Import products

CCV Shop has an import tool with many possibilities. This item explains how to import products from a .csv file. You will also find a simple example here and an extensive example in which all possible import fields are included.

The import tool is meant to be able to import products easily and quickly. For example, an export file from another online store. The import tool requires some knowledge of CSV files.

What is a CSV File
A CSV file, or a comma-separated file, is a specification for table files. The CSV file is the simplest database format that exists. It is made up of only text data, making it easy to implement and therefore has a wide spread. In a CSV file, values are separated by a semicolon (;) or a comma (,).

Create import task 

You can find these settings through 'Starting point > My products > Import products''. On this page you will find an overview of your current import tasks (figure 1). Otherwise you first have to activate the app in the Appstore.

Create a new import task
How can you create a new import task? First you need to have a CSV file. This can for example be supplied by your wholesaler. With this CSV file you can create an import task. Below is a step-by-step explanation of how you can create such an import task. In the chapters below, we will explain what you exactly have to fill out. 

1. Click on 'Import CSV file'.
2. A dialogue will appear.
3. Set the options of dialog "Product import step 1 of 3" (this is explained in the paragraph below)
4. When you have set these options, click on "Next".
5. Now the dialogue with "Product import step 2 of 3" appears. Fill this in and click on "Next".
6. The "Product import step 3 of 3" dialog appears. This is a control screen. Check your details here. When they are correct, click on "Next".
7. Your import task has now been created and is listed in the "Planned Import Tasks" list. The import will be carried out as quickly as possible. When the import finishes, you will receive an e-mail. 

Good to know: the import process runs in the background. You do not have to leave your browser on. 

Product Import step 1 of 3 

On this page you can select which file you want to import and you set the options that belong to your CSV file. Below is an explanation per option (figure 2).

Select a file:
With this option you can choose a file from your computer and then import it. Valid file formats are: .csv, .tsv and .txt.

Select a URL:
With this option you can import a file from an online storage (eg an import of your own wholesale). Valid file formats are: .csv, .tsv and .txt. This file must be accessible online (figure 2).

Separation sign
For this you can open the file in notepad here you see which separator is being used

First row contains field names:
Choose whether the first line contains the file names of the fields. The file therefore does not start with the products that have to be imported, but for example with "Article number", "Product name" etc.

Fields are enclosed by quotation marks:
Indicate whether the contents of your fields are indicated in quotation marks or not.


Figure 3 

Do not update products
If you choose this option, your products will not be updated and will therefore remain as they were entered by you. The products that will be imported through your import task will therefore be added in addition to the existing products.

Update products
With this option the article number is required to determine the right product. Products with the same item number are updated.

Tip: first test this option with a small number of products to make sure your file and settings are correct. We can not turn this process back.


Figure 4. 

Language

If you have a multilingual web store, certain product features can be filled in multiple languages. You can enter a language per import task. Enter the desired language of this import file. If you are going to add the following language via the import tool, select "Update products" under the "Processing existing products" option and choose the language that contains the import file under the "Language" option. After this the extra language you have indicated will be added to your product (figure 5).

Product import step 2 of 3 

In this step you look for the field from your import file that belongs to the correct field of this step. Fields like "Name" and "Product number" will speak for themselves. In other fields there is more to it. Below, we will explain the tabs in step 2 (figure 6).

Tip: You could also go with your mouse over the blue exclamation points for extra information.

Here you select the basic information of a product such as the name, description.
With this tab you will not see any other settings, you only have to select the correct field at the right value. 


figure 7 

If there are no categories listed in your file, you can determine in which "Preferred category" the products should be placed.

If there are categories in it, these can be loaded on an ID with an update. The file then contains the category IDs that are listed after your categories. In "Managing Categories".

This can also be done by name. If the file contains new categories, you have to define the categories on 'name' and select the correct field for the main category. Then the subcategory can also be filled in if necessary.

Price tab (figure 8).

