Prepare the file
Start from a clean export from the previous review platform or merchant source. Use consistent columns for rating, title, body, author, email if available, product identifier, product handle, variant identifier, published date, verification state, and media URLs. Keep a copy of the original export before making changes.
Remove empty rows, obvious duplicates, invalid ratings, broken dates, and rows that cannot be tied to a product. If the file includes private customer data that is not needed for display or verification, do not import it.
Map products before upload
Product mapping is the most important import step. Match each review to a current Shopify product or variant using the identifier Rava expects. If the store has changed handles, merged products, archived products, or rebuilt variants, resolve those changes before upload.
- Use current Shopify handles or IDs consistently.
- Map retired handles to their replacement products.
- Separate reviews that cannot be mapped safely.
- Confirm media URLs are reachable before importing.
For planning guidance, see how to plan a clean legacy review import.
Run a pilot batch
Import a small representative batch first. Include reviews with different ratings, media, dates, products, and source systems. After the pilot, inspect the admin view and storefront widgets before importing the full file.
- Check product assignment and review counts.
- Confirm dates and ratings match the source file.
- Open media attachments.
- Review how imported reviews appear in moderation queues.
- Confirm featured, hidden, or verified states behave as intended.
Validate results before launch
After each batch, inspect product assignments, dates, media rendering, and review counts before publishing. Ask the merchant to review a small set of important products, especially best sellers and products with high review volume.
If anything looks wrong, pause the import and fix the file or mapping before continuing. Do not keep importing into a known bad state. For large or sensitive migrations, contact Rava through the contact page before the final launch.