Automate the whole thing with built-in rate limiting - that’s what actually works. I’ve done similar bulk updates and manually coding rate limits is a nightmare.
I built an automated workflow that handles Shopify API calls with smart delays and retry logic. It processes your CSV in batches, waits when hitting limits, and tracks what’s updated.
Split your 1200 products into smaller chunks, add delays between API calls, and auto-retry failures. Best part? It runs in the background - no babysitting required.
I process about 50 products at a time with 2-second delays between calls. Takes longer but everything gets updated without errors. Throw in email notifications for completion or failures.
This kills the manual work and API limit headaches. Check out Latenode for this type of automation: https://latenode.com