In this tab you can determine the price. Add a percentage when, for example, you calculate a margin on the price. The discount that may apply to certain products can also be assigned here. You can also determine whether the prices should be rounded off. This way you avoid prizes such as € 2.21.

Staggered prices tab (figure 9). 


Here the staggered prices can be assigned. It is good to have the extensive file to deal with it in order to be able to fill it in properly. The difference between staggered prices and fixed prices is explained in the example below:

Staggered prices:
We take a bread:

1 or more loaves of bread € 1 each
5 or more loaves of bread € 0.80 each
10 or more loaves of bread € 0.50 each

Here the customer can still specify the numbers themselves.

Fixed scale prices:

5 loaves of bread € 0.80 each
10 loaves of bread € 0.50 each
20 loaves of bread € 0.20 each

Here the customer has to make a choice from a number, so the scale is fixed.
It is important that separate fields are included in the .CSV file per scale. So if you have 3 levels, you have a total of 9 columns in your file.

Media tab (figure 10).

In this tab you ensure that the photos are imported.
Please note! The images must already be online somewhere and accessible via a URL.

Below is an example of how you can set your image.

Suppose you have named your photos after the item number of the product (in this example 1234). The first photo ends with '_A.jpg', the second with '_B.jpg'. For example, the link to your photos looks like this:

http://www.domein.nl/foto/1234_A.jpg

http://www.domein.nl/foto/1234_B.jpg

If this is the case, enter at location 'http://www.domein.nl/foto/'. With photo name you choose 'Article number'. And at Achtervoegsel you opt for photo 1 for '_A.jpg' and for photo 2 for '_B.jpg'.

When the file contains the full link of the image of the image, you only need to select the correct column by name.

With "video" you can make a video visible with a product. The field that contains the embedded code (that is a code that causes a video to be loaded, for example with Youtube) should be selected here.

Attachments tab (figure 11).

This tab works the same way as importing images. When no name is selected, the name of the file itself is used.

This may be files of the following formats: .txt / .doc / .pdf / .xls / .jpg.

Stock tab (figure 12).

The stock must be checked if you want to import it.

Here you can also select additional settings such as a default delivery time. This is then used if the standard value is stated with the products. The stock location can be used to indicate products if, for example, there is a large warehouse. These are then shown in the order.

Options tab (figure 13).

Within this tab you can specify different settings for the layout.

Display products in the offer or in the layout of the webshop as an offer in one of the windows can be indicated by means of a Y of yes or an N of no.

You can also place products in the Facebook shop or not. The options tab does this on the basis of 1 or 0, 1 stands for yes and 0 for no.

The memo for internal use can be used for extra comments on a product. These will be visible in the order management when these products are ordered.

Tab metadata (figure 14).


Within this tab the many fields related to metadata can be assigned. This also contains data that are necessary for links with comparison sites. The internal keywords for the search engine can also be assigned here.

Import attributes ("Note! Our attribute import does not support multilingualism!")

Importing attributes can be done by going to the Import attributes tab. Please note that you always enter the product number (article number) in the general tab.


Figure 15

Please note! For an attribute combination, for example for a T-shirt that has a color and a size, it is important that the same product number is included in the import list for each line belonging to this T-shirt. Only then the attribute set color and size with their various attributes (blue, red, green, S, M, L, XL, XXL) are assigned to the T-shirt. The 'Import attribute' screen looks as follows. Below we will explain step by step what these values stand for.



Figure 16 

Combination ID
The combination ID is obtained when the attributes are exported. They receive a combination from the system in order to be able to link them to the right set. When you import attributes for the first time, this combination is not needed.

Combination number
The combination number is obtained when the attributes are exported. They receive a combination from the system in order to be able to link them to the right set. When you import attributes for the first time, this combination is not needed.

EAN Number
An EAN number can be linked to an attribute. If you want to import it, select the column containing the EAN number.

