Why re-importing your store list creates duplicates

Every importer decides differently whether a row updates a location or adds a new one. Get it wrong and you get two of every store, or lose some. Here is the rule for each platform, and how the tool's compare step keeps your IDs.

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Also for: StockistWP Store LocatorAgile Store LocatorStorepointGoogle Business ProfileYour own template

How each platform matches rows

Platform	Update key	A row without the key	Locations missing from the file
Stockist	None	Added as a new location	Removed only if you tick "This import contains a complete list of all stores"
WP Store Locator	wpsl_id	Created as a new store	Not documented. Deleting is a separate wpsl_id-only import
Agile Store Locator	update_id	Inserted as a new store	Not documented
Storepoint, Quick Import	Name and address	Added as a new location	Left alone
Storepoint, managed import	Rows of that import	Added	Removed
Google Business Profile	Store code	A new store code creates a location	Not documented
MetaLocator	ID, an External Key field, or Address, City, State and PostalCode	Depends on the import mode	Depends on the import mode

The traps

Stockist: a linked Google Sheet adds rows too. Delete existing listings before the first sync.
WP Store Locator: an unknown wpsl_id is not added. It is skipped with "Update failed! The provided wpsl_id doesn't belong to a store location".
Agile Store Locator: IDs only appear in an export made with "Export with Store IDs" switched on.
Storepoint: renaming a store or editing its address makes it a new location. Rows with the same name and address in one file are merged into one pin.
Google: changing a store code, or a spreadsheet stripping its leading zeros (0004 becomes 4), creates a duplicate. Store codes cannot be changed by spreadsheet.
MetaLocator: without an ID or External Key, editing an address breaks the match. Pick "Update Existing and Insert New" when you import.

Re-import without duplicates

Export your current locations from the platform. For Agile Store Locator, switch on "Export with Store IDs". For MetaLocator, include the ID.
Load your new list in the tool above and pick the platform.
On WP Store Locator and Agile Store Locator, answer Yes to the existing-stores question and drop your current export. You see how many stores will update, which are new and which are missing.
Where the platform has an ID column (wpsl_id, update_id, MetaLocator's ID), we copy each ID onto the matching row so the import updates it. Rows are matched on that ID when both files have it, otherwise on the details the platform matches on.
For each location missing from your new list, choose keep or remove. Nothing is dropped silently.
Download, then import using the steps shown for your platform.

Questions

Will a Stockist import delete my existing stores?

Only if you tick "This import contains a complete list of all stores". Then Stockist replaces your list with the file. Without it, the rows are added next to your existing ones.

How do I update WP Store Locator stores without creating duplicates?

Export your stores first and keep the wpsl_id column when you import again. Rows with a wpsl_id update that store. Rows with an empty one are always added.

Why does re-importing into Agile Store Locator duplicate my stores?

Rows without an update_id are inserted as new stores. Export with "Export with Store IDs" switched on and keep the update_id column.

Sources

Last checked against the vendor docs on 2 October 2026. Platforms change their importers, so check the source if something looks different.