Bulk import tens of thousands of SKUs in one file

Bulk product import should not stall at a row limit. SKULaunch imports tens of thousands of SKUs in a single file, with no cap on uploads or downloads, and validates the whole file before anything is written.

The problem

Many tools quietly cap imports, time out on large files, or force you to split a catalogue into chunks of a few thousand rows. Splitting introduces errors: duplicate rows across chunks, partial updates, and nobody quite sure which batches loaded. For a distributor with 50,000 SKUs, a migration turns into weeks of babysitting files.

Before and after

An illustrative example from a full catalogue load.

Before: loading into the old tool

52,000 SKUs split into eleven files of 5,000. Two failed overnight, one loaded twice. Three days to reconcile what is actually in the system.

After: the same load in SKULaunch

• One file, 52,000 rows
• Validation run across the whole file before import
• Duplicates and missing identifiers reported up front
• Products created or updated by the identifier you choose

How it works in SKULaunch

1. Upload the full file. CSV, XLSX, JSON or XML, without splitting.
2. Map once. Map columns to attributes, or apply a saved template.
3. Validate the whole file. See duplicates, missing identifiers and invalid values across every row before committing.
4. Import and carry on working. Large imports and exports run in the background, so the team is not locked out while they process.

Get the identifier right before you go big

At scale, the decision that matters most is the match key: your own SKU, the supplier part number or the EAN. Pick one that is unique and present on every row, and use it consistently for every future update. A wrong match key on a 50,000-row import creates thousands of duplicates in one go. A right one makes every later update a simple overwrite.

What changes

Whole catalogues load in one pass, with problems found before import rather than after.

Common questions

Is there a row limit?

No. There is no item limit on uploads or downloads.

Can we update existing products in bulk?

Yes. Rows matched on your chosen identifier update existing records.

How long does a large import take?

It depends on the file, but large imports run in the background so you can keep working.

See how to import supplier spreadsheets, bulk SKU imports, and the imports platform page.