Shopify Bulk Edit Descriptions: A Comprehensive Tutorial

If you’re managing a Shopify store, you know how crucial it is to keep your product descriptions up to date and engaging. However, editing products one by one can be tedious and inefficient. That’s why Shopify bulk edit descriptions tools come in useful to store owners, enabling them to make wide-ranging updates quickly and consistently.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through 2 methods you can use to bulk edit your Shopify product descriptions efficiently.

What Are the Methods For Shopify Bulk Edit Descriptions?

There are mainly two approaches to bulk editing product descriptions on Shopify:

Native Shopify tools

Shopify provides a built-in bulk editor that lets you select multiple products within your Shopify admin and edit their descriptions in a spreadsheet-like interface. This is convenient for quick edits across a handful of products.

You can also export your product data as a CSV file, edit the descriptions in a spreadsheet program like Excel or Google Sheets, and then re-import the updated file back into Shopify. This method is ideal for more extensive edits or if you prefer working offline.

Third-party apps

Numerous apps in the Shopify App Store specialize in bulk editing. These apps offer enhanced flexibility, automation, and additional functionality to help you manage description edits more efficiently, especially if you have a large product catalog.

BulkFlow stands out as a powerful Shopify app designed to simplify and enhance bulk editing tasks beyond the default Shopify capabilities. It enables merchants to easily bulk edit product descriptions and other tasks such as importing/exporting pages, blogs, customers, metafields, etc. using a variety of data sources.

With automatic field mapping and scheduling, BulkFlow reduces manual work and errors, making large-scale product data management more efficient and accurate for online stores of all sizes.

Read more:

• Shopify Import/Export Pages
• Shopify Import/Export Blog Posts
• Shopify Import/Export Metafields
• Shopify Import/Export Customers

Can You Handle Shopify Bulk Edit Product Description by Default?

Yes, Shopify provides built-in features that allow you to bulk edit product descriptions without the need for additional apps. Two common methods are the Shopify Bulk Editor and the CSV export/import process. Below is a detailed step-by-step guide to help you effectively use these native tools.

Using Shopify Bulk Editor

The Shopify Bulk Editor lets you edit multiple product descriptions simultaneously directly from your admin dashboard.

Here is how to use the native Shopify Bulk Editor to edit your product descriptions in bulk:

1. Go to Shopify Admin > Products, select the products you want to edit, and click Bulk edit to open the editor.
2. Enable the Description column via the Columns button.
3. Edit descriptions in the spreadsheet-like interface, then click Save to apply changes.

Using CSV export and import method

For more extensive bulk editing, especially if you prefer spreadsheet software or need to perform large-scale edits, the CSV method is very effective.

Here is how to bulk edit your Shopify product descriptions using the CSV export and import product method: 

1. Export your products CSV from Shopify Admin > Products > Export.

2. Open the CSV in a spreadsheet editor, locate the Body HTML column, and make your bulk edits while preserving essential columns.

3. Import the edited CSV in Shopify via Products > Import, select Overwrite products with matching handles. Click Upload and Preview.

4. Check changes in the preview and finish the import process by clicking Import Product. Shopify will update all product descriptions with your edited content.

An A-Z Guide on Shopify Bulk Edit Descriptions with BulkFlow

BulkFlow is a powerful app designed to simplify and automate description and other product data like prices, tags, collection import, export, and update. Here’s a detailed step-by-step guide to help you leverage BulkFlow for efficient bulk description updates:

• Step 1: Prepare for bulk edit product descriptions Shopify
• Step 2: Create a new feed for description update
• Step 3: Connect your file to BulkFlow
• Step 4: Map your fields and run the update

Step 1: Prepare for bulk edit product descriptions Shopify

To get started, you first need a BulkFlow account. You can either create one by signing up on BulkFlow’s website or install the BulkFlow app directly through the Shopify App Store.

Next, prepare your product data update file. There are three common ways to prepare your product description data for bulk editing:

Export CSV File from Shopify: Go to your Shopify admin > Products. Click on the Export button, then choose to export all or selected products as a CSV. This CSV file includes a Body (HTML) column that contains your product descriptions.

Export Products Using BulkFlow: With BulkFlow, you can export product data more selectively. You only need one product identifier (SKU, Product ID) and Description for export. This allows you to focus only on the necessary data for editing descriptions.

