How to Import Products via CSV

Modified on Thu, May 7 at 5:47 PM

The CSV Import Wizard is the fastest way to add a large number of products to Global Product Access at once. It uses AI to automatically map your CSV column headers to GPA fields, so you are not required to reformat your file or use a specific template before importing.

CSV import is best suited for initial bulk uploads, periodic batch updates, or any situation where manually entering products one at a time is not practical.

Tip

A standard import template is available if you prefer a pre-formatted starting point. It is not required -- the wizard is designed to work with your existing file format.

Before You Begin

Review the following before starting the import:

Your CSV file should have column headers in the first row. The wizard uses these headers to suggest field mappings.
Each row in the file represents one product.
Every product must include at least one of the following identifiers: SKU, GTIN, UPC, or EAN. All four can be provided, but a minimum of one is required. If no GTIN, UPC, or EAN exists for a product, the SKU alone satisfies this requirement.
Images cannot be embedded in a CSV. You can include a column with image URLs, which the wizard can map to the GPA image URL field.

Note

Company Admin privileges are not required to run a CSV import. Both Company Admins and Company Users can import products.

Steps

Step 1 -- Navigate to Products and Open the Import Wizard

Select Products from the left navigation menu, then click Import. The CSV Import Wizard opens.

Step 2 -- Upload Your CSV File

Click Choose File and select your CSV file, or drag and drop it into the upload area. Once uploaded, the wizard processes the file and automatically suggests field mappings based on your column headers.

Screenshot Placeholder -- Upload Screen

Capture: CSV Import Wizard upload screen showing the file upload area and the Choose File button.

Step 3 -- Review the Field Mappings

The mapping screen displays your CSV column headers on the left and the suggested GPA fields on the right. Review each mapping carefully before proceeding. The wizard uses AI to suggest the best match, but mappings should always be verified.

Screenshot Placeholder -- Mapping Screen

Capture: Mapping screen showing CSV column headers on the left mapped to GPA fields on the right, with the X button and dropdown visible for changing a mapping.

Step 4 -- Adjust Mappings as Needed

To change a suggested mapping, click the X next to the GPA field name to clear it, then use the dropdown to select the correct field. Leave a mapping blank if the column does not correspond to any GPA field.

Step 5 -- Set Fallback Fields (Optional)

A fallback field tells the system to use a secondary CSV column when the primary column is empty. To set a fallback, click the CSV column name and select a secondary source from the list. For example, use Short Marketing Description as the primary source and fall back to Extended Marketing Description if that field is empty in a given row.

Tip

Fallback fields are useful when your data is inconsistent across rows -- for example, when some products use one description field and others use a different one.

Step 6 -- Preview the Import and Review Any Errors

Click Preview to see how your data will appear after import. If any errors or warnings are detected, they are displayed on this screen. Click Back to return to the mapping screen and make corrections before proceeding.

Screenshot Placeholder -- Preview Screen

Capture: Import preview screen showing a sample of mapped product data, with any error or warning messages highlighted.

Important

Review all errors on the preview screen before completing the import. Rows with unresolved errors may be skipped or imported with incomplete data. Use the Back button to return to the mapping screen and correct any issues.

Step 7 -- Complete the Import

Once all mappings are confirmed and no errors remain, click Import to complete the upload. Products are added to Global Product Access and will appear in the product list.

Note

Imported products are not automatically added to any catalog. After the import is complete, assign products to one or more catalogs from the product detail view or through the catalog's Products tab. To assign products dynamically going forward, consider using catalog tags. See How to Add a Catalog for details.

Common Field Mapping Reference

The table below lists frequently used GPA fields and guidance on how they typically map from a standard product spreadsheet.

GPA Field	Common CSV Column Names	Notes
SKU	SKU, Item Number, Part Number, Item ID	Conditionally required. At least one of SKU, GTIN, UPC, or EAN must be present on every product. If no GTIN, UPC, or EAN exists, SKU alone satisfies this requirement.
Product name	Name, Title, Product Name, Item Name	The display name shown to subscribers.
Description	Description, Short Description, Marketing Description	Use fallback fields if description data is split across multiple columns.
Price	Price, MSRP, Wholesale Price, Unit Price	Prices are hidden on public catalogs by default unless explicitly enabled.
GTIN / UPC / EAN	GTIN, UPC, EAN, Barcode	Conditionally required. At least one of SKU, GTIN, UPC, or EAN must be present. All four can be provided, but only one is required.
Image URL	Image, Image URL, Photo URL, Picture	Must be a publicly accessible URL. Direct file uploads are not supported via CSV.
Category	Category, Department, Product Type, Class	Used for filtering and organization within GPA.
Brand	Brand, Manufacturer, Vendor	Optional but recommended for catalog discoverability.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Issue	What to Check
Wizard does not recognize my columns	Ensure the first row of your CSV contains column headers and that the file is saved in standard CSV format (comma-delimited, UTF-8 encoding).
Products imported with missing fields	Return to the mapping screen and verify that all required fields are mapped. Check that fallback fields are set for columns with inconsistent data.
Image URLs not loading after import	Confirm that each image URL is publicly accessible and begins with https://. URLs behind authentication or private storage will not resolve.
Duplicate products appearing after import	GPA uses SKU as the primary identifier. If a product with the same SKU already exists, the import may create a duplicate. Review existing products before re-importing updated data.
Special characters displaying incorrectly	Save your CSV with UTF-8 encoding before uploading. Files saved in other encodings (such as Windows-1252) may display special characters incorrectly.