Multiple Imports From a Single File

Schedule gift card sending

Overview

You can now schedule multiple gift card imports to run at different dates and times using a single CSV file upload. This is perfect for planning ahead and automating your gift card campaigns across multiple dates.

Additionally, you can specify custom email templates for each import directly in your CSV file.

Features

📅 Schedule Multiple Import Dates

Upload one CSV file and automatically create separate imports for different dates and times. The app will group your gift cards by their scheduled date and create individual import jobs that run automatically.

✉️ Custom Email Templates

Specify which email template to use for each import directly in your CSV file, overriding the template selected in the form.

How to Use Scheduled Imports

Step 1: Add a scheduled_on Column to Your CSV

Add a column named scheduled_on to your CSV file and fill it with the date and time when you want each gift card to be imported.

Example:

initial_value,email,scheduled_on
50,[email protected],2025-12-25
100,[email protected],2025-12-25
75,[email protected],2025-12-26 14:30

In this example:

  • The first two gift cards will be imported on December 25, 2025 at 12:00 PM

  • The third gift card will be imported on December 26, 2025 at 2:30 PM

Step 2: Upload Your File

  1. Go to Bulk Operations → Import from File

  2. Upload your CSV file with the scheduled_on column

  3. Configure your import settings (sender, template, etc.)

  4. Click Import Now

Step 3: View Your Scheduled Imports

The app will create multiple scheduled imports based on the unique dates in your scheduled_on column. You'll see a confirmation message like:

✓ Created 2 scheduled imports

Each import will appear in your Bulk Operations list with:

  • Status: SCHEDULED

  • The scheduled date and time

  • The number of gift cards to be imported

The imports will run automatically at their scheduled times.

Supported Date and Time Formats

You can use any of these formats in the scheduled_on column:

Date Only (defaults to 12:00 PM)

scheduled_on
2025-12-25

Date with Time (space-separated)

scheduled_on
2025-12-25 14:30

ISO 8601 Format (recommended for precision)

scheduled_on
2025-12-25T10:15:00
2025-12-25T10:15:00Z
2025-12-25T10:15:00+00:00

Time Format Notes:

  • Use 24-hour format (e.g., 14:30 for 2:30 PM)

  • Times are based on your store's timezone

  • If you don't specify a time, it defaults to 12:00 PM (noon)

Using Custom Email Templates

Step 1: Add a template_id Column to Your CSV

Add a column named template_id to your CSV file and fill it with the ID of the email template you want to use.

How to Find Your Template ID:

  1. Go to Email -> Templates in the app

  2. Click on the template you want to use

  3. Look at the URL in your browser - the ID is at the end

    • Example: https://admin.shopify.com/store/[your-store]/apps/gift-card-factory/app/templates/abc123/edit

    • Template ID: abc123

Example CSV:

initial_value,email,scheduled_on,template_id
50,[email protected],2025-12-25,abc123
100,[email protected],2025-12-25,abc123
75,[email protected],2025-12-26,abc123

Important Notes About template_id:

⚠️ When you include a template_id column:

  • The email template specified in the CSV will be used (overriding your form selection)

  • The sender will automatically be set to App Email (your app's email sending)

  • All rows in your CSV should have the same template_id value

Complete Example: Holiday Gift Card Campaign

Let's say you want to send gift cards on Christmas, New Year's, and Valentine's Day using a special holiday template.

Your CSV file:

initial_value,email,scheduled_on,template_id,note
50,[email protected],2025-12-25T09:00:00,holiday_2025,Merry Christmas!
50,[email protected],2025-12-25T09:00:00,holiday_2025,Merry Christmas!
100,[email protected],2025-01-01T00:01:00,holiday_2025,Happy New Year!
75,[email protected],2025-02-14T10:00:00,holiday_2025,Happy Valentine's Day!

What happens:

  1. Upload the file through Import from File

  2. 3 scheduled imports are created:

    • Import #1: Dec 25 at 9:00 AM → 2 gift cards with holiday template

    • Import #2: Jan 1 at 12:01 AM → 1 gift card with holiday template

    • Import #3: Feb 14 at 10:00 AM → 1 gift card with holiday template

  3. All imports run automatically at their scheduled times

  4. Customers receive emails using the holiday_2025 template

Use Cases

🎄 Holiday Campaigns

Schedule gift cards for multiple holidays in advance (Christmas, New Year, Easter, etc.)

🎉 Birthday Rewards

Upload a list of customer birthdays and schedule gift cards to be sent on each person's birthday

📆 Subscription Renewals

Schedule monthly or quarterly gift card rewards for loyal customers

🎁 Promotional Calendar

Plan your entire year's promotional gift card campaigns in one upload

💌 Drip Campaigns

Send gift cards to new customers on Day 1, Day 7, and Day 30 of their journey

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I mix scheduled and immediate imports in one file?

A: No. If your CSV includes a scheduled_on column, all gift cards will be scheduled. To import some immediately, create a separate file without the scheduled_on column.

Q: What happens if I use an invalid date format?

A: The app will skip rows with invalid dates and show you an error message. Make sure to use one of the supported date formats.

Q: Can I cancel or reschedule imports after uploading?

A: Yes! Go to Bulk Operations, find the scheduled import, and you can abort it before it runs. To reschedule, you'll need to create a new import.

Q: Do all scheduled imports need the same settings?

A: Yes, all imports from a single file upload share the same settings (sender, customer creation options, etc.), except when you use the template_id column to override the email template.

Q: What timezone is used for scheduled times?

A: The scheduled times use your Shopify store's timezone setting.

Q: What if I have gift cards with the same scheduled date but want different templates?

A: Unfortunately, all rows in a single upload must use the same template. To use different templates, split your CSV into separate files and upload them separately.

Q: How do I know if my scheduled imports were created successfully?

A: After uploading, you'll see a success message showing the number of scheduled imports created. You can also view them in your Bulk Operations list with "SCHEDULED" status.

Q: Can I use the template_id column without scheduling?

A: Currently, the template_id column only works when used together with the scheduled_on column for scheduled imports.

Tips for Success

✅ Test with a small file first - Upload a CSV with 2-3 rows to make sure your date format works

✅ Use ISO format for consistency - Format like 2025-12-25T10:00:00 is less prone to confusion

✅ Check your timezone - Verify your store's timezone in Shopify settings

✅ Keep template IDs consistent - All rows should use the same template ID

✅ Plan ahead but not too far - Schedule imports weeks or months in advance, but review them periodically

✅ Name your templates clearly - Use descriptive template names like "Holiday_2025" or "Birthday_Reward" to avoid confusion

Column Name Reference

The following column names are detected automatically (case-insensitive):

Column
Also Accepts
Purpose

scheduled_on

Scheduled_On, SCHEDULED_ON

When to run the import

template_id

Template_Id, TEMPLATE_ID

Which email template to use

All other columns work the same as regular imports (initial_value, email, note, etc.)

Need Help?

If you have questions or run into issues:

Quick Start Template

Download and use this template to get started:

initial_value,email,scheduled_on,template_id,note
50,[email protected],2025-12-25T10:00:00,your_template_id,Holiday gift card

Replace:

  • [email protected] with actual customer emails

  • 2025-12-25T10:00:00 with your desired dates/times

  • your_template_id with your actual template ID (or remove this column to use form settings)

  • 50 with the gift card amount

  • Customize the note as needed

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