Importing Products

• Overview
• Preparing the Spreadsheet (CSV) File
• Testing the Import Process with a Small Dataset
• Importing Data Using the CSV File
• Mapping your Import Columns
• Validating the Import for Errors
• Handling Import Errors
• Post-Import Data Review
• Handling Special Characters
• Backup Before Import

 

Overview

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You can import products to your store with a .csv file. This knowledge base article describes the steps to prepare, map, validate, and import the .csv file into your store.

 

Preparing the Spreadsheet (CSV) File

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To import products, you need to create a spreadsheet with your data in our expected format. If you have an existing data set from another source, you can map the name of their column headers to ours in a later step.

If you're updating products, it is strongly suggested to export your products to use as a starting point. To learn more about exporting data, see our Exporting Data Overview

To begin understanding product imports, navigate to Tools > Data Import > Product:

On this screen, you will see a links to download sample import files and a link to view the field definitions. Viewing the field definitions is very important for understanding the formatting of complex columns, such as 'ItemImages' and 'AdvancedPricing'. 

• If you are importing product data for the first time, it is helpful to setup a few products manually and export the data (Tools > Data Export > Product) to familiarize yourself with the data formatting in AmeriCommerce online store. Please review the knowledge base article How Do I Add Products to My Store to review how you can manually add products to your store.
• Alternatively, you can download a sample file with columns selected for a more specific use-case.

The columns provided in an export and sample files are explained under View Field Definitions (see image below).

 

Note: Some columns have character limits, notably ItemName (100 chars), ShortDescription (100 chars), CustomMetaKeywords (250 chars), CustomMetaDescription (250 chars), etc.

The sample file you download (or the export of existing products) will contain many column headers you may not need. You can safely delete those columns to make editing easier.

You can edit the file in Excel (.XLS, or .XLSX) and save it as a CSV file when you are finished.

For example, take a look at the following Excel sheet:

This sheet contains a few columns as an example:

• ItemNumber - Typically the SKU number for the product. You can generate your own ItemNumber if the product doesn’t have one.
• ItemName - The name of the product as seen by your customers. This is a required field for adding a new product.
• CategoryList - A list of categories under which the product is placed. Multiple category branches are separated by the "|" symbol, for example: Bags > Backpack | Accessories > Bags | Gifts. This is a required field when adding a new product.
• ProductStatus - The default status for the product. Product statuses are defined under Catalog > Product Statuses.
• Bullets - A description of the product. You can use simple HTML formatting commands like <b>, <ul>, <li>, <p>, etc.
• BasePrice - The price of the product seen and paid by customers. This is a required field for adding a new product.
• Manufacturer - Name of the product manufacturer. You can edit manufacturers under Catalog > Manufacturers / Brands.
• ItemImages - This column is used when specifying multiple images for a product. This only applies the reference on the product. You will need to upload the images to the specified URL separately.

For detailed instructions on how the ItemImages column works, refer to the field definition, in comparison to the Photos tab in the Product Editor:

(list item) List of one or more item pictures. If you include data in this field, all existing references will be overwritten. The image reference can be relative '/images/1001.jpg' or it can be a full url 'http://www.website.com/images/1001.jpg'. These pictures display for the products on your websites, as well as on product feeds to froogle, ebay, etc. You can include picture_reference~primaryIndicator~alternateDescription~caption~sortOrder~thumb_reference~Zoomify_path~Hide~IsVideoScreenShot~VideoContent~IsGooglePrimaryImage, separate each field by a tilde(~). Only the main picture reference and the primary indicator are required. Separate each picture info group by a pipe(|). Example: /images/1001.jpg~true~An Item1~This is a picture of item1~1|/images/1002.jpg~false~An Item2~This is a picture of item2~2

• The Is Primary flag can have values of True or False.
• For products with multiple images, only one image can have the Is Primary flag set to True.
• The sort order for the primary image is ignored.
• Multiple product images in the ItemImages column are separated by the | (pipe) symbol.
• You can enter <<DELETE>> in the ItemImages column to remove images from an item.

Note: The ItemId field is the internal product number autogenerated by AmeriCommerce online stores. It should not be included when adding new products. It is useful for identifying products in the database and updating records.

