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Import and export items

Import creates many items at once from a spreadsheet, with every row validated and shown to you before anything is written. Export downloads the items you are currently looking at — same filters, same search — as a spreadsheet whose columns match the import template.

Where export lives and how the import dialog works — template first, then a validated preview before anything is written.

Before you begin​

  • You need the create permission on Items to run an import; previewing a file needs only the view permission.
  • An import handles up to 5,000 rows per file.
  • Create your product categories first if you want imported rows linked to them — the Category column matches by name.

Import items​

  1. On the Item Management screen, select Import. The Import Items dialog opens.

    The Import Items dialog — start with the blue-ringed Download template button; every row gets a verdict before anything is written.

  2. Select Download template to save items-import-template.xlsx. Its Items sheet has the column headers with one example row, and its Read Me sheet documents the rules for every column.

  3. Fill one row per item in the Items sheet. The key rules:

    • Item Name — required, unique, and at most 150 characters.
    • Category — optional; must match an existing product category by name, otherwise the row imports without a category.
    • Barcode — optional; must be unique across all items and within the file.
    • HSN — optional, 4 to 8 digits.
    • Prices (Default MRP, Sale Price, Purchase Price, Online Store Price) — optional numbers.
    • Tax Rate — a GST slab of 0, 5, 12, 18, 28, or 40; a blank imports as 18%. Tax Inclusive takes Y or N.
    • Current Stock Quantity — a whole number, credited to the default store. Minimum Stock Quantity sets the low-stock alert level.

  4. Back in the dialog, select Choose filled file and pick your file (.xlsx, .xls, or .csv).

  5. Review the preview. A summary strip counts the rows and the table shows each one with its verdict:

    • valid — will be imported.
    • duplicate — an item with this name already exists; the row will be skipped, never overwritten.
    • invalid — the row is rejected, with the reason shown (for example a missing item name, a negative price, or a barcode that already belongs to another item).

  6. Select the green import button, labeled with the count — for example Import 120 valid items. The import runs as a single transaction: either every valid row is written, or — if anything goes wrong mid-import — nothing is.

Verify​

The dialog shows a green result with the number of items imported, plus how many duplicates were skipped and how many invalid rows were rejected. The preview refreshes afterward: rows that imported now count as duplicates, confirming they exist. Close the dialog and the new items appear in the list.

Export items​

Export downloads whatever the list currently shows — the active search term, brand, category, store location, low-stock, reserved, and status filters all apply — and it's unpaginated, so every matching item is included, not only the visible page.

  1. Filter and search the list down to the items you want in the file. To export everything, clear all filters.

  2. Select Export.

  3. A confirmation summarizes what's about to be exported — the item count, each active filter, and the file name — before anything downloads. Select Download.

The file is named items_export_<date>.xlsx and holds 14 columns using the same headers as the import template, so an exported file can serve as a starting point for an import elsewhere.

Troubleshooting​

A row shows as invalid in the preview

The reason appears on the row itself — the common ones are a missing or over-long item name (150 characters at most), a name or barcode duplicated inside the file, a barcode that already belongs to another item, or a negative number in a price or stock column. Fix the row in the spreadsheet, then choose the file again to re-run the preview. Invalid rows never block the rest: the valid rows still import.

Rows you expected to import were skipped as duplicates

An item with the same name already exists, and imports never overwrite existing items — matching rows are skipped so an accidental re-import can't damage your catalog. To change existing items in bulk, use bulk edit instead. If the row really is a different product, give it a distinct name and import again.