Write active, draft or archived in Status on the first row of each listed product, in lowercase. If you do not need to set the status from the file, delete the whole Status column instead. Shopify then uses its default. Variant and image rows below the first row of a product can stay empty.

Shopify import error: "Status isn't valid. Set the status as active, draft, or archived"

What it means: The Status column is in the file, but a product has an empty Status cell or a word Shopify does not accept. When the column is there, the first row of every product needs active, draft or archived. Files where only some rows were filled in, or where another platform wrote something like published or enabled, cause it. German stores see the same message as "Status ist ungültig".

Find the rows in your file

Shopify product import

Choose file

The product CSV you are about to import into Shopify, or the one Shopify just rejected.

Your file stays on this device

It is read and converted by this page, inside your browser. Nothing from the file is uploaded, and the tool keeps working offline once the page has loaded.

Loading the converter...

How to fix it

Write active, draft or archived in Status on the first row of each listed product, in lowercase.
If you do not need to set the status from the file, delete the whole Status column instead. Shopify then uses its default.
Variant and image rows below the first row of a product can stay empty.

Example

A file with this problem

Title,URL handle,Status,Option1 name,Option1 value,Price,Inventory tracker,Inventory quantity,Continue selling when out of stock,Fulfillm...
Cotton Tee,cotton-tee,,Size,S,20.00,shopify,5,deny,manual,
Mug,mug,published,Title,Default Title,12.00,shopify,5,deny,manual,

What the checker says about it

Line 2: "cotton-tee" has a blank Status. When the Status column is present, each product needs active, draft or archived.
Line 3: "mug" has Status "published". Use active, draft or archived.

Once the listed rows are fixed, check the file again; the checker also looks for every other problem Shopify documents, so you do not trade one error for the next.

Questions

What does "Status isn't valid. Set the status as active, draft, or archived" mean in Shopify?: The Status column is in the file, but a product has an empty Status cell or a word Shopify does not accept. When the column is there, the first row of every product needs active, draft or archived. Files where only some rows were filled in, or where another platform wrote something like published or enabled, cause it. German stores see the same message as "Status ist ungültig".
How do I fix it?: Write active, draft or archived in Status on the first row of each listed product, in lowercase. If you do not need to set the status from the file, delete the whole Status column instead. Shopify then uses its default. Variant and image rows below the first row of a product can stay empty.

Other Shopify import errors

Sources

Shopify Help Center: Using CSV files: https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/products/import-export/using-csv

Based on Shopify's help pages for product CSV import. Not tested on a live store.