Overview
ShopAdmin lets you import or bulk-update a large number of product attributes to be associated with existing product records via a CSV (comma-separated values) file or data stream. By “import” we mean adding new product attributes to existing product records, and by “bulk update” we mean modifying the fields of large number of product attributes in one go.
Importing new product attributes amounts to adding new records into the product attribute table. For example, suppose you want to add the option “Color”, with value “Red” and price $34.99, to your product named “Velour Sheet”. You are specifying the product name to which the attribute is being added, the option and option value being added, and the price of the option value. This is pretty much all you need to specify.
Extending this example, if you want to add three attributes to the Velour Sheet product, your CSV data set might look like this.
| Product name | Option | Option value | Option value price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Velour Sheet | Color | Red | $34.99 |
| Velour Sheet | Color | Blue | $31.99 |
| Velour Sheet | Color | Green | $28.99 |
The import process
Navigate to the product attributes tab and choose the Import/Update item from the tools menu.
The import wizard appears. Paste the CSV data into the box (or choose a CSV file to use) and click “Next”.
The second step of the import wizard appears. Here we match the fields in the CSV file with the system fields, if needed, via the dropdown lists at the top. In this example, we need to match the product name field. After choosing the product name field, click Next.
The system verifies the validity of your data and shows you the last confirmation step for importing. Click the “Import” button.
In a short time, the import is completed, and you can click the “Done” button to get back to the list of product attributes.
Notes
- When adding a product attribute, the option name for the attribute must already exist in the list of permissible option names (i.e., the option names table), and the option value must also exist in the option values table. ShopAdmin checks for these conditions, and indicates errors where it does not find the names in the corresponding tables. This means that, in essence, you must already have set up the product names and values in your shopping cart database.
- It is not meaningful to add arbitrary options and option values as product attributes. For example, your cart database might have an option named Color, with allowed values Red, Blue and Green, and another option named Size, with allowed values S, M, L and XL. Obviously it makes no sense to create a product attribute with name Color and value XL. The shopping cart database includes information about permissible pairs of option names and values. When you import product attributes, you must ensure that you use only permissible pairs.