In this article, you will learn how to use CSV and Excel files in Akeneo PIM to manage product data, categories, and attributes. File-based processing is a convenient way to transfer and edit large amounts of data at once. While CSV and Excel files are powerful, Akeneo's user interface is often a clearer solution for initial training, as the UI provides error messages directly and guides you to fix problems. This way, you will get a more solid understanding of the system's structure before diving deeper into file-based work.

Step-by-step instructions

Create an export profile

• Go to Akeneo > Exports and select Create Export Profile .
• Name the profile briefly and descriptively, for example category_export_csv or product_export_xlsx , depending on which file format you want to use.
• Note that you can create multiple profiles for different needs (e.g. for different target systems).

Adjust export profile conditions

• Profiles allow you to define which products, categories, or attributes the export applies to.
• In the Filters section, set only light criteria (or none) if you want to export the broadest possible range of data.
• If rows are not created in Excel, the reason is usually that the filtering criteria are too strict or the settings in the export profile are incomplete.

Start the export and download the file

• Click Export Now in the export profile you created to start the export.
• When the export is complete, select Download in the upper right corner and save the file to your computer.
• If you are using Windows, make sure that Excel opens the file with UTF-8 encoding. This also applies to saving, in which case you will need to manually select the file format as UTF-8.

Take a backup before making any major changes

• Export data from Akeneo and save it, for example, with the name "backup" so that you can always return to the original situation.
• Only then make your edits to the other file.

Update or add rows to a CSV/Excel file

• Akeneo's CSV or Excel import does not delete products, so you can keep your file compact.
• You can update only the columns you want (for example, SKU and Price), which makes the process faster with large amounts of data.

Test with a small amount of data first

• If you are unsure about your import settings, start by changing one line. This will make it easier to correct errors.
• Don't make large changes at once without a backup, as tracking down errors can be tedious.

The meaning of empty fields

• Leave only the fields in the file that you want to update.
• If a column is included but empty, Akeneo interprets its value as being removed from that product.

Check the structure of the CSV file with a text editor (pro tip)

• You can open the CSV file in a text editor and see if UTF-8 encoding is used correctly.
• Especially the vowels (ä, ö) quickly tell you whether the encoding is correct.

Where do you edit from?

• Export profiles: In the Akeneo > Exports section, you can manage export profiles and their filtering criteria.
• Import profiles: In the Akeneo > Imports section, you can edit import profiles (for example, for updating product information).

Summary

CSV and Excel files allow you to export and import large amounts of data into Akeneo flexibly. Start by creating a suitable export profile, setting light filters and exporting the data to the file. After this, you can edit or add products in Excel and import the changes back into Akeneo. Remember to make backups and small-scale tests – this way you will avoid extensive and laborious remediation efforts.

Keywords

• Akeneo PIM
• CSV Import
• Excel Export
• Product information management
• UTF-8 encoding
• Export profile
• Import profile
• Backup
• Product category management
• Attribute update