Prepare Your Own File: If you have an existing file, you’re ready to go. Just ensure your file contains accurate product identifiers and the description data you want to bulk update in Shopify. This file can then be uploaded directly for bulk editing.

Step 2: Create a new feed for description update

From the BulkFlow dashboard, click Create a Feed and select the Update option to start an update feed.

Then, give your feed a distinctive name to help identify it later. Select Products as the data entity you want to update. Select between using BulkFlow template or your own file based on what you choose in step 1.

You can connect your source file through several methods, including File URL, FTP/SFTP, File Upload, or Google Sheets. After choosing the connection method, click Continue to create the feed.

Step 3: Connect your file to BulkFlow

After the update feed was created, upload your file or paste your URL to connect with BulkFlow. Once the file is linked correctly and BulkFlow verifies access, click Next Step to move on.

Step 4: Map your fields and run the update

In this step, field mapping is done automatically for the BulkFlow template. For other templates, BulkFlow also analyzes the columns and auto-maps them with Shopify fields. You can also flexibly map your fields to ensure data accuracy.

For Shopify bulk edit product description, you need to focus on mapping the Description field. Check to see if it was mapped correctly to avoid any errors. 

After you’re done, click Next Step to execute the bulk edit update. BulkFlow will then process your data and update product descriptions (and any other specified fields) in your Shopify store.

Step 5: Check your bulk data update results

Once the bulk update is complete, you can monitor the results through the Activity Log in BulkFlow to see if your product description is successfully updated or not.

For ongoing management, BulkFlow allows you to set up automatic schedules for your updates to run regularly, keeping your product descriptions and data consistently up to date.

Additionally, when you press “View All Products”, BulkFlow will lead you to the Products Listing page, where you can review your product data, including description. There are 3 types of result status:

• Success: The products have been imported successfully.
• Failed: The products could not be imported.
• Warning: The products were imported, but certain details require adjustment.

Based on the result, store owners are able to fix necessary errors for description update. 

To see product details, click on the specific product and that product’s information panel will appear, including product description.

Best Practices to Bulk Edit Product Descriptions Shopify

To bulk edit product descriptions effectively on Shopify and maximize your store’s potential, it’s important to follow a strategic approach that balances efficiency, content quality, and SEO. Here are the key best practices:

Be thorough when you prepare

Begin with a clear plan outlining your editing objectives, whether it’s SEO optimization, standardizing content, or updating product details. By doing this, you can ensure your descriptions go in the right direction and align with your goals.

In addition, before making any bulk changes, always create a backup of your existing product data. This precaution ensures you can restore original descriptions if errors occur during editing or importing.

Focus on quality and consistency

When writing a description, you should make sure your content is clear, concise, and customer-focused. An important thing is balancing between effective SEO and engaging, user-friendly content for your audience by integrating relevant keywords naturally instead of keyword stuffing to improve search engine visibility without overloading. 

In addition, you also need to ensure consistency for your description. You should use a consistent tone, style, and format throughout your entire catalog to provide a cohesive and professional shopping experience.

Test with small-scale updates

Before applying bulk edits to your entire product catalog, it’s important to test your changes on a smaller batch of products. This allows you to verify how the updated descriptions appear on your storefront, check for formatting issues, and ensure there are no errors.

Automate and monitor for improvement

Take advantage of automation features in BulkFlow to schedule regular updates and keep your product descriptions consistently fresh and accurate. Automating repetitive tasks saves time, reduces manual errors, and ensures your product information remains up to date without constant manual intervention.

Shopify Bulk Edit Product Description – FAQs

Wrapping Up

Shopify bulk edit descriptions are essential for running an efficient and competitive Shopify store. It saves valuable time by allowing merchants to simultaneously update products and, in particular, descriptions, ensuring consistency and accuracy across all listings.

BulkFlow offers a powerful solution for this task. It automates bulk editing processes, integrates easily with your store’s product data, and supports scheduled updates. This streamlines your workflow, reduces manual errors, and keeps your product descriptions fresh and engaging, helping to drive sales growth and improve customer experience.

To take full advantage of these benefits, consider incorporating BulkFlow into your Shopify management toolkit today. Automate your bulk edits, maintain high-quality, consistent descriptions, and focus more on growing your business while the app handles the heavy lifting.