Importing Items into Sales Layer

We can add and update items into Sales Layer through the following methods:

  • Manual bulk import via Excel/CSV/XML
  • Automatic import via the import connector
  • Adding items manually one by one

Let's take a look at each of them below.

 

Manual bulk import via Excel/CSV/XML

 

To mass import through one of these files, it is possible to click on the Import button:

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Or from the Actions menu -->Import products: 

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Note: This action is the same for all Sales Layer tables: categories, products, variants, and sales material.

Next, it is necessary to select the desired file type :

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We can import a CSV-type file with all the information of the items from the computer, by selecting CSV File.

The file limit is 20 MB or 25,000 items.

Selecting Excel File, it is possible to copy the information directly from the file and paste it into the PIM. There are several articles in our Support Center, explaining how to import categories, products, and variants via Excel.

For this type of import, the limit is 25,000 items.

To import the items through CSV or Excel it is necessary to have the fields previously separated in columns, and, in the case of multi-language, it is important to separate the fields in the different languages using the ISO code of each one.

Note that the item reference field is mandatory, therefore, in all imports, whether to create new items or to update existing items, it is necessary to complete it.

Below are examples of how to structure the data in an Excel and CSV file.

Excel:

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CSV:

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Finally, if we choose XML File, just like the CSV option, we have to upload the file with the information we want to import, taking into account that the file limit is 40MB or 25,000 items.

The XML format is very flexible, so we have created an algorithm that interprets the information and transforms it into items. It is important to note the following: 

  • If the algorithm sees a sequence of list data, it interprets that these are items to be imported. 
  • If the XML has the titles defined with the language extension (for example: “Product name:en”) when converting it to an item it will be identified as the “EN” value of the product name.
  • The algorithm can identify the name of the field to be imported from the “name” or “title” attribute of the XML node or, if it does not exist, it will pick up the name of the node itself.

Let's see an example:

XML_example

Note: Through the XML importation, it is not possible to update just one item at a time. 

For all these options, after selecting the file, or copy/paste in case of Excel, our Import functionality will automatically map the fields we upload with the fields already present in SL. In this step, it is possible to select a different field from the one automatically mapped, create new a type of field, change the title, or discard a field that we don’t want to upload:

match fields after importing

If you check this article, you will find more information about the import/upload functionalities.

 

Automatic import via the import connector

 

Apart from manual import, it is possible to schedule automatic imports using our import connector present in the channel store:

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In addition, we can connect a CSV file directly from a server through this connector (more information in this article) or using our API. We recommend checking how our API works through this link and this example in case this method is chosen.

 

Adding items manually one by one

 

If you prefer to create an item manually, instead of importing it massively as explained before, clicking on the Add button, will allow you to add the product information directly in your form.

 

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Note: For the product table, if there are families configured, it is necessary to select your family before being able to edit the product form.

Security: Controlling Changes and Time Layer
Importing Products (via Excel