Skip to content
Stone & Water

Undo changes in Shopware: snapshots, change log and history

A wrong percentage, the wrong category or a CSV file with swapped columns: if you need to undo changes in Shopware, the standard admin quickly leaves you without a tool. The PIM saves the previous state automatically and brings it back in a few clicks.

Key facts
  • Before every bulk edit and every CSV import a snapshot of the previous values is created (can be switched off).
  • You manage snapshots in the config matrix in the Snapshots tab: restore, show diff, delete.
  • Default: 90 days retention and at most 50 snapshots, both adjustable.
  • In the CSV window, "Undo last import" rolls back the last imported state.

Undoing changes in standard Shopware

When you edit a product, Shopware simply saves the new value. For a bulk change across many products or an import, the standard admin has no function to roll back the run as a whole. If you want to go back after a mistake, there are usually only two ways: correct every product by hand or restore a database backup. A backup, however, resets the whole shop, including orders and customer data added since. For product data that is far too coarse, and doing it by hand takes hours with hundreds of products.

Undo changes in Shopware with snapshots

The PIM bulk edit works in two phases. First it saves the current values of the affected products as a snapshot, then it writes the new values. The CSV import also creates a snapshot before writing. Whether snapshots are created is controlled separately for bulk edits and CSV imports.

Managing snapshots in the Snapshots tab

You find all snapshots in the config matrix in the Snapshots tab, reachable directly from the bulk edit dialog via "Manage snapshots". Three actions are available per snapshot:

  • Restore snapshot: resets all products of the run to their previous state.
  • Show diff: compares, per product and field, the value in the snapshot with the current value in the shop, with a search by product number or field and the switch "Only products with changes".
  • Delete snapshot: one at a time or all at once.

By default snapshots are kept for 90 days, at most 50 of them. You can set the period between 7 days and one year and the number between 10 and 200. Older snapshots are removed automatically, the oldest first.

Preventing mistakes before they happen

Two settings in the Bulk edit tab help while the run is still going. With "Confirmation before applying" (default) the PIM shows an overview of all planned changes before writing; deleting and clearing fields always require confirmation. With "Revert automatically on cancel", changes already applied are rolled back via the snapshot if you cancel a running operation.

Undoing a CSV import

In the CSV window, the "Change log" tab lists imports with time, number of new, updated and failed rows, file name and affected fields. "Undo last import" resets the last imported changes to their previous values, and a second button clears the list. For critical imports there is "Strict Mode (all or nothing)": if errors occur, all changes already imported are reset automatically. In addition, every import ends up as a snapshot in the Snapshots tab.

Change history and categories

The change history (audit log) answers the question of who created, changed or deleted a product and when. You find it in the product's detail view, filterable by action. Status changes in the approval workflow are recorded there as well, with user name and timestamp. The history is a record, not a restore function. In the Change history tab you set the retention period (default 90 days) and the maximum number of entries per product (default 100), or switch logging off.

Category management has its own safety net: before actions in the category tree, a snapshot of the previous state is created. Via "History" you see the snapshots together with the audit log and restore them; after bulk actions an "Undo" button is also available.

Step by step: rolling back a bulk edit

  1. Check the settings: make sure in the config matrix that "Create snapshot before applying changes" is active, ideally "Confirmation before applying" as well.
  2. Run the change: start the bulk edit as usual. The progress shows the snapshot phase and the write phase.
  3. Spot the mistake: open the config matrix, Snapshots tab, or use "Manage snapshots" in the dialog.
  4. Compare: click "Show diff" on the matching snapshot and check with "Only products with changes" what has changed.
  5. Restore: choose "Restore snapshot". All products of the run get their previous values back.
  6. Verify: open a few products in the product list and check the result.
Limits: generated variants (they remain and must be deleted if needed), deleted variants and deleted products cannot be restored via snapshots. "Restore now" in the external system guard cannot be undone either. The dialogs point this out each time.

Use cases

  • Prices raised by mistake: 50 % instead of 5 % was added. Check the diff, restore the snapshot, repeat the run correctly.
  • Swapped columns: a supplier CSV writes the EAN into the manufacturer number field. "Undo last import" in the change log.
  • Question from the team: who deactivated this product? The change history shows user and time.
  • Category tree rebuilt: after a bulk action in the tree the navigation is wrong. Open "History" and bring back the snapshot.

Frequently asked questions

How long are snapshots kept?

By default 90 days and at most 50 snapshots. You set both in the config matrix in the Snapshots tab: 7 days to 1 year and 10 to 200 snapshots.

Can I see what changed before restoring?

Yes. "Show diff" compares, per product and field, the value in the snapshot with the current value in the shop, with a search and the switch "Only products with changes".

How do I undo a CSV import?

In the CSV window in the "Change log" tab with "Undo last import". In addition, the import is stored as a snapshot in the Snapshots tab of the config matrix.

What cannot be restored?

Generated variants remain, deleted variants and deleted products are gone for good. Delete actions therefore always require confirmation.

Is the change history a restore function?

No. It shows who created, changed or deleted a product and when. Rolling back is done via snapshots or the change log of the CSV import.

Read more

Try PIM for Shopware

All licence models and terms are listed on the pricing page. Want to know up front whether the PIM fits your shop and your processes? Get in touch via the contact form - we answer personally.

View pricing