Import product catalog in Portal

You can import product information for multiple products using a single Excel spreadsheet. Use the spreadsheet to import data for new products as well as append missing data to existing products. You must require the  Product Catalog Administrator  role to do the import.

Note: The import file must be a valid Excel file and be no larger than 5 MBs. Import products don’t support the older .xls file format.

To import products

1. From the navigation bar, select More > Product Catalog. The Products list appears.
   
   
   
   

2. Select Import products. The Import products modal appears.
   
   
   
   

   

   Note: If you're importing products for the first time, we recommend that you select the Download example file link. Examining the example spreadsheet will help you to understand the format requirements.
3. Drag and drop your Excel spreadsheet onto the Import products modal. Alternatively, browse to the required Excel spreadsheet.
   
   

   Note: The file can only be imported to the catalog once verified. Verification can take up to five minutes.
4. Review file analysis: The system checks the uploaded file in real time. The File summary shows the results.
   1. If you see errors, select Download errors and warnings, fix the issues, and upload the file again.
   2. To cancel the upload, select X. You can still import the file even if it contains errors or warnings.

5. Select your import options:

   1. Fields with multiple values: Some fields can store more than one value (for example, Global Trade Item Numbers (GTINs)). Choose how the system should handle existing values:
      1. Add new values to existing values: Keeps the current values and adds the new values from your file.
      2. Replace existing values: Removes the current values and uses only the new values from your file.
   2. Source priority: Choose which source takes priority when the same product is updated in both the feed and Portal.
      1. Portal: Values entered in Portal take priority. Future feed updates do not overwrite them.
      2. Feed: The feed controls the value. The next feed can update or overwrite it

6.  Select Import and finish. If you’re having issues importing your file, refer to the section on troubleshooting.

Note: Importing data using the Product Catalog application will always take precedence and override data updates coming from your feed or from Dynamic Catalog Collection (DCC). Learn more about data source priority.

Feed source behavior

If you add product data in the Bazaarvoice Portal and select Feed as the source, 

• Incremental Feeds (default): The product remains active, even if it is not included in your next feed file.
• Full Feeds: Include that data in your next full feed file. If you do not include it, the system marks that product as inactive

Verification

Verification takes place at two levels:

• File-level analysis—focuses on the overall file validity. Verification ensures that the file conforms to a specific format and contaiins specific mandatory information. Warning: Verification failure at file level means you can’t import your file. Learn how to troubleshoot a failed import.

• Row-level analysis—focuses on row-by-row validity. Verification failure at row level means you won’t be able to import a specific product row (the invalid row may not contain information in the correct format).

  

  Note: However, you can still continue with a partial import of the file which includes valid product rows only.

Tip: You can also correct your Excel spreadsheet before importing. Download the errors and warnings log, and update your file accordingly.

Troubleshooting

File-level analysis	Error message	Recommendation
Invalid file	Local validation failed.	Ensure the import file is a valid Excel spreadsheet.
File too large	Selected file is over 5MB.	Separate into smaller Excel spreadsheets and upload them one at a time.
Empty file	File does not contain any rows.	Open the file and add product information using separate rows for each product.
Unrecognized column header	Column header is not valid.	Ensure that column header is using the correct format. The data in the invalid column won’t be imported.
Invalid product ID	File does not contain an external ID or a product ID.	The file must contain a valid Product ID column. Open the file and make sure there is a Product ID column. Note: Product ID does not have to be the first column.
Invalid category ID	File does not contain a category ID.	If the file contains category information, it must also contain a corresponding Category ID column. Open the file and make sure there is a Category ID column.
Invalid brand ID	File does not contain a brand ID.	If the file contains brand information, it must also contain a corresponding Brand ID column. Open the file and make sure there is a Brand ID column.
File contains more than one Excel worksheet	No error message appears.	If the Excel spreadsheet contains more than one worksheet, only data from the first worksheet is imported.

Learn how to troubleshoot and update your catalog with the Optimize Your Bazaarvoice Product Catalog course at Bazaarvoice University.

Spreadsheet format

Each column in the import file contains information that can be added to your product catalog. Each row in your spreadsheet represents one of your products.

The following table provides important format information for your Excel spreadsheet: