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Shopify size problem

Split a Shopify CSV That Exceeds the Import Limit

Split an oversized Shopify product, inventory or customer CSV while preserving headers, related rows and UTF-8 encoding.

Use the matching tool

Split Large File

Open Split Large File

What the error actually means

Shopify documents a 15 MB per-file limit for several CSV import types. Splitting by raw bytes is unsafe because a product can span related rows and a quoted field can contain line breaks. The split also needs the correct Shopify header on every part.

Likely causes

  • The export contains too many records or long HTML descriptions.
  • Image URLs and metafield values make rows unusually wide.
  • A simple line splitter separated related product or variant rows.
  • The chunks were resaved with a non-UTF-8 encoding.

Safe batch boundary

Problem

Cut the file every 15 MB in a text editor

Correct pattern

Create UTF-8 CSV chunks below the limit, with a complete header and intact logical records

A safe repair workflow

  1. 1Preserve the original and identify the Shopify import type.
  2. 2Choose a target comfortably below the documented limit.
  3. 3Split with CSV-aware record parsing.
  4. 4For product files, inspect variant grouping at every boundary before importing.

How to verify the result

A file that downloads successfully is not automatically a correct file. Check the result at both the structural and business-data levels:

  • Every chunk is below the applicable limit.
  • Each chunk has one correct header.
  • No product relationship is unintentionally broken.
  • Combined data-row counts equal the source.

Read the deeper guides

How to Prepare Shopify Product CSV (Complete Import Guide)Learn the exact Shopify CSV format for bulk product imports. Avoid common errors and import your products successfully on the first try.How to Split Large CSV Files (3 Easy Methods)Split large CSV files that are too big for Excel. Learn how to divide CSV files by row count or column values. Handle files over 1 million rows.

Official references

Platform requirements and technical standards can change. These are the primary references used for this page.