CSV Import Issue

Technical Q&A
1

Hi,

I like to think I am well versed in importing CSV files to Shopify.

However I have never came across this before, can anyone suggest a fix or a work around please?

“Line 2: Validation failed: Cannot add more than 10000 references to a file.”

Thanks in advance.

Will

2

Hi @Plumblikeaking

This error usually appears when one of the CSV rows is trying to attach more than 10,000 references to a single file or resource, which exceeds Shopify’s limit.

I’d recommend checking your CSV for:

  • Duplicate entries referencing the same file repeatedly
  • Image/file columns containing too many references
  • Malformed data causing Shopify to interpret multiple values as file references

As a workaround, try splitting the import into smaller batches or reducing the number of file references per product. Also, validating the CSV formatting (especially separators, commas, and line breaks) may help identify the problematic row.

If you can share a sample of line 2 (with sensitive data removed), it may be easier to pinpoint the exact issue.

Best regards,
Devcoder :laptop:

3

Hi,

Thank you for your reply.

I have tried 3 different files, all containing the same CSV layout.

2 of these files are single lines
1 of the files has 4 lines.

[CSV Sample] (Sample CSV - Google Sheets)

Hope this helps

Kind regards,

Will