6 Tips to Simplify Your CSV Upload Process – Excel Tricks

Need to upload a lot of orders into Shippo that weren’t placed via your e-commerce store? You’ll want to use our simple CSV upload import tool. You’ll find this in the upper-right hand corner of your Orders tab.

This is a smart option for those of you who have more than a handful of manual orders to create, orders placed from a large third-party (often, a wholesaler), or simply a batch of orders that you’d like to customize during the import process. Examples of customization include editing many addresses or rearranging the order of data. CSV files will be especially useful for those of you managing a large volume of products with diverse product variants like size and color.

To use our CSV upload tool, you’ll need to save or export your order data as an Excel file and ready it for upload. Once the file is uploaded, all of your order data will populate your Orders dashboard and then you can batch-create and download labels as usual!

Let’s back up for a second and clarify what a CSV file is:  A CSV file is a stripped-down plain text file that is capable of storing high volumes of data in a simple and flexible format. Each piece of data is recorded on one line. CSV files are commonly used as an easy way to transfer data between spreadsheet and database programs. They’ve become the universal file format for transferring reams of data like e-commerce store orders. Most of these program types and .doc and .txt files can be saved as CSV files and uploaded into Excel.

Here are our top 6 tricks for creating & tidying up your CSV:

1. Use Our Template!

We’ve done the hardest part for you by creating a template that includes all of the column headings for organizing your data. It also includes a sample order as an example. Required columns are outlined for you in our Help Center article.

2. Sort Your Data

You can organize your data by sorting it so that it uploads into your Shippo dashboard in a particular order. Sort by order number, product item title, address, or another value. For example, you could sort so that all international address are first – your orders will then be broken up into two chunks in your dashboard: domestic & international.

To sort your data, simply select Data > Sort or select the funnel icon in the toolbar and choose Ascending or Descending.

3. Create Filters!

If your spreadsheet is data-heavy, it can be difficult to find things quickly. Filters are used to pare down the data, allowing you to view only the select information you need.

Go to Data > Filter (funnel icon) in the toolbar. Drop-down arrows will appear in each column header.

Click the arrow for the column you want to filter. Uncheck “Select All” and then check the appropriate boxes. Click OK.

The data will filter, temporarily hiding anything that doesn’t match your chosen criteria.

4. Eliminate Unnecessary Characters

You may notice that your data contains unnecessary characters in a particular column e.g. an apostrophe before each zip code. Here are 2 ways to eliminate an extra character using the zip code example:

Create a new column adjacent to the zip code column and enter =RIGHT(cell value of first zip code,1).

Ctrl+f to Find & Replace the apostrophe with a blank space. Here’s further detail on this process.

5. Mass-Edit

If you need to make an edit many times, the Find & Replace (Ctrl + f) function is a practical one to familiarize yourself with. You may need to make edits to addresses, item names, or weight units, for example. Instead of manually editing each cell, one-by one, target all appropriate cells in one shot using Find & Replace:

Ctrl + f on your keyboard

Enter whatever data you want to replace en masse in the “Find What:” box.

Enter your fix into the “Replace With:” box or leave it blank if you want to delete the original data.

Select “Replace All” and you’re all set!

6. Format Tracking Numbers!

When you export your shipment data from Shippo, you may find that the tracking numbers are in the wrong format (scientific notation) with a decimal point and + sign. If you’re looking to email these tracking numbers to customers, you’ll need to convert your Excel doc into a Google sheet for accurate formatting. Here are the simple steps:

Export data from Shippo > Download > Open Google Drive > New > File Upload (see below) > Select your file

Highlight your file > “Open with” > Google Sheets

Shippo is a multi-carrier API and web app that helps retailers, marketplaces and platforms connect to a global network of carriers. Businesses use Shippo to get real-time rates, print labels, automate international paperwork, track packages and facilitate returns. Shippo provides the tools to help businesses succeed through shipping.