CSV validation workflow
CSV Validator
Check a product CSV against the rules the importer actually enforces. CSV Pilot lists every missing field, duplicate SKU, price error and broken option group before you upload — with the row that needs fixing.
No signup. Validation runs in the workspace. Nothing is published to your store.
Why validate before import
An import failure is expensive because it is usually found late. A catalog that looks correct in a spreadsheet can still fail on a blank cost price, a duplicated SKU or a compare price that is lower than the selling price. The importer rejects the file, and the merchant has to find the bad row by hand.
A validator moves that discovery to the moment you build the file. Every rule below comes from the same validation code the workspace runs before export, so a fix you make here is a fix the importer will accept.
What the CSV validator checks
| Area | Error | Warning |
|---|---|---|
| Required fields | Missing product name, selling price, cost price or category | — |
| Identifiers | Duplicate SKU, ignoring case, with the conflicting row | — |
| Prices | Negative values, compare price at or below selling price | — |
| Inventory | Non-integer or negative stock | — |
| Status | Anything other than active or inactive | — |
| Images | Malformed URL, non-HTTP(S) protocol | HTTP image URL |
| Variants | Variant with no name or no price | — |
| Option groups | Child options inside a MULTIPLE group | Empty group that will be dropped |
| Nested options | Unbalanced braces that break the import | Three-level nesting (unverified) |
| Quantity rules | Min quantity greater than max quantity | — |
Errors block export. Warnings need a decision but do not stop you. The result panel shows counts and the affected row for each issue.
How to validate a product CSV
- 1. Upload the file. Use the original CSV, not a screenshot or a re-saved copy with changed headers.
- 2. Open the preview. The grid parses every row and runs the validation rules immediately.
- 3. Read the errors. Each issue names the field and the row. Fix a cell directly, or ask for a scoped change in plain English.
- 4. Re-run and export. Validation updates as you edit. Export only when the error count is zero and every warning has been reviewed.
The same check runs on files you create by chatting, so a catalog built from a written brief is validated before it leaves the workspace.
What validation cannot catch
- It checks structure and rules, not whether the product data is true.
- It does not fetch image URLs; a valid URL can still be a dead link.
- It cannot know your category tree, tax rules or fulfillment constraints.
- A passing file still needs a small test import in your own Hyperzod account.
- The Hyperzod CSV has no barcode, batch or shelf-life column, so those values are not validated.
- It validates CSV input only — not XLSX, API payloads or marketplace feeds.
Read the validation guide for the manual checks that belong after the automated ones.
Common errors and how to fix them
| Error | Fix | Field |
|---|---|---|
| Missing cost price | Add a real cost per unit. Zero is valid; blank is not. | PRODUCT.PRICE.COST |
| Duplicate SKU | Make every non-empty SKU unique. Case does not matter; duplicates still fail. | PRODUCT.SKU |
| Compare price not above selling price | Raise the MRP/compare value or remove it. A discount needs MRP > selling price. | PRODUCT.PRICE.COMPARE |
| Category blank | Use the exact category path your Hyperzod store expects. | PRODUCT.CATEGORY |
| Invalid image URL | Use a public HTTPS URL that opens in a browser. | PRODUCT.IMAGES |
| Child options inside MULTIPLE | Move the child choices to their own option group or a SINGLE parent. | OPTION*.TYPE |
| Unbalanced braces | Rebalance the nested option syntax or rebuild the option group. | OPTION*.VARIANTS |
Frequently asked questions
What is a CSV validator?
A CSV validator checks a product file against the rules the destination importer enforces — required fields, numeric ranges, duplicate identifiers and option structures — before you upload it. CSV Pilot runs the check on the Hyperzod catalog schema and lists every error and warning with the affected row.
Is the CSV validator free?
Yes. Validating, editing and exporting a catalog in the CSV Pilot workspace is free and requires no signup. You review the result before downloading anything.
Which errors does CSV Pilot catch?
Missing product name, selling price, cost price or category; duplicate SKUs (case-insensitive); compare price at or below the selling price; negative or non-numeric values; non-integer inventory; invalid status values; invalid image URLs; missing variant names or prices; child options inside a MULTIPLE option group; unbalanced braces in nested options; and min quantity greater than max quantity.
What does the validator warn about instead of failing?
An option group with no variants is reported because it will be dropped from the export. An HTTP image URL is warned because Hyperzod may require HTTPS. Three-level option nesting is warned because Hyperzod only confirms two levels, so it needs a real test import.
Does it check whether image URLs actually load?
No. It validates the URL format and warns about HTTP. A syntactically valid URL can still return 404 or point at the wrong image, so open a sample of image links yourself before importing.
Can I validate an Excel or XLSX file?
No. The workspace accepts CSV files. Save the spreadsheet as CSV (UTF-8) first, then upload it. The conversion guide explains which Excel features do not survive that save.
Is my file uploaded to a server?
Validation runs deterministically in the workspace; you do not need AI for it. If you use AI-assisted creation or editing, the data you provide is sent to third-party AI providers as described in the Privacy Policy. Validation and export themselves do not publish anything to your store.
What is the most common product CSV error?
A missing cost price. Hyperzod requires it even when you only plan to sell at the selling price. Duplicate SKUs and a compare price that is not above the selling price are the next most common blockers.
Validate your catalog before it fails
Upload the CSV, fix every error in the grid and export a file that passes the same checks the importer runs. Free, no signup.
Open the CSV validator