Importing and exporting files on Big Commerce can seem like a daunting task at first but with the steps and video listed below you should be able to import and export with ease. 

Before Getting Started

To import and export on Big Commerce you will need access to a program like Excel, Numbers, or Google Sheets that supports CSV and XML files. CSV is recommended due to the fact that it is needed if you plan to import exported data back into Big Commerce.

The CSV requires certain fields for import. 

Creating new products requires:

• Product name
• Price fields. 

Importing product images must have:

• Only allowed characters 
• Case-sensitive text 
• Image files that are either JPEG/JPG, GIF or PNG. 

When importing SKUs they must have the:

• Product SKU
• Stock level fields

For other common issues visit the Big Commerce troubleshooting page.

Choosing An Export Template

Big Commerce provides two export templates.

Bulk edit (recommended) – This template allows you to skip steps in the import process since it prefilled headers that are the same as the ones Big Commerce uses. 

Default – this template only has basic fields like name, weight, description, and price.

You can make your own custom template and decide which export fields to include.

Export Your Products

1. Click on Bulk Edit
2. Choose Export to ____ (CSV)
3. Optional- Check Save export to the server for later download (this will save progress in case any interruptions happen while exporting
4. Click Continue button in the bottom right corner
5. Click the Download link in the pop-up window

Importing Products

1. Go to Products
2. Click Import

Steps to take if you used the Bulk Edit 

1. Check the box next to Bulk Edit Re-Import
2. The fields will auto-populate
3. Upload your edited CSV file
4. Click Next
5. Edit the Link Import Fields to match the headers in your CSV spreadsheet (if you used the Bulk Edit option this isn’t necessary)
6. Click Next
7. Click Start Import
8. Options will come up click More Information to check for any warnings found during the import process
9. Click View Imported Products

Creating New Products Via Import

When adding a new product there are some things that are required.

Required fields for a new product:

• Product Name
• Category
• Price
• Weight (physical products only)
• Track Inventory Value

Leave this field blank otherwise the product will not upload correctly

• Product ID

To ensure import runs smoothly do not import more than a couple hundred items and use the Bulk Edit CSV if possible.

Importing Product Options

To create product variants tied to product options, you will need to add sub-product SKUs or Rules with those attributes. The easiest process is to create the base product first, export it, then add the SKUs or Rules. 

Importing Product Images

As mentioned above images have requirements they are:

• Image file names are restricted to a-z, 0-9, – and _.
• Image file names cannot contain any spaces or special characters.
• Image file types must be JPEG/JPG, GIF or PNG. They cannot be TIFF, BMP, or PDF file formats.
• The optimal size for your product images is 1280 x 1280 pixels. Other product images (like thumbnails) will be created from the original image you upload.

There are two ways to import an image:

• If the image is already on the Internet you can use the URL to import them using the image path in the CSV file
• If you’re uploading photos from your computer it’s recommended to upload them using WebDAV

How to import using the image path:

1. Find the column in your CSV for product images. If you’re using the Bulk Edit template, this column will be called Product Image File
   • If you are importing new products, be sure to leave the Product Image ID column blank.
2. Enter the full path (URL) http must be included
3. To upload multiple images for a single product, create a new column with a heading of Product Image File – # (increasing the number each time you make a new column)
4. To include any of the other information for that image (such as descriptions), make a new column with the appropriate heading and the same number as the corresponding image.

Ex: 

1. • Product Image ID – 2
   • Product Image File – 2
   • Product Image Description – 2
2. Once these steps have been completed import your items. If you are using a template other than Bulk Edit, match the Product Image field to the correct column on the Link Import Fields step of the import.

Uploading through WebDAV:

1. Connect to your store through WebDAV 
2. Open the product_images folder followed by the import folder. Then drag and drop the images from your computer into the import folder.
3. In your product CSV, locate the column for product images. If you are using the Bulk Edit template, this column is called Product Image File – (#). Enter the file name (such as image.png) of the image file.
4. To upload multiple images for a single product, create a new column with a heading of Product Image File – # (increasing the number each time you make a new column)
5. To include any of the other information for that image (such as descriptions), make a new column with the appropriate heading and the same number as the corresponding image.
6. If you are using a template other than Bulk Edit, match the Product Image field to the correct column on the Link Import Fields step of the import.

Exporting Specific Products

There are three ways to export specific products. They are selecting individual products, export products based on search or view, export products belonging to a certain category.

Here are the steps to export select individual products:

1. Go to Products
2. Click on View
3. Click the checkbox to the left of the product or products you want to export

This how-to guide is to help you understand the order process on Big Commerce. It will explain order statuses, changing an order status, and how they can be used during the fulfillment process.

