Catalog Precheck
Guides
F003

Shopify CSV “Illegal quoting on line”: how to fix it

Check that your product CSV is UTF-8, then inspect missing or stray straight quotes near the reported line. Do not import the file until its structure is valid.

Rule definition

CSV quoting is malformed or left unclosed.

Critical

Automatic fix boundary: This rule is reported for manual review; the tool does not change its business data automatically.

Keep the original file
Save a copy before editing. Do not remove or replace every quote in the CSV: valid quoted fields may contain commas or line breaks.

What the error means

Shopify lists invalid characters, non-UTF-8 encoding, and missing or stray quotes as possible causes. In CSV, straight double quotes can wrap a field; a double quote inside that field must be written twice. Smart quotes are not CSV quote delimiters.

A small example

The first row is a header. The second row has an unescaped pair of quotes inside Description.

Invalid: quotes inside a quoted field
Title,Description
Tee,"A "limited" tee"

The parser treats the quote before limited as the end of the field, then finds unexpected text.

Corrected: double the inner quotes
Title,Description
Tee,"A ""limited"" tee"

The Description value remains A "limited" tee. Only the CSV escaping changes.

How to find and fix it

  1. 01

    Open a copy in a plain-text editor and confirm it is saved as UTF-8 with comma-separated fields.

  2. 02

    Go to the reported line and inspect the surrounding record. A quoted description can span physical lines, so the opening quote may be earlier.

  3. 03

    Check for a missing closing quote, an extra straight quote, or smart quotes. Double an intended quote inside a quoted field; remove only a genuinely stray quote.

  4. 04

    Save a new UTF-8 CSV, run the local check again, and review every remaining finding before trying a Shopify import.

Check your file locally

Catalog Precheck reports malformed quoting as rule F003 with a CSV record and starting physical line. It cannot safely repair arbitrary broken quotes; you must decide what the intended text was. Returning opens a fresh validator; the previously selected file is not preserved.
Check my CSVSee rule F003
What this does not verify
Passing a local CSV structure check does not guarantee Shopify will accept the import. This tool cannot see your store, its settings, existing products, or remote resources. If the error persists after checking the file, consult Shopify Support.

Source checked: 28 September 2026. Shopify: common product CSV import issues

Catalog Precheck is an independent tool and is not affiliated with Shopify.