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Import Validation

Data management and qualityIntermediate Level

Import validation checks product data against rules during import, so wrong prices, missing fields and invalid codes are caught before they reach your channels.

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What is Import Validation?

Import validation is checking product data against rules before or while it is imported, so errors are caught at the door instead of on a live product page. It protects import quality: wrong prices, missing SKUs, invalid GTINs and broken image links are flagged before they spread to every channel. Typical checks cover required fields, data types (a price must be a number), formats (a GTIN needs a valid check digit), allowed values (a color from your list), duplicates and references such as categories that must exist. Price validation, for example, checks that a price is a positive number in the right currency and not lower than cost. Import validation differs from general data validation in timing: it runs on incoming files and feeds, while data validation also covers data you already have. Before you send a feed onward, the Google Shopping feed checker shows the same kind of errors.

Why Import Validation matters for e-commerce

Most catalog errors enter through imports: supplier files, ERP exports and feeds. One wrong column can change hundreds of prices or overwrite descriptions in a single run, and the damage spreads to every channel the products sync to. Validating on the way in is cheaper than finding the problem after a customer does, and it keeps marketplace accounts out of trouble with rejected listings.

Free tool

Check a product against Google Shopping rules

Enter one product's title, description, price, GTIN and image link. The checker lists the errors and warnings Merchant Center's core requirements would raise, before you upload.

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Examples of Import Validation

  • 1Field: Price, Rule: Number above zero with a dot as decimal separator, Result: Row with 12,99 flagged for review
  • 2Field: GTIN, Rule: 13 digits with a valid check digit, Result: Typo in a supplier file caught before upload
  • 3Field: Category, Rule: Must match an existing category, Result: New category name sent to review instead of creating a duplicate
  • 4Field: Image URL, Rule: Link must open an image file, Result: Broken links listed before products go live

Import Validation Checklist: 10 Steps to Flawless Product Data

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How WISEPIM Helps

  • CSV import maps columns to fields and shows a review screen before products are written.
  • Rollback Import undoes an import that went wrong.
  • Quality Guard rules flag imported products that miss required fields or break your formats.
  • Scheduled imports through automations run the same checked mapping every time.

Common mistakes with Import Validation

  • Importing the full file before testing a small sample.
  • Accepting any value in a field, so prices arrive as text and units differ per supplier.
  • Fixing errors after every import instead of at the source.
  • Having no way to undo an import that overwrote good data.

Tips for Import Validation

  • Write the rules down per field before the first import.
  • Use a unique key, such as SKU or GTIN, to match updates to existing products.
  • Read the data validation guide for rule examples per field type.
  • Keep the rejected rows and send them back to the supplier with the reason.

Trends around Import Validation

  • AI-assisted column mapping that suggests which supplier column belongs to which field.
  • Validation rules per channel, so a product can pass for the webshop and still fail for a marketplace.
  • Import previews that show the change per field before anything is saved.
  • Shared templates with suppliers that carry the rules with them.

Tools for Import Validation

  • WISEPIM: CSV import with column mapping and review, Rollback Import and Quality Guard rules.
  • Google Merchant Center: Feed diagnostics that list item errors after upload.
  • OpenRefine: Open source tool to clean and check messy files before import.
  • Spreadsheet formulas: Simple checks for empty cells, number formats and duplicates.

Related Terms

Access Control (PIM)Attribute Dependency ManagementAttribute InheritanceAttribute ManagementAttribute mappingAttribute Scoping

Also Known As

data import validationimport checkspre-import validationinbound data validation

Frequently Asked Questions

Price validation is checking that a price value is usable before it goes live. Common rules are: the price is a number above zero, it uses the right currency and decimal separator, a sale price is lower than the regular price, and the price is not below cost. A failed check stops or flags the row instead of publishing a wrong price.

Agree on one template per supplier or source, with required fields and allowed values. Validate every file on the way in, review the rows that fail, and fix the source instead of patching the same error after each import. Keep a way to undo an import that went wrong.

Inventory systems rely on correct SKUs, units and quantities. Validating imports catches duplicate SKUs, negative stock and unit mix-ups, such as pieces versus boxes, before they distort stock counts. That keeps reorder points and stock reports reliable.

Check that every row has a unique SKU, that required fields are filled, and that prices, GTINs and units have the right format. Make sure categories and attribute values match what the target system expects, and that image URLs open. Test with a small sample before you import the full file.

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