If you are encountering errors while importing categories into Oсart, it usually means your spreadsheet has formatting issues or data mismatches between tabs. This guide provides a step-by-step solution for the following common error logs:

  • Export/Import: Missing category_ids in worksheet 'CategorySEOKeywords'!
  • Export/Import: Invalid store_id='' used in worksheet 'CategorySEOKeywords'!

1. Removing "Ghost" Rows

The error Invalid store_id='' (empty store_id) almost always indicates "invisible" activity in the file below your actual data rows. The importer detects these empty cells and expects valid data, resulting in a failure.

  • The Issue: Your spreadsheet might have residual formatting in the rows below your data (e.g., from row 13 to 1000).
  • The Action: Select all rows below your last category (e.g., from row 13 to the very bottom).
  • The Method: Right-click the selected row numbers and choose "Delete Rows".

Note: Simply pressing Backspace or Delete on your keyboard is not enough. You must physically remove the rows from the spreadsheet structure to clear the "ghost" data.

2. Filling Mandatory Fields

The module requires a corresponding row in the CategorySEOKeywords tab for every category listed in the main Categories tab. If a row is missing or a cell is empty, you will see the Missing category_ids error.

  • category_id: Ensure all IDs listed in the Categories tab are also present here. If you have 11 categories total, you must have exactly 11 rows in the SEO tab.
  • store_id: Every category must have a 0 in the store_id column (representing the default store). The Invalid store_id='' error confirms that this cell was left blank.
  • keyword: This column must exist. We recommend filling it with Latin characters (e.g., laptops, phones), as the tool may reject the file if the keyword field is entirely empty.

3. Data Consistency and Matching

If your Categories tab uses updated IDs (e.g., 1, 2, 3... 11), but the CategorySEOKeywords tab still contains old IDs (like 25, 26, etc.) or they are out of order, the system will trigger a mismatch error.

  • Sync: Always update the IDs on all secondary tabs (CategoryFilters, CategorySEOKeywords) whenever you change them on the main tab.
  • Sort: Oсart requires IDs to be in ascending order (1, 2, 3...). Use the "Sort A-Z" feature on the category_id column for every tab in your file.

Final Pre-Upload Checklist

  • The CategorySEOKeywords tab has the exact same number of rows as the Categories tab.
  • The store_id column is filled with 0 (no empty cells).
  • All rows are sorted by category_id in ascending order.
  • All empty "ghost" rows below the table have been physically deleted.

By ensuring the IDs match across all tabs and removing hidden empty rows, your category import should complete successfully.