How to import orders via a CSV file

Table of Contents

Overview Before you begin Steps Step 1: Download and fill in the template CSV file formatting Formatting rules Step 2: Import your file Verification Common errors and warnings Good to know Need help?

Overview

You can import orders in bulk from a CSV file instead of adding them one at a time. This is useful when you manage orders outside a connected shop integration, for example orders you take by phone or email, or orders from a system that Cropster doesn't sync with.

This article shows you how to download the CSV template, format your file, and import it. You import orders on a desktop or laptop browser. Cropster doesn't support this feature on mobile or tablet.

Note: Import only open orders. If a row represents an order that is already completed, Cropster still creates the order, but it doesn't deduct inventory right away. Inventory is reduced only after you move the order through fulfillment and mark it as completed. You cannot mark an order as completed without reducing inventory.

Before you begin

Every Product variant SKU in your file must already exist in Cropster. Cropster rejects any order referencing an SKU that it cannot find.
Use a desktop or laptop browser. The order import functionality isn't available on mobile or tablet.
CSV import only creates new orders. It cannot update, cancel, or delete orders that already exist in Cropster.

Steps

Step 1: Download and fill in the template

Click on Commerce > Orders in the navigation bar at the top of the page.
On the order overview page, click CSV import in the top right corner of the page, next to the + Add order button. A dedicated import page will open.
On the import page, click Download template to get a CSV template with the correct column headers.
Open the downloaded file in Excel or LibreOffice, or upload it to Google Sheets, and fill in the order information. The template includes two example rows: one with the optional fields filled in and one with them left blank. This way you can see the expected format before you add your own data.

CSV file formatting

The following table lists the required and optional columns and provides examples for correctly filling them in. In this example, the first two rows share the same order number, so Cropster imports them as two line items on a single order. The third row is a separate order.

Order number Required	Order date Required	Product variant SKU Required	Quantity Required	Customer Optional	Customer Type Optional
PRC-ORD-101	2026-01-01	ETH-250G-WB	10	Bean There Cafe	Wholesale
PRC-ORD-101	2026-01-01	SAN-500G-WB	5	Bean There Cafe	Wholesale
PRC-ORD-102	2026-01-01 09:30	COL-1KG-WB	2	Jane Smith	Retail

Formatting rules

Required columns: Your file must include Order number, Order date, Product variant SKU, and Quantity.
Column mapping: Column headers are matched to the required fields automatically where possible. Any column that isn't recognized, or is in a different order than the template, is mapped to the correct field manually before importing. Any extra columns will be ignored.
Order date: Use the format YYYY-MM-DD or YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM (24-hour time, without seconds or a time zone). If you leave out the time, Cropster uses 00:00. Cropster interprets the date and time in your own profile's time zone, the same as when you add an order manually.
During column mapping, you also select which date format your file uses, so files using a different date order or separator, for example DD/MM/YYYY, are also accepted.
Customer Type: Enter Retail or Wholesale (not case-sensitive). Cropster ignores any other value.
Group multiple items into one order: Cropster combines rows that share the same order number into a single order, with one line item per row. Cropster takes the Order date, Customer, and Customer Type from the first row in the group. If later rows in the group have different values in those columns, Cropster ignores them without a warning, so keep those fields consistent across every row for the same order.
Duplicate rows: If two or more rows are identical in every column, Cropster imports only one of them and removes the rest before it processes the file.

Step 2: Import your file

Click Browse files and select your completed CSV file. The file must be in .csv format, no larger than 3 MB.
A Column mapping section shows below the upload, listing how each column in your file matches the required fields. Recognized headers are pre-filled, with a sample value from your file next to each field for confirmation.
1. For any field that isn't pre-filled, select the matching column from the dropdown next to it. The sample value updates immediately so you can verify that you selected the right column. If optional values are empty in the first row of the CSV file, the sample field remains empty.
2. For the Order date column, also select the correct date format used in your file (for example YYYY-MM-DD or DD/MM/YYYY). Select the date format again whenever you change which column is mapped to Order date.
  Note: Your column mapping is remembered in this browser, so importing another file with the same column headers pre-fills the same mapping, even if the columns are in a different order. This mapping is stored locally in your browser and is not shared across different browsers, computers or users.
Click Import at the bottom of the page:

Verification

What happens next depends on the contents of your file:

Outcome	What you see
All orders imported successfully	Cropster takes you to the Orders overview and shows a confirmation message: "Orders imported: [N] orders added to the overview."
Imported, but some rows need attention	Cropster shows the same confirmation message, plus a warning banner on the Orders overview that lists the affected orders and the reason (for example, an archived product). This banner is visible only to you and only during your current browser session. It doesn't reappear when you return later, and other people on your team don't see it.
Import failed	You stay on the import page. Cropster shows the error inline below the file name and disables the Import button. Remove the file, fix your CSV, then upload it again.

Common errors and warnings

Message	What it means	What to do
Invalid file type. Upload a CSV file.	The file you uploaded isn't a `.csv` file.	Save your file as CSV, then upload it again.
Product Variant SKU (X) does not exist	The SKU in that row doesn't match any product variant in Cropster, or the variant was deleted. This blocks the whole import until it is fixed.	Check the SKU for typos, or create the product or product variant in Cropster first.
Product Variant SKU (X) references an archived product	The SKU exists, but its product is archived. This is a warning only, so the order will still be created.	No action is required unless the product was archived by mistake. If needed, unarchive the variant in Cropster.
Order number already exists	An order with that order number already exists in Cropster. CSV import can only create new orders.	Use a unique order number or update the existing order directly in Cropster.
Two fields mapped to the same column	You selected the same column for two different fields in the Column mapping section.	Map each field to a different column.
A required field is left unmapped	One of the required fields (Order number, Order date, Product variant SKU, Quantity) doesn't have a column mapped to it.	Map every required field before importing.

Good to know

An import either succeeds completely or fails completely. If any row has a blocking error, nothing will be imported from the file.
There is no import history log, so save your original CSV file in case you need it later.

Need help?

If you run into an issue that is not covered by this article, contact our Support team.