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.
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
- Open the Manual Request CSV Template in Google Sheets.
- Make a copy and fill in your customer data.
- 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
Step 2: Upload and send
- From the Ali Reviews dashboard, click Collect Reviews in the left sidebar.
- Click the Manual request tab.
- Drag your CSV file into the upload area, or click Add file to browse.
- Once uploaded, the file card shows the filename and number of rows ready to send.
- Check the email preview on the right to confirm the template looks correct.
- Click Send now.
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.
Related articles
- Sending review requests via email
- Customising your email templates and review appearance
- Request dashboard: see how emails are performing
Updated on: 10/07/2026
Thank you!