How can I upload shipping rates using a CSV file?

Topic summary

Core Issue:
Merchants need to upload complex shipping rate matrices via CSV files, as manual entry is extremely time-consuming. Multiple users report having complicated rate structures from freight companies that require frequent updates.

Shopify’s Official Position:

  • No native CSV import/export functionality exists for shipping rates
  • Custom solutions are not currently possible through Shopify’s platform
  • Rates must be added manually following documented steps
  • Shopify staff collected feedback and .myshopify.com URLs to forward to development teams
  • No timeline provided for if/when this feature might be implemented

Community Requests:

  • Variant-level shipping profile specification (not just product-level)
  • CSV export capability for backup purposes before bulk changes
  • Multi-national/global shipping rate management

Third-Party Solutions:
Two apps emerged as workarounds:

  • CSR (CSV Shipping Rates) - allows uploading shipping rate tables via CSV
  • Toolify Shipping Rate Manager - recently launched app for bulk shipping rate management

Current Status:
Nearly 4 years since initial request with no official Shopify solution. Merchants express frustration and some consider switching platforms. Community relies on third-party apps to address this gap.

Summarized with AI on October 23. AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.

It’s a shame that CSR costs $15.90 per month, especially given that most shipping changes are made annually at most. That equates to about $200 to upload a CSV each year. Not great, but there are not many alternatives out there…