When working with a large eCommerce store, testing changes in a safe environment is crucial before applying them to your live store. For tasks like generating updated alt texts for product images using tools like the A11y Alt Text Generator, a staging environment allows you to refine updates and ensure accuracy without disrupting your live store.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the step-by-step process of setting up a staging store on BigCommerce, importing your products and images, running accessibility tools, and exporting the updated data back to your live store.

Step 1: Requesting a Sandbox Environment

BigCommerce offers the option to create a sandbox environment by converting a trial store into a staging store. This is the first step to safely test and implement changes.

How to Create a Trial Store:

1. Log in to Manage.bigcommerce.com.
2. Under "Stores", select "New Store".
3. Follow the setup instructions to create your trial store.

How to Request Sandbox Conversion:

Once the trial store is created, email your BigCommerce Customer Success Manager (CSM) to request a sandbox environment. Here’s a template you can use:

Subject: Request for Sandbox Environment Conversion

Body:
Hello [CSM's Name],

I hope this email finds you well.

We have created a trial store as part of our process to set up a staging environment for testing purposes. Below are the details of the trial store:

• Store URL: [Insert Trial Store URL]
• Support PIN: [Insert Support PIN]

We kindly request that this trial store be converted into a sandbox environment so we can safely run tests and perform changes before pushing them to our live store. Please let us know if you require any additional information.

Thank you for your assistance.

Best regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Position]
[Your Contact Information]

Note: BigCommerce does not automatically copy data (e.g., products or users) from your live store to the sandbox. You’ll need to manually export and import your data to set up the environment.

Step 2: Exporting Products from the Live Store

To recreate your live store’s product catalog in the staging environment, export the product data from your live store:

1. Go to Products > Export in your live store admin panel.
2. Select "Products" as the data type.
3. Click Export to download the CSV file.

This CSV will serve as the foundation for importing products into your staging store.

Step 3: Preparing the CSV for Import

Before importing the exported data into the staging store, you’ll need to clean up the CSV file to ensure compatibility:

BigCommerce doesn’t currently allow category exports through the admin panel, which is why category-related data like Brand ID and Categories should be removed from the CSV. For stores with large catalogs that require categories and subcategories in the staging store, using the BigCommerce API to recreate them might be necessary.

However, for this process, we’re focusing on importing products and images only, which simplifies the setup. If categories are essential for your workflow, we recommend exploring API options or contacting BigCommerce support for guidance.

Remove These Columns:

• ID: BigCommerce will automatically generate new IDs in the staging store.
• Brand ID: This is tied to categories, which won’t be imported.
• Categories: Since BigCommerce doesn’t provide a category export, rely on default settings in the staging store.

Verify the Data:

• Ensure all required fields (e.g., product name, SKU, price) are properly filled.
• VERY IMPORTANT: Copy the content from the column Internal Image URL (Export) to Image URL (Import) to ensure images are correctly linked during the import process.

Save the updated file before proceeding.

Step 4: Importing Products into the Staging Store

With the cleaned CSV file, import your products into the staging environment:

1. In the staging store admin, navigate to Products > Import.
2. Click Start New Import and upload your CSV file.
3. Preview the data to ensure everything is mapped correctly.
4. Click Import to add the products to your staging store.

Tip: Import a small batch first to verify the process before importing the entire catalog.

Step 5: Running the A11y Alt Text Generator

Once your products and images are imported into the staging store, use the A11y Alt Text Generator tool to update alt texts:

1. Access the tool and connect it to your staging store.
2. Generate new alt texts for product images in bulk.
3. Review and refine the alt texts to ensure they align with your accessibility and SEO goals.

Step 6: Exporting Products with Updated Alt Texts

After finalizing the updated alt texts, export the product data from the staging store:

1. Go to Products > Export in the staging store admin panel.
2. Ensure the alt_text column is included in the export.
3. Download the CSV file for use in the live store.

Step 7: Importing Updated Data into the Live Store

Finally, update your live store with the new alt texts:

1. In your live store, navigate to Products > Import.
2. Upload the CSV file exported from the staging store.
3. Preview the data to verify the changes.
4. Complete the import to update the live store’s product alt texts.

Why This Process Matters

Setting up a staging environment ensures that you can safely test and implement updates without impacting your live store. For tools like the A11y Alt Text Generator, this process allows you to refine accessibility improvements while maintaining a smooth workflow.

By following this guide, you can confidently set up, test, and deploy changes, ensuring both the functionality and accessibility of your online store.

Need Help?

If you’d like assistance with this process, our team is happy to help you. Contact us today to learn more about how we can support your BigCommerce projects.