You can import products to your store with a .csv file. This knowledge base article describes the steps to follow to prepare the .csv file and then import it.
To import products using Global Settings > Data Import Tools > Product Import you need to create a spreadsheet.
The contents of this sheet are based on column headers that are accepted by AmeriCommerce.
Browse to Global Settings > Data Import Tools > Product Import:
On this screen you will see a link: click to download the Sample File (used as a reference for uploading). Click the link to download a CSV file that you can use to import your product data.
When you open the CSV file it will contain a single row. This row is explained under Column Definitions (see image below).
Column Definitions will let you know what data should be placed under which column and in what format.
Note:
- Some columns have a character limit notably ItemName (100 chars), ShortDescription (100 chars), CustomMetaKeywords (250 chars), CustomMetaDescription (250 chars), etc.
- If you are importing product data for the first time, it is helpful to setup a few products manually and export the data to familiarize yourself with the data formatting in AmeriCommerce. 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.
The sample file you download will contain lots of column headers that you may not need. You may safely ignore or delete those columns to make editing easier.
You can do your editing in an XL sheet (.XLS, or .XLSX) and do a Save As to CSV when you are finished.
For example: Take a look at the following XL sheet:
This sheet only contains a few columns as an example:
- ItemNumber
Typically the SKU number for the product. In case the product does not have one you can generate your own ItemNumber.
- ItemName
The name of the product as seen by your customers. This is a required field when adding a new product.
- CategoryList
A list of categories under which the product is placed. Multiple category branches are separated using the | symbol, for e.g.:
Bags > Backpack | Accessories > Bags | Gifts. This is a required field when adding a new product. If a category/category path is defined here that does not already exist, it will be created on validation during Import.
- ProductStatus
The default status for product. (Product Statuses are defined under Catalog > Product Statuses). A product status must be created before it can be used.
- Bullets
A description of the product. You can use simple HTML formatting commands like <b>, <ul>, <li>, <p>, etc. This is a required field when adding a new product.
- BasePrice
The price of the product as seen and paid by customers (discounts are applied on the base price). This is a required field when adding a new product.
- Manufacturer
Name of the product manufacturer. You can edit manufacturers from Catalog > Manufacturers / Brands.
- ItemPrimaryImageUrl
Path to the main image associated with the product (for e.g. /images/product.jpg).
- ItemThumbnailUrl
Path to the thumbnail image for the product (for e.g. /images/product_th.jpg).
- ItemImages
This column is used when you are specifying multiple images for a product. If you take the above two images then you would get a path like this:
/images/product.jpg~True~~~0~/images/product_th.jpg
How the ItemImages column works
Take a look at the following screen from the Photos tab in the Product Editor. 
The ItemImages column works as follows:
<1. image name with path>~<2. is primary (TRUE or FALSE)>~<3. alternate text>~<4. description/caption text>~<5. sort order>~<6. thumbnail image with path>~<7. zoomify path>
So following the parameters in the above image results in:
/images/Tee White.jpg~True~White Tee~White Description~1~/images/Tee White_th.jpg~
Now, if there are more images associated with the same product then the additional images are listed as follows:
/images/Tee White B.jpg~False~White Tee 2~White Description 2~2~/images/Tee White B_th.jpg~
/images/Tee White C.jpg~False~White Tee 3~White Description 3~3~/images/Tee White C_th.jpg~
/images/Tee White D.jpg~False~White Tee 4~White Description 4~4~/images/Tee White D_th.jpg~
In the ItemImages column all 4 rows are combined (no line breaks) and separated using the | (pipe) symbol as follows:
/images/Tee White.jpg~True~White Tee~White Description~1~/images/Tee White_th.jpg~|/images/Tee White B.jpg~False~White Tee 2~White Description 2~2~/images/Tee White B_th.jpg~|/images/Tee White C.jpg~False~White Tee 3~White Description 3~3~/images/Tee White C_th.jpg~|/images/Tee White D.jpg~False~White Tee 4~White Description 4~4~/images/Tee White D_th.jpg~
You do not need to populate all the parameters. So instead of:
/images/Tee White.jpg~True~White Tee~White Description~1~/images/Tee White_th.jpg~
You may also use:
/images/Tee White.jpg~True~~~1~/images/Tee White_th.jpg~
and
/images/Tee White.jpg~True~~~1~/images/Tee White_th.jpg~|/images/Tee White B.jpg~False~~~2~/images/Tee White B_th.jpg~
Note:
- The Is Primary flag can have a value of True or False
- For products with multile images only 1 (one) image can have the Is Primary flag set to True
- The Sort Order for the image with Is Primary set to True is ignored
- The Sort Order is optional. You may leave it at 0 for all your images
- Multiple product images in the ItemImages column are separated using the | (pipe) symbol
- When the ItemImages column is populated, data in the other image columns is ignored
- CustomPageTitle
The page title that you want to use. Appears as the title in the browser window. Useful for SEO purposes.
- Hide
A boolean field that can contain TRUE or FALSE values.
Tip: When importing products you can set this value to TRUE so you can test imported products before making them visible to your customers.
Note: The ItemId field is AmeriCommerce's internal product number. It is autogenerated and should not be included when adding new products. It is useful for identifying products in the database and can be used for updating records. The ItemId is different from the ItemNumber.
When you are finished making changes to the XL sheet you can save it as .CSV file.
Now that you have a CSV file it is time to upload it.
Browse to Global Settings > Data Import Tools > Product Import:
Click next to continue:
Click the File Explorer icon to upload the file.
When the File Explorer opens, go to the Upload Files tab and follow these steps:
After uploading, switch back to the Server Files tab and insert the uploaded file:
Once the file has been inserted click on the link at the bottom to load the contents of the file.
When you click on Click to Load the next screen will show a list of fields as follows:
- On the left you will see Your Column. These are the headers as you have used in the CSV file you just uploaded.
- On the right is Our Column. These are the headers that AmeriCommerce is expecting from your file.
If you have used the sample data file, the two columns should match perfectly. If you have used your own headers, you can map the fields by selecting the fields from the drop down that your fields should map to.
Note: When importing data using CSV files you do not need to use all the headers. When a file is created with missing columns there is simply a no-match scenario on this screen.
Click on the Next button at the top to continue.
On this screen you must click on the Click to Validate Data link:
Note: Do not click on the link 'Click to Upload Data (finish)' (see above image) without validating the data in your file. This can lead to errors in database entries. The Click to Validate Data link is provided so that common mistakes can be caught and data can be checked so that certain fields are only accepting data that is appropriate for them.
After you click on Click to Validate Data you will see the following message:
The message must read that Validation passed all checkpoints. If there is even a single reported error please read it carefully and if necessary modify the CSV file and upload it again.
Do not go past this step unless you get the message as is highlighted in the above image.
When you get the all clear click on Click to Upload Data (Finish).
Depending on the volume of data you are uploading there will be a slight delay as the data is added/updated on your store.
When the data upload is completed successfully you will see the following dialog box:
In the above image: