feedsteadOpen the workspace →Preparing partial Shopify updates safely
A partial update should change only the reviewed fields, but Shopify CSV imports have field dependencies and overwrite behavior that make “leave it blank” different from “leave the column out.”
The workspace’s Partial update / Full catalogue list setting describes the supplier list, not which Shopify columns change. It controls whether catalogue SKUs missing from the supplier file appear in the report. Neither setting generates deletions.
Worked example
Suppose the client product has:
| URL handle | Title | Option1 name | Option1 value | SKU | Cost per item | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| everyday-mug | (blank variant row) | Color | Moss | 0002 | 10.00 | 18.00 |
The supplier cost changes to 11.00. With a 50% markup and nearest-cent rounding, the intended update proposes a price of 16.50 while preserving the handle and the Color: Moss variant structure. Shopify documents that an included blank non-required field can overwrite the current value with blank, while leaving an independent column out preserves its existing value.
Variant caution
Shopify says variant fields such as SKU depend on option-name and option-value columns. It also warns that changing option values deletes existing variant IDs and creates new ones, which can break third-party dependencies. Review every variant-related column in the generated file even if the intended business change is only price or cost.
Source: Shopify Help Center — overwrite behavior and CSV field dependencies.
Report behavior
The complete change report records every supplier row, including exact matches, unchanged rows, and exceptions. Its Change selection column records which suggestions you selected. Not selected means the proposed change was excluded; it does not mean the variant is absent from the Shopify update.
The update CSV contains the selected exact-SKU changes plus every sibling variant of each affected product. Unselected siblings keep their current price and cost, preserving the option structure for that product. The report describes the supplier rows; the update file may also contain sibling variants that were not in the supplier list.
Both download names include the client, UTC date and a shared review ID. If you change a checkbox, download both files again: the selection has a new review ID. A Selected for update report entry records your download selection, not a completed Shopify import.