Cleaning Excel Export Data: Fixing SKU and Currency Bugs

Importing catalog data into spreadsheet software often introduces formatting issues. Excel may convert long numerical SKUs into scientific notation (like `1.2E+11`) or merge currency symbols with numeric values, which can break your import files. Learning how to clean Shopify Excel data keeps your databases accurate.

Common Spreadsheet Formatting Bugs

• Scientific SKU Notation: Occurs when Excel formats long numeric identifiers as numbers instead of plain text.
• Currency Notations: Symbols (like `$`) in price columns can prevent your platform from parsing numeric values correctly.
• Broken Handles: Spaces or special characters in handle columns can break your page URLs.

Preventing Spreadsheet Errors

To avoid these issues, format your sheet columns as text before pasting data. If you use browser extensions to export your files, ensure you download clean, formatted spreadsheets that protect SKU fields and numeric pricing values automatically.