Use the checker as a preflight—not a guarantee.

Plain-language summary: CatalogVigil is a free, independent diagnostic tool. You remain responsible for the source data, backups, selected corrections, Shopify's import preview, the import itself, and the effect on your store and connected systems.

Operator and agreement

The website and free checker are operated by Guilherme Costa, a private individual established in Portugal and operating under the name CatalogVigil. Contact: catalogvigil@gmail.com.

By using the checker, you agree to these Terms and the Privacy Notice. If you do not agree, do not use the service. You must be at least 18 or otherwise have legal capacity and any organisational authority needed to accept these Terms and process the selected data.

What the free checker does

CatalogVigil parses a Shopify product CSV in the browser, applies deterministic structural and documented field-dependency checks, presents conservative advisories, previews narrowly reversible normalisations, and creates local downloads. The original file is not modified. The free checker requires no account or Shopify store connection and does not intentionally upload catalogue contents to CatalogVigil.

The current rule set, source boundaries, and limits are described in the validation methodology. Findings marked as CatalogVigil advice are not statements by Shopify.

Independent status

CatalogVigil is not affiliated with, sponsored by, authorised by, or endorsed by Shopify Inc. Shopify and related names and marks belong to their respective owners and are used only to identify the platform and documented file format.

Your permission and responsibilities

You confirm that you have authority to use and process the selected file, product content, images, identifiers, and any personal data it contains. You are responsible for:

keeping a current, recoverable catalogue backup before an import;
selecting the correct create or update intent;
reviewing every finding, proposed normalisation, and generated file;
using a small representative import before a high-impact bulk change;
reading Shopify's import preview and overwrite warnings;
checking variants, IDs, inventory, images, feeds, markets, metafields, and dependent apps after import; and
complying with Shopify's terms, intellectual-property rules, privacy law, and other law applicable to your catalogue.

Permitted and prohibited use

You may use the public checker for your own lawful catalogue work and authorised work for clients or an organisation. You must not:

process a file or content without the necessary authority;
use the service for unlawful, fraudulent, infringing, or deceptive activity;
attempt to disrupt, overload, probe, bypass, or gain unauthorised access to the website, hosting, or another user's device or data;
introduce malware, malicious payloads, or automated traffic that unreasonably burdens the service;
misrepresent a CatalogVigil result as certification, Shopify approval, or a guarantee; or
copy or republish substantial parts of the website or rule explanations to operate a confusingly similar public service, except where applicable law expressly permits the use.

Validation limitations

CatalogVigil cannot see the state of your Shopify store and does not confirm remote image availability, product or metafield references, inventory locations, fulfilment configuration, app relationships, markets, variant-ID dependencies, permissions, or future Shopify behaviour. A file with no detected blocker can still be rejected, accepted with an unintended result, or behave differently after Shopify changes its importer.

The service does not provide legal, tax, accounting, security, migration, or other professional advice. Source-linked educational content is general operational information and should be checked against Shopify's current documentation and the circumstances of the store.

Intellectual property and service licence

The website design, explanatory content, original rule presentation, and CatalogVigil software are owned by Guilherme Costa or used under permission, except for third-party names, marks, documentation, and other material belonging to their owners. You receive a limited, revocable, non-exclusive, non-transferable licence to run the public checker in your browser for permitted use. No ownership or right to redistribute the source is granted through the public website.

You retain rights in the catalogue and generated output. CatalogVigil claims no ownership of a CSV that remains on your device.

Third-party services, funding, and future products

Links to Shopify documentation, Ko-fi, or another third party open that provider's service under its own terms. Voluntary contributions do not buy a different result or support priority. Affiliate, sponsorship, and advertising relationships are disclosed as described on the funding page and do not change checker findings.

The Agency Kit may be described for product planning, but the current production build does not accept an Agency Kit order or payment. These Terms do not form a paid Agency Kit licence. Before checkout is activated, separate commercial licence and delivery/refund terms, seller disclosures, and consumer information must be published and presented at checkout.

Availability, security, and changes

The free service may be maintained, changed, suspended, or discontinued. Reasonable care is taken to preserve its core behavior, but no uninterrupted availability, support response time, compatibility period, or recovery service is promised. Access may be limited where reasonably necessary to protect the service, comply with law, or respond to misuse.

Material changes to these Terms apply prospectively from the published effective date. Continuing to use the service after a change means the revised Terms apply to later use; a change does not remove mandatory rights or retroactively alter an already completed contract.

Warranty boundary

To the extent permitted by applicable law, the free service is provided as available and without a promise that every defect will be detected, every suggestion will be suitable, or any file will import successfully. Nothing in these Terms excludes a warranty, guarantee, or remedy that applicable law does not allow to be excluded.

Responsibility for loss

You are responsible for import decisions and for maintaining backups. To the extent permitted by law, Guilherme Costa is not responsible for loss caused by using an unreviewed output, ignoring a finding or import preview, absence of a current backup, incorrect source data, third-party platform behavior, or a dependency outside CatalogVigil's control.

Nothing limits or excludes liability for fraud, fraudulent misrepresentation, wilful misconduct, death or personal injury caused by negligence, or any liability or consumer right that cannot lawfully be limited. Any other limitation is interpreted only as far as proportionate and legally permitted in the circumstances, particularly because the public checker is supplied free of charge.

Mandatory consumer rights, law, and disputes

These Terms are governed by Portuguese law. If you are a consumer, this choice does not deprive you of mandatory protections available under the law of your habitual residence or mandatory jurisdiction rules. Courts with jurisdiction under applicable law may hear a dispute; consumers are not required to use an exclusively Portuguese forum where the law provides otherwise.

The current website does not conclude a paid consumer contract. Questions or complaints about the free service should first be sent to catalogvigil@gmail.com. If consumer sales are activated, the applicable Portuguese electronic complaints channel and available consumer alternative-dispute-resolution entities will be published before checkout.

General terms

If a provision is invalid or unenforceable, it will be interpreted or reduced only as necessary and the remaining provisions continue. A delay in enforcing a provision is not a waiver. These Terms, the Privacy Notice, and the documents expressly incorporated here form the agreement for use of the free public service and replace earlier public terms about that use.

Contact

Guilherme Costa, operating as CatalogVigil, Portugal · catalogvigil@gmail.com.