Upload Product Categories for faster setup
Product Categories serve as a way to organize a company's product offerings. To manage these categories effectively, CSV exports and imports can be utilized.
Adding and updating Product Categories can be a time-consuming task, especially during the initial setup phase of a site. This is due to difficulties in locating the categories on the screen and the time required to update a single field across multiple categories. For example, adding GL Accounts to previously created categories can be a time sink, particularly as this is often done at a later phase of the process. Implementing an Excel Export/Import process would greatly expedite this process.
On the Product Categories screen, you will find two buttons located on the toolbar at the top. These buttons enable you to either export or import a CSV file containing category details.
When the Categories Board opens, only Active categories are displayed:
Use the Show Inactive switch in the toolbar to show inactive categories:
These are represented with a candy stripe across the inactive categories.
The Inactive setting is not inherited. A parent category that is set as ‘Inactive’ does not pass this property down to its child categories.
If a specific category is selected on the left side, an additional button appears allowing the export of the selected category and all its descendant categories:
When exporting either a selected branch or all categories; categories contained therein that are flagged as Inactive are also exported. The column ‘C’ on the CSV holds the Active status, True or False.
Categories are exported in an upload-ready CSV format.
It is important to note that there is no pre-defined 'Template CSV' for uploading Categories. It is recommended that at least one category is configured as required and tested before exporting it and then make necessary edits in the exported CSV file to reconfigure existing categories or upload new ones.
When importing, multi-select the CSV to import along with any thumbnail image files. The import process will create new categories or update existing ones based on the ID field.
If updating existing categories that already have the images uploaded, the image file is not required to be uploaded each time, unless it is to be replaced.
An image URL can also be used. Unlike Store Item thumbnails that reference the image in the URL each time it is required, in the Category definition the image itself in the URL is copied into Filestore and is referenced from there.
There are 7 types of categories available to add, configure or deactivate:
| Category - Provides structure. These categories hold other category types within them. | |
Filters – For ‘Simplified’ or Filter products | |
Products – Single Products | |
IQLink – Links to Simplified Products on a remote printIQ site. | |
| IQStore – Holds IQStore items | |
Static Link – Sets up a link to a web address | |
Promotional Product – Store Items that can be embellished |
When adding new categories, we strongly advise that a category of the type to be added is created, configured and tested manually.
When configured as required and exported to a CSV, the category can be duplicated as many times as needed by copying the row on the CSV, deleting the ID in the copied rows and updating the name and other fields to suit.
When importing the CSV, if there is no ID, the category is added as a new entity.
Different category types have different visible fields, so consideration should be given for the entered category type. If a conflict is found, a message is presented, and the upload is halted.
A repeating section for Turnaround Days is included on the CSV. As many sets of the following 7 fields can be added to the end of each product record in the CSV to provide the required Turnaround Days rules.
Each ‘set’ must start with the Turnaround: Min Quantity column and end with the Turnaround Days.
Turnaround days can be based on quantity, kinds, or size of the job.
To add more rules, simply repeat these 7 headings on the end of the CSV.
Col A - ID – Category ID. Delete only if using updates exported details to create new Categories. Otherwise do not edit.
Col B - Name – Category Name.
Col C - Type – Options are Category, Filters, Products, IQ Link, IQ Store, Static Link and Promotional Product.
Col D - Active – Sets category as Active or Inactive
Col E - Icon Image – Filename or URL. Upload files with CSV. URLs are converted into images and the images are used.
Col F - Icon Description – Description for the above image.
Col G - Parent – This category’s Parent. If left blank, this category will be the top-most category in the tree.
Col H - Place After – Sub-order within the parent category.
Col I - Customer – Set customer if category is to be restricted to a specific customer.
Col J - Customer Group - Set customer group if category is to be restricted to a specific group of customers.
Col K - RFQ Template – RFQ Template to load if the ‘Can’t find what you’re looking for’ option is to be presented to customers.
Col L - Visibility – Options are Normal, Unselectable, Hide from Customers or Hidden.
Col M - Default General Ledger Account – Sets the default revenue account for products in the category.
Col N - Default General Ledger Account - Force Override – Overrides customer tax rate with rate applied to GL.
Col O - Quote Report Template – RFQ Template to use if offering RFQ option on products within this category.
Col P - Invoice Mode – Options are Single Line, Single Line Split Freight, Line per operation, Line per General Ledger account or leave blank to use system configured Invoice Method.
Col Q - Invoice Description – Description to be used at invoice time for products in the category.
Col R - Quantity List – Pre-set quantity List if offering fixed quantities.
Col S - Modular Filter – Filter to be applied to products in this category to narrow down the product options.
Col T - Max Kinds Quantity – Set to max kinds allowed for the products in the category. Blank for unlimited.
Col U - Question Set -
Col V - Custom Size Hint – Pop-Up hint when Custom Size is selected.
Col W - Invoice Code - A code to push onto the invoice, and into the external invoicing system.
Col X - External Code - This code will be exposed to external IQLink systems.
Col Y - Rounding Target – Options are None, Total Sales Price, Retail Price or Retail Unit Price. If ‘Inherit’ is enabled, Rounding Target, Rounding Mode and Rounding Precision are disabled.
Col Z - Rounding Mode – Options are Round to Nearest, Round Up or Round Down.
Col AA - Rounding Precision – A numeric field. If set to ‘1’, rounding will occur to the nearest whole Dollar, Euro or Pound. If set to ‘5’ it will use the rounding mode to round to the nearest $5
Col AB - Approver -
COL AC - Approval Min Limit -
Col AD - Approval Max Limit -
Col AE - Create Products As Outsourced – Creates custom product from simplified filters.
Col AF - Minimum Sell Price – Minimum price charged for products from this category.
Col AG - Variable Data Artwork Download Type – Options are None, High Resolution or Low Resolution.
Col AH - Product Code Prefix - Restrict product codes when looking up the product code from flat sheet.
Col AI - Linked Product Codes – Product codes that will display under this category.
Col AJ - Quick Ordering – Enables ‘Quick Ordering’ of Simplified products.
Col AK - Instance – IQ Link – Sets the Supplier for products in this category.
Col AL - Product Code – Restrict product codes when looking up the product code from flat sheet.
Col AM - Cost Pricelist – Wholesale pricelist to use with products on this category.
Col AN – Retail Pricelist – Retail pricelist to use.
Col AO - Shipping Method – IQ Link type category only – Options are Deliver to me or Deliver to my customer.
Col AP - Link URL - Full URL (including http://) that will navigate to or download on click.
Col AQ - Kit Pricing Types - Promo Products Only - Range-based pricing from highest priced item or Price based on items.
Col AR - Kit Embellishment Options - Promo Products Only - Single or Multiple embellishments
The following columns can be repeated as may times as needed to load the products Turnaround rules.
Col AS - Turnaround: Min Quantity – Minimum order quantity.
Col AT - Turnaround: Max Quantity – Maximum order quantity
Col AU - Turnaround: Min Kinds – Minimum kinds
Col AV - Turnaround: Max Kinds – Maximum kinds
Col AW - Turnaround: Max Width – Maximum Width
Col AX - Turnaround: Max Depth – Maximum Depth
Col AY - Turnaround: Days -Number of days to turnaround the product when the criteria fall within the rules parameters.
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