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# Sending manual review requests for orders out side Shopify via CSV file

If you have orders that were placed outside Shopify (for example, from a trade show, phone order, or a previous platform), you can still send review request emails to those customers by uploading a CSV file.

|| This feature is available from Basic plan.
## How it works

The Manual request page has two panels side by side: a file upload area on the left and a live email preview on the right, so you can see exactly what your customers will receive before you send.
## Step 1: Prepare your CSV file

1. Open the [Manual Request CSV Template](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1iul9V5pTYC8tgsBV3Y4lTwHc8Go2eNtvT8RAl8N7UAc/edit) in Google Sheets.
2. Make a copy and fill in your customer data.
3. Download it as a CSV file.

**Required CSV columns:**

| Column | Notes |
| ---- |
| Customer email | One email per row |
| Customer name | Used to personalise the email |
| Product ID | Must be a valid Shopify product ID |
| Order ID | Used as a reference |

**How to get the product ID:** Go to **Products** -> **open your chosen product** -> Product ID is the last part (number) of your product URL from Shopify admin. 
* For exampe: admin.shopify.com/store/yourstore/products/10298896613650 -> **Product ID:** 10298896613650


![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/51849c8de000cc00/group-1000009468_1f35p6v.jpg)

|| Each product ID can only appear once per CSV. The file limit is 2,000 rows.

## Step 2: Upload and send

1. From the Ali Reviews dashboard, click **Collect Reviews** in the left sidebar.
2. Click the **Manual request** tab.
3. Drag your CSV file into the upload area, or click **Add file** to browse.
4. Once uploaded, the file card shows the filename and number of rows ready to send.
5. Check the email preview on the right to confirm the template looks correct.
6. Click **Send now**.

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/5/1/8/4/51849c8de000cc00/image_1dqimlj.png)

A toast confirms: "Review requests queued for {N} customers."
To remove the file and start over, click the ✕ on the file card before sending.
## Preview and edit the template

The right panel shows a live preview of the review request email your customers will receive, including merge-tag variables. From the preview toolbar you can:
* **Send test email:** send a test to yourself before sending to customers.
* **Edit template in Appearance:** go directly to the Appearance tab to update the email design.
* **Copy preview link:** share the preview with a teammate.
* **Download as HTML:** download the rendered email file.
## Error handling

If your CSV has formatting issues, an error message explains what's wrong. Common issues:
* File is not a .csv format → "This file format must be .csv."
* Invalid or missing product IDs → shown per row with the reason.

Fix the file and re-upload to try again.

Done! If you need more help, contact us via live chat or email [support@alireviews.io](mailto:support@alireviews.io).

**Related articles**
* [Sending review requests via email](https://help.alireviews.io/en/article/sending-auto-request-reviews-via-email-3a8el9/)
* [Customising your email templates and review appearance](https://help.alireviews.io/en/article/customizing-email-templates-review-request-email-and-discount-code-email-1t5i8yp/)
* [Request dashboard: see how emails are performing](https://help.alireviews.io/en/article/request-dashboard-see-how-emails-are-performing-x8g6bs/)