How To View Your Orders

To view your orders and order statuses go to Orders and click on View.

Order Status

Order statuses are generally automatically updated when a customer or store user does an action. These statuses can be manually changed if needed. Below is a list of order statuses.

New orders that have been paid for will have a status of “Awaiting Fulfillment” (physical products) or “Completed” (downloadable products)

Pre-orders or backorder will have a status saying pending, awaiting payment, or awaiting fulfillment.

Here’s a list of all order statuses and their definitions:

• Pending — Customer started the checkout process but did not complete it. Incomplete orders are assigned a “Pending” status and can be found under the More tab in the View Orders screen.
• Awaiting Payment — Customer has completed the checkout process, but payment has yet to be confirmed. Authorize only transactions that are not yet captured have this status.
• Awaiting Fulfillment — Customer has completed the checkout process and payment has been confirmed.
• Awaiting Shipment — Order has been pulled and packaged and is awaiting collection from a shipping provider.
• Awaiting Pickup — Order has been packaged and is awaiting customer pickup from a seller-specified location.
• Partially Shipped — Only some items in the order have been shipped, due to some products being pre-order only or other reasons.
• Completed — Order has been shipped/picked up, and receipt is confirmed; client has paid for their digital product, and their file(s) are available for download.
• Shipped — Order has been shipped, but receipt has not been confirmed; seller has used the Ship Items action. A listing of all orders with a “Shipped” status can be found under the More tab of the View Orders screen.
• Cancelled — Seller has cancelled an order, due to a stock inconsistency or other reasons. Stock levels will automatically update depending on your Inventory Settings. Cancelling an order will not refund the order. This status is triggered automatically when an order using an authorize-only payment gateway is voided in the control panel before capturing payment.
• Declined — Seller has marked the order as declined for lack of manual payment, or other reasons
• Refunded — Seller has used the Refund action. A listing of all orders with a “Refunded” status can be found under the More tab of the View Orders screen.
• Disputed — Customer has initiated a dispute for the method of payment used for the order.
• Manual Verification Required — Order on hold while some aspect (e.g. tax-exempt documentation) needs to be manually confirmed. Orders with this status must be updated manually. Capturing funds or other order actions will not automatically update the status of an order marked Manual Verification Required.
• Partially Refunded — Seller has partially refunded the order.

Changing An Order Status

As mentioned earlier most order statuses will automatically be changed when a customer does an action on the store, but there are a few instances where items will have to be changed manually. For example, shipping items will change an order’s status to Shipped, whereas a Cancelled or Declined order status has to be manually applied.

To manually change a status:

1. Go to Orders
2. Click on View
3. Change the status in the order status drop-down menu

When a status is changed the customer will receive an email notification. You can select which statuses trigger these emails in your checkout settings.

Order Status Workflow

While every business is different and you may find a different process that works for you here is an efficient way to handle incoming orders step by step.

1. You receive a new order

2. On your orders screen, you will see there is a new order with the status Awaiting Fulfillment

3. You package the order and purchase the appropriate shipping label. You take the package to a shipping provider or schedule a pickup. In either case, you manually update the status to Awaiting Shipment, which indicates the order is ready to leave your business

4. Once the shipping company has possession of the item you go into Orders and click on View then click on the Ship Items button which changes the status to Shipped

5. Optionally, you could confirm receipt by the customer by emailing them the tracking number or other methods — then manually update the order status to Complete.

Status Change Notifications

You can select which order statuses trigger an email notification to your customers by editing your order notification settings. This is in addition to the Order Confirmation email (also known as the Invoice email), which is sent automatically. You can customize the email templates for both the Order Confirmation and Status update messages by going to Storefront and clicking on Email Templates in the control panel.

Order status notifications are universal and apply to all customers. For example, you can’t specify that a particular customer group doesn’t get a particular status notification.

Customizing An Order Status Label

You can customize the order status labels to something more specific to your business. For example, you could update the Awaiting Shipment status (which represents that an order has been pulled and packaged, and is awaiting collection from a shipping provider) to Package ready to be picked up by FedEx. This will not give it any additional functionality but can be used to provide more specifics for your customers or fulfillment team.

Here are the steps to rename an order status:

1. Go to Orders
2. Click on Order Status 
3. Click Edit, and the fields will become editable text fields. You’re able to customize your Order Status labels up to 200 characters in length.
4. Once you’re satisfied with the changes click Save

If you’d like to change a status back to the original status click the ellipses and select Restore to Default.

*Note- If your label is longer than 30 characters, it will be trimmed in the control panel but will show as full length to your customers.