2 years and no progress. You need to look at your priorities. To use the last columns selected when opening up the bulk edit is such a basic feature that would ad a lot of value. It does not bode well for future UI/UX if Shopify is unable to identify simple to implement but high value ad features like this.
Topic summary
Main issue: requests to improve Shopify’s bulk editor by allowing default fields/columns so users don’t have to reselect them each session. The bulk editor is the interface used to edit multiple product fields (e.g., description, compare-at price, cost per item) at once.
User feedback: repeated +1s citing tedious column selection and many clicks; some recall preferences were saved before an update. Additional asks include reordering columns, adjusting column widths, and a way to up-vote feature requests.
Recent update: Shopify staff confirmed developers now “cache” the last used columns. When reopening the bulk editor, the same columns load by default without user intervention. Support is available if this doesn’t work as expected.
Outcome: a user verified the change works and shared a tip—selected columns are encoded in the URL, so bookmarking different URLs can create quick-access custom setups.
Status: partially resolved. Saving last-used columns is implemented; no confirmation yet on column reordering/width adjustments or a formal up-vote mechanism. Discussion appears open for further enhancements.