After making changes to your spreadsheet, save it as a .CSV file if you're using another file type. Now that you have a CSV file, it's time to upload it.

• AdvancedPricing - This field has 11 values separated by a tilde '~', which are as follows:
  StoreName~CustomerTypeName~VariantInventoryItemID~ Quantity~Cost~Price~StartDate~EndDate~PriceCalculatorID~Variant~Variant Price Surcharge

Testing the Import Process with a Small Dataset

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Tip: It is highly recommended to test the import process with a small dataset (e.g., 2-3 products) before importing a large number of items. This will help ensure that your data is formatted correctly and mapped accurately. You can copy the first few rows, including headers, and paste them into a new file for testing.

You can also validate your data to check for errors before importing. 

Once you’re satisfied that the small dataset works, you can proceed with the full CSV import.

 

Importing Data Using the CSV File

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To import your CSV file, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to Tools > Data Import > Product Import:
2. Click the folder icon that says "Insert From" under Import File.
3. You can select a file from your computer or one already uploaded to the store, 
4. After uploading the file, click "Next" to proceed to Step 3. 

 

Mapping Your Data Columns

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Step 3: Map your data columns allows you to map the columns from your CSV file to the AmeriCommerce online store. If you used our template, you can skip this step because all the data is properly categorized.

If you have your own format, pick one of your columns on the left and select the matching column from AmeriCommerce. If you wish, you can save the current mapping scheme for future use at the top of the page. This way, next time you import the same file, you won’t have to re-map the data again.

• Some fields in the column map are required for new products, marked with an asterisk.
• If you're updating existing products, the only columns you need are the ItemID and whatever you want to update. 

Click 'Next' to proceed to the Validation/Import page.

 

Validate & Import Your Data

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On this screen, you can choose to run a validation on your import to check for errors before importing. This ensures any issues are corrected ahead of time.

Note: Validating an import containing new categories will create the categories during validation. This step is necessary to properly validate the entire file.

Click the 'Validate' button to begin the process. The Background Jobs area will now display the progress of the validation in the top right. 

If your file validates with no errors: Awesome! You’re ready to import.

Click the 'Import' button to begin the import. The Background Jobs area will continue to display the import progress, along with any errors encountered.

Congratulations! You have successfully imported new products into your catalog. You can use similar methods with the Import Wizard for handling customers, orders, tracking information, and inventory data.

Note: To remove values from a field in the database during an import, enter <<DELETE>> in the corresponding field in the CSV file.

 

Handling Import Errors

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After importing your CSV file, if there are errors, you may see a list of failed entries. These errors usually indicate missing required fields or invalid data formats.

NOTE: The error row does not include the header row from the uploaded file. If it says error in row 123, it is actually row 124 in the file you uploaded.  

1. Click on the number of errors shown in the background process to view the error details. 
2. Review the error messages displayed and compare to the data uploaded. 
3. Open your CSV file and correct any missing or invalid data (e.g., missing ItemName or improperly formatted prices).
4. Re-upload the corrected CSV file and repeat the import process.

Note: If the error persists after multiple attempts, contact support for further assistance.

 

Post-Import Data Review

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Once the import is complete, it's important to verify that the data has been uploaded correctly. Follow these steps to review the imported products:

1. Navigate to the Catalog > Products section in your store's admin panel.
2. Search for a few imported products to verify that key details such as price, description, and images are displayed correctly.
3. If any issues are found, you may need to correct the product data manually or re-import specific products.

 

Handling Special Characters

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When dealing with special characters (e.g., &, %, foreign characters), it’s important to ensure that your CSV file is saved using UTF-8 encoding. This prevents potential display issues on your site.

1. After editing your spreadsheet, save the file as a CSV file in UTF-8 format.
2. If using Excel, you can select Save As and choose the CSV UTF-8 (Comma delimited) (*.csv) option.
3. Verify that all special characters are properly displayed after the import.

 

Backup Before Import

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Tip: Before importing a large number of products, it’s a good practice to back up your current product data.

1. Navigate to Tools > Data Export > Product Export to export the current product data into a CSV file.
2. Save the exported file as a backup in case you need to restore previous data.
3. Once the backup is complete, you can proceed with importing your new product data.