU1Ny1xdWVzdGlvbnMtYWJvdXQtaW1wb3J0aW5nLXByb2R1Y3Qtd2l0aC12YXJpYW50cy1mcm9tLWNzdj90bXBsPW1hcmtkb3du) or [Create an account](/component/users/registration?Itemid=101) to join the conversation. - **[liaskas](/forum/user/59465-liaskas "View liaskas's Profile")** - [![liaskas's Avatar](https://www.hikashop.com/media/kunena/core/svg/person.svg)](/forum/user/59465-liaskas "View liaskas's Profile") Topic Author - [ Offline](/forum/user/59465-liaskas) Less More - Posts: 205 - Thank you received: 12 - - 5 years 5 months ago [\#332548](#332548) by [liaskas](/forum/user/59465-liaskas "View liaskas's Profile") Replied by *[liaskas](/forum/user/59465-liaskas "View liaskas's Profile")* on topic *[Questions about importing product with variants from csv](/forum/4-how-to/902557-questions-about-importing-product-with-variants-from-csv#332548 "-- HikaShop version -- : 4.4.2 -- Joomla version -- : 3.9.25 -- PHP version -- : 7.4.14 Hello We need a solution to the following issue. imported one main product with five variants through a csv file. question 1 The "main" product_id does not exist before the import so we can not set product_parent_id for the "variant" records in the csv file that we want to import. Tried to use the "product_code" of the main product as "product_parent_id" but during the import it changes to "0". How can we solve this problem Question 2 The appropriate characteristics (megethos and color on our sample csv) have been created but they are not applied to the "main" product. We had to apply the characteristics to the main product manualy after the import. Question 3 After applying the appropriate characteristics to the imported "main" product, there is no default value for each characteristic selected and we had to select manually. What is the way to set the default value to the variants? We attach the csv file that we used in case you need to check. Please advise... PS: Noticed that the "product_parent_id" field in #__hikashop_product table is int(11). The imported product code contains letters (example: F1005104). Is this the reason why the "product_parent_id" is always "0" after import? Normally this should accept letters as well. Thank you")* As you mentioned in your first reply CSV is not bad No matter what the column names are... [ ![Untitled-2.png](/forum/attachment/52705) ](/forum/attachment/52705 "Untitled-2.png") i made this csv according to your suggestions here... [ www.hikashop.com/forum/import-export-csv...ame-time.html#288289](https://www.hikashop.com/forum/import-export-csv-xls/893867-importing-products-and-product-variants-at-the-same-time.html#288289) In that post you provide an image that contains this: [ ![Untitled-5.png](/forum/attachment/52706) ](/forum/attachment/52706 "Untitled-5.png") Anyway.... can you please tell us what we have to do (step by step) to make the import from csv work? If we need to change something in the csv, please tell us what. - [ ![Untitled-2.png](/forum/attachment/52705) ](/forum/attachment/52705 "Untitled-2.png") [ ](/forum/attachment/52705?download=1 "Untitled-2.png") - [ ![Untitled-5.png](/forum/attachment/52706) ](/forum/attachment/52706 "Untitled-5.png") [ ](/forum/attachment/52706?download=1 "Untitled-5.png") Please [Log in](/login?return=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaGlrYXNob3AuY29tL2ZvcnVtLzQtaG93LXRvLzkwMjU1Ny1xdWVzdGlvbnMtYWJvdXQtaW1wb3J0aW5nLXByb2R1Y3Qtd2l0aC12YXJpYW50cy1mcm9tLWNzdj90bXBsPW1hcmtkb3du) or [Create an account](/component/users/registration?Itemid=101) 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") - [ Offline](/forum/user/63-nicolas) Less More - Posts: 86358 - Thank you received: 14293 - - 5 years 5 months ago [\#332549](#332549) by [nicolas](/forum/user/63-nicolas "View nicolas's Profile") Replied by *[nicolas](/forum/user/63-nicolas "View nicolas's Profile")* on topic *[Questions about importing product with variants from csv](/forum/4-how-to/902557-questions-about-importing-product-with-variants-from-csv#332549 "-- HikaShop version -- : 4.4.2 -- Joomla version -- : 3.9.25 -- PHP version -- : 7.4.14 Hello We need a solution to the following issue. imported one main product with five variants through a csv file. question 1 The "main" product_id does not exist before the import so we can not set product_parent_id for the "variant" records in the csv file that we want to import. Tried to use the "product_code" of the main product as "product_parent_id" but during the import it changes to "0". How can we solve this problem Question 2 The appropriate characteristics (megethos and color on our sample csv) have been created but they are not applied to the "main" product. We had to apply the characteristics to the main product manualy after the import. Question 3 After applying the appropriate characteristics to the imported "main" product, there is no default value for each characteristic selected and we had to select manually. What is the way to set the default value to the variants? We attach the csv file that we used in case you need to check. Please advise... PS: Noticed that the "product_parent_id" field in #__hikashop_product table is int(11). The imported product code contains letters (example: F1005104). Is this the reason why the "product_parent_id" is always "0" after import? Normally this should accept letters as well. Thank you")* Hi, In the CSV file, in the "product_parent_id" column of variant rows, you need to have the product_code of the main product row, not the product_id. And YES, in the CSV file, the column product_parent_id can have letters. The import script will automatically replace the product_code in that column with the product_id of the main product. This is because when you import a new product, it doesn't have yet a product_id, but you still need to link the variants to the main product in the product_parent_id column. Thus, we're using the product_code in the product_parent_id column of the CSV instead. I already told you what you should do to change your CSV file in my first message: > The column titles are missing the prefix product\_ for almost all of them. > type should be product\_type, code should be product\_code, category should be categories, name should be product\_name, description should be product\_description, image1 image2 image3 and image4 should be regrouped into one column separated with commas or semi colons with the column name "images", etc. > Please create a product like you want via the interface and export it. Then, open the CSV generated and you'll see all the correct column names you should use. > Also, note that if all the variants have the same text as the main product for a column, you can only fill the cell of the main product and leave the variants cell empty. That way, the variants will automatically use the information of the main product on the product details page. In all your messages here since then, you didn't talk about all that I said in that quote and just talked about the product_parent_id column. Please do the modifications I talked about and try again. If that still doesn't work, please provide your new CSV file so that I can tell you what you're still missing in it. Please [Log in](/login?return=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaGlrYXNob3AuY29tL2ZvcnVtLzQtaG93LXRvLzkwMjU1Ny1xdWVzdGlvbnMtYWJvdXQtaW1wb3J0aW5nLXByb2R1Y3Qtd2l0aC12YXJpYW50cy1mcm9tLWNzdj90bXBsPW1hcmtkb3du) or [Create an account](/component/users/registration?Itemid=101) 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? Support en Français de HikaSerial (French Support) HikaSubscription HikaAuction Auction: Feature requests Auction: How to? Auction: Bug report Hikashop around the world Support en Français (French Support) Russian FAQ. Курс выживания с Hikashop. Частые вопросы и о Расширения Hikashop Наши сайты на Hikashop 日本語版サポート(Japanese Support) Thai German Archives Bug Report How to? [](/forum/topics/feed/mode-topics?format=feed&type=rss) Time to create page: 0.067 seconds [Powered by](/forum/credits) [Kunena Forum](https://www.kunena.org)