How to Delete Products from Your Website

Created by Francesca Halberg, Modified on Tue, 24 Jun at 11:56 AM by Francesca Halberg

This article talks about how to properly delete products from your Shopify website, especially when using a point-of-sale (POS) system. It explains why you should never delete products directly in Shopify and outlines the correct steps to remove items, whether you have an automatic POS sync or manually upload your inventory. The goal is to avoid breaking the connection between your POS and your online store.

Why You Shouldn’t Delete Products Directly in Shopify

It might seem easy to just go into Shopify and delete a product you don’t want anymore. But here’s the thing: your Shopify website sees your point-of-sale (POS) system as the main source of truth for all your product information. If you delete something directly in Shopify, it messes up the connection with your POS. This can cause big problems with your inventory display and how your website talks to your POS system.

How to Remove Products Using Your POS System

The best way to remove products from your Shopify site is through your POS system. This keeps everything in sync and avoids any issues.

For Automatic POS Connections

If your POS system is automatically connected to Shopify, the process is pretty straightforward:

Delete in POS: Go into your POS system and delete the product there. This is where you manage your inventory, so it’s the right place to start.
Wait for Sync: After you delete the product in your POS, it will be removed from your online catalog after your next sync, usually within 48 hours.

For Manual Inventory Uploads

If you manually upload your product data using a CSV file, here’s what you need to do:

Delete in POS: First, delete the product from your POS system. This means you no longer carry it or need it in your inventory.
Export New CSV: After deleting the product, export a new CSV file from your POS system. The exact steps for this might vary depending on your specific POS.
Upload to Catalyst: Log into your Catalyst dashboard. If you don’t know your login, reach out to your specialist for help. Once logged in, in the menu on the left, click "POS Exports." Then, in the top right corner click "Upload A New Export".
Drag and Drop: Drag and drop your new CSV file into Catalyst. Catalyst will then recognize that the product is no longer in your POS spreadsheet.
Wait for Update: Within about 48 hours of uploading the new file, those products will be removed from your Shopify website.

Key Takeaways

Never delete products directly in Shopify. Your POS is the source of truth.
Always remove products through your POS system first.
For automatic connections, delete in POS and wait for the next sync.
For manual uploads, delete in POS, export a new CSV, and upload it to Catalyst.
Allow up to 48 hours for changes to reflect on your Shopify website after syncing or uploading.

By following these steps, you can make sure your Shopify website stays accurate and connected to your POS system without any hiccups. It’s a simple process that saves you a lot of trouble down the road.