SKU Number
An attribute can also have an SKU number in your web store. If you want to import it, select the column containing the SKU number.

Expected delivery time number
The 'expected delivery number' refers to the column in which the expected delivery time for the product is indicated on the basis of a number, ie the number 1 for 1 day.

Active:
The column actively determines whether the attribute is active, if displayed on the web shop, or inactive so that it is imported but can not be seen in the front of the web shop.

The Active column must be formatted with a 1 for active or a 0 for inactive.
In the CSV file this should therefore be formatted as follows:

Import attribute sets

It is possible to import up to 4 attribute sets. The columns in the .csv file should be formatted as follows:

Attribute 1:	Attribute 2:	Attribute 3:	Attribute 4:
Size S	Color: Green	Tigerprint: Yes	Gift box: No
Size:M	Color: Green	Tigerprint: Yes	Gift box: No
Size:L	Color: Green	Tigerprint: Yes	Gift box: No
Size S	Color: Green	Tigerprint: No	Gift box: Yes
Size:M	Color: Green	Tigerprint: No	Gift box: Yes
Size:L	Color: Yellow	Tigerprint: No	Gift box: No
Size S	Color: Yellow	Tigerprint: Yes	Gift box: No
Size:M	Color: Yellow	Tigerprint: Yes	Gift box: No
Size:L	Color: Yellow	Tigerprint: No	Gift box: Yes
Size S	Color: Yellow	Tigerprint: No	Gift box: Yes
Size:M	Color: Yellow	Tigerprint: No	Gift box: Yes
Size:L	Color: Yellow	Tigerprint: No	Gift box: Yes

Please note! You have to make a new line for each combination. Sizes were used in the example. Also note that there is a colon between the name of the attribute (for example color) and the value (for example green).

Additional price

It is possible to import pet attribute an additional price.

Importing an additional price is as follows. Note that you enter at least the last additional price, otherwise the field will be set to 0 and the additional price will not be imported.

There is only one additional price per attribute possible and not for combinations

Attribute 1:	Attribute: 2	Attribute 3:	Attribute:4	Additional price 1	Additional price 2	Additional price 3	Additional price 4
Size:S	Color:Green	Tiger print: Yes	Gift box: No	1	2	1	0
Size:M	Color:Green	Tiger print: Yes	Gift box: No	2	2	1	0
Size:L	Color:Green	Tiger print: Yes	Gift box: No	3	2	1	0
Size:S	Kleur:Groen	Tiger print: No	Gift box: Yes	1	2	0	1
Size:M	Color:Green	Tiger print: No	Gift box: Yes	2	2	0	1
Size:L	Color:Green	Tiger print: No	Gift box: Yes	3	2	0	1
Size:S	Color:Yellow	Tiger print: Yes	Gift box: No	1	6	1	0
Size:M	Color:Yellow	Tiger print: Yes	Gift box: No	2	6	1	0
Size:L	Color:Yellow	Tiger print: Yes	Gift box: No	3	6	1	0
Size:S	Color:Yellow	Tiger print: No	Gift box: Yes	1	6	0	1
Size:M	Color:Yellow	Tiger print: No	Gift box: Yes	2	6	0	1
Size:L	Color:Yellow	Tiger print: No	Gift box: Yes	3	6	0	1

Surcharge 1 relates to attribute 1. In this case Size S will charge 1 euro extra, Size M, 2 euro extra, etc. The second extra price relates to 2 row attributes. For example, the color green costs 2 euros more and the color yellow 6 euros. The same applies to the following columns. Note that only 1 more price per attribute can be entered. If several additional prices for 1 attribute are entered, the last extra price in the column in combination with this attribute will overwrite the rest.

Productimport step 3 of 3

Check with this step if your settings are correct, if this is not the case you can still change the settings by clicking the "Go back" button. If everything is alright, click on to start the import.

It can then take some time, depending on how busy it is, until your import really starts and is complete (figure 17).