Shopify CSV UTF-8 repair
Shopify CSV Encoding Error
Encoding errors happen when the bytes in your CSV do not match the UTF-8 format Shopify expects. EcomCSVFix detects Windows exports, BOM prefixes, and special characters, then saves a clean UTF-8 file.
What causes this error
- The file was saved as Windows-1252 or Latin-1 instead of UTF-8.
- A UTF-8 BOM prefix was added before the first header, which can break strict parsing.
- Special characters such as €, £, smart quotes, accented letters, or long dashes were exported in the wrong encoding.
- The CSV was exported from Excel on Windows or an older inventory system with regional encoding defaults.
How to fix it
Option A: fix it manually
- Open the CSV in Notepad++, VS Code, or another text editor that shows file encoding.
- Convert the file to UTF-8 without BOM so the first header starts cleanly with Handle.
- Check that special characters in Title, Body (HTML), Vendor, Tags, and SEO Description still display correctly.
- Save the file and retry the Shopify product import.
Option B: fix it automatically
- Upload the CSV and EcomCSVFix detects the source encoding before parsing the product rows.
- Download a UTF-8 CSV without BOM, with special characters preserved where possible.
Before and after
\xEF\xBB\xBFHandle,Title,Variant Price
cafe-mug,Café Mug,£12.00Handle,Title,Variant Price
cafe-mug,Café Mug,12.00Fix it automatically in 30 seconds
Upload your CSV, let EcomCSVFix repair the broken rows, then download a Shopify-ready file.
Free for up to 5 files/month. No credit card.
FAQ
Does Shopify require UTF-8 CSV files?
UTF-8 is the safest encoding for Shopify product CSV imports because it supports international characters and avoids legacy Windows byte issues.
Should I save with or without BOM?
Use UTF-8 without BOM for the cleanest import. A BOM can become part of the first header value in strict CSV parsers.
Will accented product names be removed?
No. Correct conversion should preserve names like Café, Niño, and Zürich while making the file readable as UTF-8.
Why does the file look fine in Excel but fail in Shopify?
Excel can hide encoding details. A file may display normally in Excel while still being saved in an encoding Shopify cannot parse reliably.