Picnic Time knowledge base

Importing products is useful especially if you want to update your products from third party systems.

The CSV connector allows you to import product information from a CSV file in two ways :

• Directly from user interfaces
• From a path given in the configuration of the import profile.

When importing products, the product database extracts data from your CSV file and integrates them into your Product Information Manager.

CSV files are text files representing tabulated data and are supported by most applications that handle tabulated data (for e.g. Microsoft Excel, databases, etc.).

The CSV import process consists of:

• Creating an import profile. See Managing import profiles for this step.
• Preparing your CSV file.
• Running the CSV file import.

You can configure the settings of import data by a CSV file (delimiter, scope, etc…) by Managing import profiles.

A CSV (comma-separated values) file stores tabular data (numbers and text) in plain-text form. The CSV connector assumes that your CSV file is based on the configuration of the import profile you will use : Separation of fields, enclosures, etc…

The first line of your product CSV has to include the field headers described below, with each separated by a delimiter.

The order doesn’t matter. Subsequent lines in the file should contain data for your product using those same fields in that exact same order.

When a field is not in the file, it is ignored. For example, if an attribute is not in the CSV file, it will not be updated with an empty value.

Here’s a description of each type of field:

The Identifier is the unique way to identify each product. Every line in the CSV contains a different identifier. The identifier is the only mandatory attribute to import products.

sku;family; Sku-101;shoe; Sku-102;shoe; Sku-103;shoe;

The header of the field family should be define in the import profile. See Managing import profiles to know the name of the field for family. If there is no family defined for a product, it will be considered without family. That means all imported attributes will be added without using a family’s template, and the product will not have completeness calculated.

You can import products with different families in the same CSV file.

Families must exist in the product database. Use codes of families in CSV file.

sku;family; Sku-101;shoe; Sku-102;Mug; Sku-103;; You can set or change the family of an existing product in the product database. Be careful with the column family.

The header of the field categories should be define in the import profile.

sku;family;categories; Sku-101;shoe;shoes,clothes; Sku-102;Mug;goodies; Sku-103;; If there is no categories defined for a product, it will be not classified. Classification is optional for importing products. You can classify products with different categories in the same CSV file.

Categories must exist in the product database. Use codes of categories in CSV file.

The header of the field enabled is optional. It allows to change the status of products : 0 = disabled, 1 = enabled. You can also define the value of enabled for all product you will import in the configuration of the import profile. In this case, you don’t need to add the column ‘enabled’ in the CSV file.

sku;family;categories;enabled Sku-101;shoe;shoes,clothes;0; Sku-102;Mug;goodies;0; Sku-103;;;1;

The product information are linked to attributes. The header of fields for attributes are composed of the code of the attribute, and, if the attribute is localized, the code of the locale. Attributes must exist in the product database for importing product’s values. The CSV connector will not create attributes when importing products information.

If the product doesn’t exist, it will be created. If the product already exists, it will be updated with values in CSV file only. Other attributes existing in the product database will not be updated.

If you want to add multiple values for an attribute to a product, you should use commas for the same attribute. See example with categories.

For attribute type select (simple select or multi-select), use codes of options.

For attribute type image or file, give the path and the name of the file.

sku;family;categories,short_description-en_US;short_description-fr_FR;color;name-en_US;name-fr_FR;size; Sku-101;shoe;apparels_shoes,shoes,shoes_woman;beautiful shoes;belles chaussures;PURPLE,RED;Butterfly shoes;Chaussures Papillon;8 Sku-102;Mug;;;;;;;; Sku-103;;computers;;;GREEN;;;12

You can have a price for each channel and for each locale. The currency can be the same for all prices, or there are several currencies. that’s why there are as columns of prices as currencies.

In the column for the attributes prices, give the values only, without spaces, without commas, and without the code of the currency.

sku;family;price-en_US-mobile-EUR;price-fr_FR-mobile-EUR;categories,short_description-en_US;short_description-fr_FR;color;name-en_US;name-fr_FR;size;image_example Sku-101;shoe;15,15;apparels_shoes,shoes,shoes_woman;beautiful shoes;belles chaussures;PURPLE,RED;Butterfly shoes;Chaussures Papillon;8;gallery/images/example.png Sku-102;Mug;120,120;;;;;;;; Sku-103;;50,75;computers;;;GREEN;;;12;default.jpg

You can upload an archive (zip) with files and images for different products in order to import them. In the column for the attributes images or files, give the path in the archive where the product database will upload images & files.

sku;family;price-USD;categories,short_description-en_US;short_description-fr_FR;color;name-en_US;name-fr_FR;size;image_example Sku-101;shoe;19;apparels_shoes,shoes,shoes_woman;beautiful shoes;belles chaussures;PURPLE,RED;Butterfly shoes;Chaussures Papillon;8;gallery/images/example.png Sku-102;Mug;124;;;;;;;; Sku-103;;75;computers;;;GREEN;;;12;default.jpg

To upload and run an import profile with CSV file :

• Go to ‘Extract > Import profiles’ to display the import profiles grid.
• Select the import profile you want to use to import products with your CSV file by clicking the row.
• The configuration page of the import profile opens. If the option is available, click the button ‘Upload and import‘.
• A space appears to drop a file. You can also click the area to open your device’s directory.
• Click ‘upload and import now‘.

The product database displays a message to inform if the import is successful or failed.

To run an import profile with a path to retrieve the CSV file :

• Go to ‘Extract > Import profiles’ to display the import profiles grid.
• Select the import profile you want to use to import products with your CSV file by clicking the row.
• The configuration page of the import profile opens. Click the button ‘Import now‘.

The product database displays a message to inform if the import is successful or failed. An email is sent to your mail box to give you details about the import process.