Plan availability: The Item Catalog, and bulk import and export, are available on the Standard and Premium plans. These features are not included on Starter
In the SwipeSimple Dashboard, you will find and manage your Item Catalog. SwipeSimple includes the functionality to import and export items in bulk using a formatted XLSX (Microsoft Excel Open XML Format) file for easy management of this feature. This article reviews the steps for importing items into the Item Catalog, provides information on proper formatting, and contains a downloadable sample file you can modify and use for import or file comparison. This feature can be used to update and maintain items in bulk as well. SwipeSimple allows up to 1,000,000 Items to be added.
Sample File
Use the formatted XLSX template file linked below as a starting point for creating your Item Catalog.
SAMPLE_Item_Catalog_Template.xlsx
The XLSX file contains five tabs:
- Instructions — a set of rules for formatting the file correctly for import
- Items — one row for each item you want to import into your Item Catalog
- Taxes — one row for each tax rate you want to import into your Item Catalog
- Modifier Groups — used to create Modifier Groups for your Item Catalog
- Item Modifiers — used to create the individual modifiers within those groups
The XLSX file can be opened and edited in any standard spreadsheet application, such as Excel, Numbers, or Google Sheets. When you are finished editing, be sure to save or export the file back to XLSX format.
Working from a file you downloaded previously? Export a fresh copy of your Item Catalog from the SwipeSimple Dashboard before you begin. Older exported files may use a different format for the Tax column and will not import correctly.
Instructions
This file represents your SwipeSimple Item Catalog. Create new rows in the "Items" tab to add new items to your Item Catalog. Similarly, add new rows to the "Taxes" tab to add new tax rates. Note that removing rows from this file does not remove them from your Item Catalog. To ensure your removals are intentional, they must be done through the SwipeSimple Dashboard.
Several tips to help you get started:
- When adding an Item to the Items tab, you must provide "name", "price", "tax", and "status". The "tax" value can be one or more names of a Tax separated by a semicolon ( ; ), or "PROMPT", or "FALSE". The "modifier_groups" value can be one or more names of Modifier Group rows, separated by a semicolon ( ; ).
- When adding a Tax to the Taxes tab, you must provide a "name" and a "value".
- When adding a Modifier Group to the Modifier Groups tab, you must provide a "name", "min", "max", and "prompt".
- When adding an Item Modifier to the Item Modifiers tab, you must provide a "name", a "price alteration", and a "group". The value of "group" must match an existing Modifier Group name, or a new Group name that is being added to the Modifier Groups tab.
- When modifying an existing "Item" or "Tax" row, you can change any values other than the "id" column. The corresponding Item or Tax will be modified when you upload the file.
- The names of a "Tax", "Modifier Group", or "Item Modifier" row cannot include a semicolon ( ; ).
Items Tab
Items to be created or updated are listed here. This sheet contains ten columns:
ID: This identifier is set by the application and used to update existing items. If creating a new item, this field should be blank.
Name: This field is required and must be unique. Example: Super Widget
SKU: An optional SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) that helps you track inventory. Example: ETG-124343
Price: The price of the item, without the currency symbol. This field is required and must be a number or decimal (no $ sign). Example: 19.99
Tax: This states the tax value of the item. This is a required field and must contain one of the following:
- The name of one or more tax rates, separated by a semicolon ( ; )
- "PROMPT" if you want to choose the tax rate at the time of sale
- "FALSE" if the item is non-taxable
Status: This states whether an Item is active, or whether it should be removed from the list of selectable Items. This is a required field and must be either active or removed.
Track_Inventory: This states whether an Item's on-hand count is tracked for inventory. This is an optional field and must be either TRUE or FALSE. If left blank, the item will be set to FALSE.
On_Hand_Count: This states how many units of this item you have in your inventory. This is an optional field; it must contain a number or be blank. Example: 28
Category: A new or existing category to assign to the item. This is an optional field. Example: Services
Modifier_Group: This field declares which Modifier Groups should be set for the item. This is an optional field and must contain the name of one or more existing Modifier Groups, or a new Modifier Group added to the Modifier Groups tab, or be left blank for none. If entering multiple Modifier Groups for the item, separate them with a semicolon ( ; ).
Note: You can add and update items with the same XLSX file. Follow these guidelines to ensure a successful upload:
- When adding new items, leave the ID field blank.
- When editing existing items, do not edit or delete the ID field. This is how the application keeps track of the item being updated.
Taxes Tab
Tax Rates to be created or updated are listed here. This tab contains three columns:
ID: This identifier is set by the application and used to update existing tax rates. If creating a new Tax Rate, this field should be blank.
Name: This field is required, must be unique, and cannot contain a semicolon ( ; ). Example: NYC Tax
Value: This field is required and must be a number or decimal, with no % sign. Example: 8.75
Modifier Groups Tab
Modifier Groups to be created or updated are listed here. This tab contains four columns:
ID: This identifier is set by the application and used to update existing Modifier Groups. If creating a new Modifier Group, this field should be blank.
Name: This field is required, must be unique, and cannot contain a semicolon ( ; ). Example: Toppings
Min: This field determines whether you need to select a minimum number of Item Modifiers from this group when adding an associated item to the cart. This field is required and must be 0 (no minimum) or a whole number.
Max: This field determines whether you want to limit the maximum number of Item Modifiers that can be added to a single item when completing a sale. This field is required and must be 0 (no limit) or a whole number.
Prompt: This field determines whether SwipeSimple will automatically prompt you to choose modifiers when the associated item is added to the cart. This field is required and must be either TRUE or FALSE.
Item Modifiers Tab
Item Modifiers to be created or updated are listed here. This tab contains four columns:
ID: This identifier is set by the application and used to update existing Item Modifiers. If creating a new Item Modifier, this field should be blank.
Name: This field is required, must be unique, and cannot contain a semicolon ( ; ). Example: Grilled Onions
Price_Alteration: This field sets the amount by which a selected Item Modifier should adjust the item price. This field is required and must be a number or decimal (no $ sign). Example: 1.75
Group: This field indicates which Modifier Group the Item Modifier should be assigned to. This field is required and must match an existing Modifier Group name, or a new Modifier Group being added to the Modifier Groups tab.