Goal: Upload an import file now and let Altera run the import once, at a date and time that you choose. For example, you can change product prices at the start of a sale and change them back when the sale ends, without being at your computer.
Prerequisites:
You have Altera installed on your Shopify store
Your store is on a paid Altera plan (Pro or higher). The Starter and Developer plans do not include scheduling. See Altera pricing plans
Your import file is ready (CSV or Excel). If you update existing items, include only the identifier column and the columns that you change. See Import best practices
Step 1 - Upload the file
In Altera, go to the Import data card, click Upload file, and select your file. Altera analyzes the file. Check that each sheet has the correct data type and that the columns are matched.
Step 2 - Turn on scheduling
In the Scheduling card on the right side of the page, turn on Run job on a schedule.
Step 3 - Set the start date and time
Select the Start date, the hour, the minute, and AM or PM. The time zone is shown next to Start time. It is the time zone of your computer.
Leave Repeat at Never. For an uploaded file, Altera can run the import only once, so you cannot change Repeat. Recurring imports need a file that Altera downloads again for each run, from an FTP server, a URL, or Google Drive (see How to import from an FTP server or remote URL).
Step 4 - Select the import options
Select the import options that you need. The options apply when the import runs.
Step 5 - Click Start import
Click Start import. When scheduling is on, this button does not start the import now. It saves the job, and Altera runs the import at the start time that you set.
Outcome
The job page opens. The Scheduling card shows Runs once and the time of the next run. The badge in the card shows Paused because the job does not repeat. The import still runs at the time shown.
When the import has run, the job page shows the results, as for an import that you start immediately. You get the usual job email if email notifications are on for the job.
Change your plans
Run the import now: open the job and click Run job. Altera runs the import immediately and does not wait for the start time.
Cancel the import: open the job and click Cancel. The import does not run.
Change the start time: cancel the job, then upload the file again and set the new start time.
Example: start and end a sale
To put products on sale on Friday at 9:00 AM and end the sale on Monday at 9:00 AM:
Export the products with the
ID,Variant ID,Variant Price, andVariant Compare At Pricecolumns. Keep this file: it has the original prices.Add a
Commandcolumn withUPDATEin each row, so that the import changes only products that already exist.Make a copy of the file and put the sale prices in
Variant Priceand the original prices inVariant Compare At Price.Schedule the copy to import once on Friday at 9:00 AM.
Schedule the original file to import once on Monday at 9:00 AM. This puts the original prices back.
The sale file looks like this:
ID | Command | Variant ID | Variant Price | Variant Compare At Price |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A blank Variant Compare At Price cell removes the compare-at price, so the original export file also removes the crossed-out prices from products that had none before the sale.
Next steps
Job detail page - run, cancel, and archive scheduled jobs
How to import from an FTP server or remote URL - import a file on a recurring schedule
Product fields - the price columns and the other product columns