There are a few different paths to import product data into Catsy. This entry will cover proper practice when bringing in new products, linking Parent Products to Variants, and updating products.
Section 1: Importing New Products
*When importing New Products that have Parents, we recommend importing the Parent Products first to avoid any errors when importing Variant Products.*
(1a) From the Catsy dashboard select More > Imports.
(1b) Now click the “Proceed to download template” link below the “Import Products” option.
(1c) Next click “Default Product Import” and then click “Continue.”
(We HIGHLY recommend selecting “Default Product Import.” Selecting “Default Product Import” will provide you with a spreadsheet for listing your product data that is pre-populated with the correct Attribute Names, Attribute Groups and Picklist values. This eliminates many common user errors, such as misspelled Attribute Names and invalid Picklist values, and ensures that the new products get the correct Attribute Groups. “Minimal Product Import” does not include Attribute Groups, Picklist values or localized Attributes if you operate in multiple languages. Only select “Minimal Product Import” if you are confident in your ability to manually provide valid Picklist values and know how to manually assign the correct Attribute Groups to the products.)
(1d) Now search for Attributes by name, or select the Attribute Groups needed for the new products you are importing and then click “Download Template.”
(If you are unsure which Attribute Groups or Attribute Names you need for the new products you are importing, simply check the box for “All Attributes” and then click “Download Template.”)
(1e) Your template will download to your computer. When opened, it will look something like this. Simply add your new product data to the template and be sure to save your work.
(1f) When you have finished adding your new product data to the template, depending on where you are in the interface, click the “Continue” button as shown above in (1c). Next, as shown below, click the “Choose a file” button and select your completed new product template from your computer. Then click “Continue.”
(1g) Clicking “Advanced Options” will allow you to select options to update existing products only, use blank cells to overwrite and erase valees already in Catsy, and to create all picklist values from the file.
(1h) Confirm that Catsy recognizes and was able to map all attributes correctly and press continue. If Catsy was unable to recognize and map an attribute properly, the data for that attribute will not be imported.
(1i) Any errors in import, such as duplicate values, will be presented on this final confirmation page. This page will also show items that may be skipped due to errors, as well as breakdown products being created vs. product being updated. Clicking continue on this page will commit the import, and Catsy will begin making the applicable updates.
Section 2: Linking Parents and Variants
This section assumes that you’ve already successfully imported your Parent Products. If you haven’t imported Parent Products data yet, please do so before proceeding to this section*
(2a) Generate a template as in sections (1a) - (1d), making sure that the attribute you assigned as the Parent SKU is included in the list.
(2b) Fill in the template with variant product data, and include their corresponding parent numbers in the appropriate columns as shown in the sample below:
(2c) Import the template as outlined in steps (1f) - (1i). When viewing the products section, Variants will be nested within their respective Parent Products.
Section 3: Updating Product Information
(3a) First, export the product data that you want to update. Instructions on the how to export product data can be found here: Exporting Items . When opened, your exported product data will look something like this:
(3b) Update data within the spreadsheet as necessary, saving your work often.
(3c) Import the template as outlined in steps (1f) - (1i).
Your updated product data has been successfully imported! Clicking the “Finish” button will take you to your products queue. If you have any questions about this import process, simply send and email to support@catsy.com.