The export button is the last step of every CSV Pilot workflow — and the moment where the work either pays off or falls apart. A file that looked fine in the preview can still fail the import if it was edited by hand afterwards, or exported with unread warnings. This guide walks through what the export contains, the checks that run before it, and how to import the downloaded file into Hyperzod.
What the export contains
The downloaded file is a CSV in the Hyperzod-compatible structure:
- Header row with
PRODUCT.*columns - One row per product
- Option groups (
OPTION*.NAME/TYPE/REQUIRED/VARIANTS) for variants and add-ons - Plain numbers for prices, no currency symbols
- UTF-8 encoding
- Sanitized values that are safe to open in spreadsheets — formula injection guarded
The file name is generated automatically — a timestamped CSV file ready to hand to the import. Nothing else is bundled: no extra sheets, no metadata, just the catalog in the import structure.
Checks that run before you export
CSV Pilot validates the catalog on every change. Before exporting, make sure:
- The error count is zero — the header shows errors and warnings; errors must be fixed, warnings deserve a look.
- Inferred fields are reviewed — highlighted cells were guessed by the AI; confirm them.
- Variants and add-ons look right — open the preview and check one product with options.
- The preview is the source of truth — the export reflects exactly what the preview shows, byte for byte.
The export reflects exactly what the preview shows. If the preview is wrong, the export will be wrong — fix it first.
Importing into Hyperzod
- Download the CSV from CSV Pilot.
- In Hyperzod, open Admin → Catalogue → Import → CSV Import.
- Upload the file and confirm the column mapping.
- Check the imported products — spot-check one simple product and one with variants.
If the import reports a problem, return to CSV Pilot, fix the offending row in the preview, and export again. Your original file stays untouched.
Common export mistakes to avoid
- Editing the exported file in Excel and re-saving — this can strip leading zeros from SKUs, reformat dates and numbers, and change the encoding. If you must inspect the raw file, open a copy and re-export from CSV Pilot rather than saving over the file.
- Exporting with warnings unread — warnings are not errors, but they often mark data worth a second look: an inferred price, an unusual inventory number.
- Renaming columns afterwards — the column names are the import contract. Renaming
PRODUCT.PRICE.SELLINGtoPricebreaks the mapping. - Expecting the export to contain data you did not review — the file is the preview, exactly.
The habit that makes exports boring
The best export is an uneventful one: error count zero, warnings reviewed, preview spot-checked, download, import, done. Every step before the export exists to make that possible — generation builds the structure, conversion maps the source, editing applies the changes, and validation proves the file. When each step is reviewed, the import is routine.
A ready-to-import CSV is the result of a reviewed preview. Do the review, export, and the import is routine.