Key Takeaways
- Shopify's native export works for your own store — but not for extracting competitor catalogs
- Third-party apps add features but cost $10–$50/month
- ProdSift extracts any public Shopify or WooCommerce store in seconds — no API key or app install needed
- Your CSV will include titles, descriptions, variants, SKUs, prices, inventory, and images
There are three main reasons people want to export Shopify products to CSV: backing up their own store, migrating to another platform, or researching what competitors are selling. Each use case calls for a slightly different approach.
In this guide, we cover all three methods in detail — Shopify's native CSV export, third-party export apps, and how to extract any store's catalog with ProdSift (even if you don't own it).
Why you'd want to export Shopify products
The most common reasons store owners and ecommerce entrepreneurs export product data:
- Platform migration — moving from Shopify to WooCommerce (or vice versa)
- Backup — keeping a local copy of your catalog
- Bulk editing — making mass price or description changes in Excel, then re-importing
- Competitor research — analyzing what products a competing store carries and at what prices
- Supplier catalog comparison — matching your products against a supplier's list
- Dropshipping store setup — launching a store with an existing catalog as a starting point
Method 1: Native Shopify CSV export
If you own the Shopify store, this is the easiest starting point. Shopify has a built-in product export tool in the admin dashboard.
Step-by-step
Open Products in your Shopify Admin
Go to shopify.com/admin → Products
Click the Export button
Top-right corner of the Products page
Choose what to export
All products, current page, or a specific selection
Select the CSV format
Choose "CSV for Excel, Numbers, or other spreadsheet programs"
Click Export Products
Shopify emails you the file, usually within minutes
⚠️ Limitation: This only works for stores you own and have admin access to. If you want to extract a competitor's catalog, skip ahead to Method 3.
Method 2: Third-party export apps
Several Shopify apps extend the native export with features like scheduled exports, custom column mapping, and FTP delivery. Popular options include Matrixify (Excelify), Data Export, and EasyCSV.
These are useful if you need to export on a schedule, want to filter by collection or product type, or need to transform the data into a specific format for a supplier or marketplace.
Method 3: Extract any store with ProdSift
This is the only method that works on stores you don't own. ProdSift extracts product data from any public Shopify or WooCommerce store — no API key, no app installation, no login required.
It's designed for three main use cases: competitor research, dropshipping store setup, and platform migration.
How it works
What data is included in the CSV?
A standard Shopify product CSV export includes the following columns:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Handle | Unique URL slug for the product |
| Title | Product name |
| Body (HTML) | Product description |
| Vendor | Brand or supplier |
| Type | Product category |
| Variant SKU | Stock keeping unit per variant |
| Variant Price | Selling price |
| Variant Compare At Price | Original/strike-through price |
| Variant Inventory Qty | Current stock level |
| Image Src | URL of the product image |
Importing your CSV into another platform
Once you have the CSV, importing depends on where you're taking it:
Shopify
Products → Import → Upload CSV. Shopify validates the file before importing and shows you a preview.
WooCommerce
Products → Import → Run the Importer. You'll need to map the CSV columns to WooCommerce fields.
Google Sheets / Excel
File → Import → Upload. Use comma as the delimiter.
FAQ
Can I export products from a Shopify store I don't own?
Not through Shopify's native admin — that requires store access. ProdSift can extract products from any public Shopify store without admin credentials.
Do exported images come with the CSV?
Image URLs are included in the CSV. The actual image files aren't downloaded — just the links. You can use a batch download tool or re-upload the URLs directly into your new store.
Is it legal to extract products from competitor stores?
Publicly visible product information is generally accessible, but you should always check a site's terms of service and applicable laws in your jurisdiction before using extracted data commercially.
How many products can ProdSift extract?
The free plan extracts up to 5 products. Paid plans support full catalog extraction for stores with thousands of products.
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