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CSV Spruce

Shopify 'Illegal quoting on line' error

Shopify is having trouble reading your file. A quotation mark may be in the wrong place, or the file may need to be saved in a different format.

CSV Spruce doesn't repair broken quotation marks yet. This guide explains what you can try yourself.

Try saving a fresh copy first

  1. Keep a backup of your original file.
  2. If you still have the original spreadsheet, open that.
  3. Check that product names, prices, and other details are in the right columns. Check product codes too: 000101 should not become 101.
  4. Save a new copy as CSV UTF-8, then try the import again.

If you only have the broken CSV, check it carefully after opening it in a spreadsheet. If the columns are mixed up or text is missing, don't save over your original.

Why quotation marks matter

CSV files use commas to separate columns. Double quotation marks tell the file reader to keep a piece of text together, even if it contains a comma.

A product name can also contain a quotation mark, such as 12" Skillet. In the raw CSV text, that quote needs special formatting.

See a quotation-mark example

This is what the raw file looks like in a text editor, not what you should type into a spreadsheet cell. The product name stays 12" Skillet. The extra quotes help the file reader understand it.

Before: 12" Skillet,000101
After:  "12"" Skillet",000101

CSV quotation-mark rules (RFC 4180)

Don't remove all punctuation

The apostrophe in Women's Jacket is normally fine. Curly quotes can also be valid product text. Don't delete or replace quotation marks across the whole file.

Quotes used to mark the beginning and end of a CSV cell must be straight double quotes. That's different from punctuation inside the product name.

If saving again doesn't help

Shopify's line number is a starting point. The mistake can be on that line or earlier, where a quote was left open.

Compare that part of the file with the original product details. If you can't tell where a name or description should end, don't guess. Go back to the original spreadsheet or ask whoever supplied the file for a fresh export.

Once the file can be read, you can use CSV Spruce's free check for the formatting problems we support. This still doesn't guarantee Shopify will accept the import.

All import errors · Missing Title column · TRUE/FALSE answers · Sizes, colors, and product rows

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