Etsy is where many sellers start. Shopify is where many of them eventually move — for lower fees, more control, or to build a brand that isn't dependent on Etsy's algorithm. But migrating hundreds of listings from Etsy to Shopify is a project.
This guide covers the actual process, step by step.
Step 1: Export your Etsy listings
Go to your Etsy Shop Manager, then Settings, then Options, then Download Data. Select "Currently Active Listings" and download the CSV.
This gives you a CSV with your titles, descriptions, prices, quantities, tags, and variation data. It does not include your product images — you'll need to handle those separately.
Step 2: Understand the format gap
Etsy's export CSV and Shopify's import CSV use completely different column names and structures:
| Data | Etsy column | Shopify column |
|---|---|---|
| Product name | Title | Title |
| Description | Description | Body (HTML) |
| Price | Price | Variant Price |
| Stock | Quantity | Variant Inventory Qty |
| SKU | SKU | Variant SKU |
| Product ID | Listing ID | Handle |
| Variants | Variation 1 Values | Option1 Value (one per row) |
You can't just rename the columns. Etsy puts all variations in one row. Shopify puts each variant on its own row. Etsy descriptions are plain text. Shopify expects HTML. The entire structure is different.
Step 3: Reformat for Shopify
For each Etsy listing, you need to create one or more Shopify rows with the correct column names, generate URL handles from titles, split variations into separate rows, convert plain text descriptions to HTML, and fill in Shopify-required fields like "Published," "Status," "Variant Fulfillment Service," and "Variant Inventory Policy."
For 10 products, you can do this manually in a spreadsheet. For 100+, you need a tool.
Step 4: Handle your images
Etsy's CSV export doesn't include image URLs in a format Shopify can use. You'll need to either download your images from Etsy and re-upload them to Shopify after import, or use a migration app that transfers images via Etsy's API.
Step 5: Import to Shopify
Once your CSV is formatted correctly: Go to Shopify admin, Products, Import. Upload the CSV, review the preview, and click Import. Check your products after import to make sure variants, prices, and descriptions look right.
The easier way
Instead of manually reformatting your Etsy CSV: export from Etsy, upload to Catalogd, and download a Shopify-ready CSV. Catalogd handles the column mapping, variant restructuring, SEO fields, and description formatting automatically. Your Etsy products become Shopify products in minutes. Try it free with 5 products.