Importing your materials and their variants into Katana is crucial for accurate inventory management and streamlined operations. This guide provides step-by-step instructions for adding or updating materials and variants using Katana's Assisted import.
Note: When importing, up to four variant options are possible (one row per variant). Variants need their own option/value columns. Stock levels can be included in the same file.
Step-by-step guide
1. Open up Assisted import
Navigate to Settings and find Data import from the left-side menu (under Import and more).
2. Upload your spreadsheet
Choose Materials.
Drag-and-drop the spreadsheet into the box or click Upload file.
Note: If the uploaded spreadsheet contains multiple sheets, only the first one will be included.
3. Column mapping
Each column in your file will be evaluated, and the AI will suggest mapping based on column names and data patterns.
Each field mapped by the AI will also be tagged with a qualifier (High, Medium, Low) indicating the AI's confidence in its accuracy.
Examine the mapping to verify that everything is correct. If fields are missing, drag-and-drop them from the unmapped column.
Note: Required fields must be mapped before import can proceed.
Once ready, click Proceed at the bottom of the screen.
Stock level options (if importing stock)
If you're importing stock, you can choose where the stock will be imported and, if there's a cost mismatch in the file, decide whether to use the file's Unit Cost or Value In Stock, or keep your account's current Average Cost.
4. Data validation
This step validates each row in the file, ensuring it meets Katana’s rules (required fields, data types, value constraints, and uniqueness).
Rows are split into three groups:
Valid rows (green) which are ready to be imported.
Updated rows (purple) which will update existing data.
Invalid rows (red) which need correcting or will be skipped.
Only appears if there are invalid rows
Cells can be updated by clicking on them
A report can be downloaded from here to help show what is invalid
Bulk fixes may be offered
Note: Assisted import matches each row to existing records and shows Create / Update / No changes / Flagged before commit.
If fields are being updated, those fields will be highlighted so you know what is being updated before completing the import.
5. Import
Click on the Import button
The data is added to Katana.
Processing happens in the background and completes quickly, even for larger files.
Note: If an item references a supplier, category, or unit of measure that doesn’t exist in Katana, it will be automatically created during import.
Limitations
Limitation | Details |
Row limit: 5,000 per import | For larger files, we recommend splitting the file into batches or use the template-based import.
If the file is over the limit, the entire import will be rejected, there won't be a partial import. |
Only the first sheet can be imported | If the spreadsheet contains multiple sheets, only the first sheet is read. We recommend moving all needed data to the first sheet or saving it as a separate file. |
4 variant maximum | Assisted import doesn't support any products with more than 4 variant options. If there are more, you will need to use the template-based import. |
Common issues
Behavior | Why? |
Each row requires an item name | If you only include an SKU plus a new value, this won't work to create a new record (or update). |
"Unit Cost" mapping to the wrong field | Maps to stock unit cost, not purchase price and responds with error "Needs Stock quantity". Recommend naming column "Purchase Price" |
Suppliers, categories, and units are auto-created | These are created by necessity, but may not be what you would initially expect |
Your feedback is invaluable. Let us know your thoughts on this article or anything in Katana you'd like to see improved: [email protected]