Importing new products into Katana can be done either directly from your e-commerce platform or by using our spreadsheet template. You can also just import initial stock levels so that you can get quickly started with Katana.
Importing products and stock from an e-commerce platform
If you sell online and manage product stock levels on an e-commerce platform (e.g. Shopify), connect your e-store to Katana and import all your products and related stock levels to Katana in minutes. Imported products even maintain the same variant structure you have set up in Shopify. Connect your Shopify store.
Since materials are typically not managed on e-commerce platforms, only your product stock will be imported. Import materials using our spreadsheet template.
Import products through a spreadsheet
Using a file template, you can import products with their current stock amounts through Katana. The import template supports product variant creation and adding new variants to existing products. In the template, you'll find instructions (included as comments) about how to structure the import file to create variants in Katana.
If you already have products and variants in Katana, the imported file will match the imported items by their Variant code / SKU and will avoid importing existing items (data for those items will also not be updated as the matching items will be skipped during import). To update existing products, use the Update Existing Products template.
Import your products with initial stock to Katana:
Find the template in Katana from Settings screen > Data import > Add new products > Download template.
Fill in the template. To better understand the template's structure, we included some comments on column headers, and you can find more details in this article below to help you structure the template. If you have any questions, you can reach us via chat or via email.
If you're importing initial stock, fill in the Initial stock quantity and Initial stock cost per unit columns in the template and assign a Location.
Save the completed template in .xls or .xlsx format. Remember that the product name must be added for an item to be imported. Any rows without a product name will not be imported.
Creating .xlsx on Mac: Open the spreadsheet in Numbers and choose File > Export to > Excel... from the top menu
Creating .xlsx in Google Sheets: Open the spreadsheet in Google Sheets and choose File > Download as > Microsoft Excel (.xlsx)
In Katana, navigate to Settings screen > Data Import. Click Upload data under Add new products and select the completed template file.
Depending on the number of items imported, it will take from a couple seconds to a few minutes to add your products and initial stock levels to Katana.
Once the upload is complete, you'll receive a message indicating the number of items imported.
Note: If a field in the imported file doesn't match the requirements of the field (e.g. column name doesn't match template or letters added to fields that only allow numbers), the data in the field will not import, and that item's field will be left blank in Katana.
You can find your imported products on the Items screen. If you added initial stock to the template, Katana will create a Stock adjustment and add Imported from Excel as the adjustment reason. You can find the Stock adjustment from the Stock screen > Stock adjustments tab.
Tips for importing data
Column names must match that of the template when uploading the file. If not, the import will likely fail, or parts of the data won't import.
The import template supports product variants creation. The Product name field is used for grouping variants, i.e. rows with matching names will be grouped under the same product card in Katana as variants. Enter different Variant options and Variant values to create variants of the product.
Example: If you have a product (Table) that comes in white and black color, create two rows with a matching product name "Table", add "Color" to "Variant option 1" for both rows, and enter "White" to the first row and "Black" to the second row for "Variant values 1".
If there's an existing product in Katana that you want to add variants to, you can import additional variants with the same template. Make sure the "Product name" in the imported file perfectly matches the "Product name" in Katana when adding variants to the product.
Column data will be added to the associated fields in Katana.
Product name is a required field.
Make? and Buy? are required fields. At least one of the two fields needs to include a positive (Yes/Y/yes).
To import initial stock quantities and costs through the template, fill in the Initial stock quantity and Initial stock cost per unit fields. A Stock adjustment will be created in Katana during the import to record the stock quantities and costs.
You can assign a stock Location to the stock quantity you're importing. Stock quantities in Katana are Location-specific. The Location's name must already exist in Katana before importing. More details are below.
Understanding different fields/columns for importing
*Product name (required) - If you have variants of products, this field is used for grouping variants (i.e. rows with matching product names will be grouped under the same product card in Katana).
Category - All variants of the same product should be in the same category. Max. 35 characters are allowed.
Unit of measure - All variants of the same product should have the same unit of measure. Max. 7 characters are allowed.
*Make? - Products in Katana can be made in your workshop and/or bought directly from suppliers. Adding "Yes" to the Make? column enables Product recipes and Production operations for the product in Katana.
*Buy? - Entering "Yes" to the Buy? column makes it possible to add products to Purchase orders in Katana and defines the Default purchase price and Default supplier on the product card.
Note: You can enter "Yes" to either both Make and Buy columns or just one of them.
* = Required
Product tracking - You can enable batch or serial number tracking for products by entering
“batch” to enable batch tracking
“serial” to enable serial number tracking
“no” to disable tracking
“no/none” to disable tracking
If the field is left empty, the item will be set with no tracking. Batch tracking and serial number tracking is an item-level feature, not a variant-level setting. We recommend using the same setting for all the variants of the same product item.
Product tracking is part of the Full Traceability Add-on and the field only shows in the template if you're on a higher plan.
Variant code / SKU - We recommend using unique Variant codes for each product variant.
Supplier item code - You can assign one or multiple supplier item barcodes to identify raw materials and purchasable products. Multiple barcode numbers have to be separated by a comma "," to your item variant as a supplier item code. Supplier item codes are imported only if the supplier item code is switched on in barcode settings.
This feature is available on a Standard or higher plan, the field only displays in the template if you're on a higher plan.
Internal barcode - One unique internal barcode can be assigned to track inventory movements. The barcode number has to be between 3-40 digits.
The internal barcode is only imported if the internal barcode is switched on in the barcode settings.
If internal barcodes are generated automatically, they won't be imported.
This feature is available on a Standard or higher plan, the field only displays in the template if you're on a higher plan.
Note: if you need to import internal barcodes and still want to generate barcodes automatically, you can switch off automatic barcode generation, import internal barcodes, and switch automatic barcode generation back on.
Registered barcode - One registered barcode can be assigned to retail products. The registered barcode number can be between 3-140 digits.
The registered barcode is only imported if the internal barcode is switched on in the barcode settings.
This feature is available on a Standard or higher plan, the field only displays in the template if you're on a higher plan.
Variant option 1 - This column defines the characteristics of the product variants. It is the attribute of the item that differentiates the variants. E.g. "Color", "Size", "Type". Leave it blank if you don't have product variants.
Variant value 1 - The values for the "Variant option 1". E.g. if you have defined "Color" as the "Variant option 1", values might be "Red" for one row and "Blue" for the other row (if you have 2 color variants of the product, for example).
Variant option 2 - This column defines another characteristic of product variants. For example, a product can come in different colors and sizes. In this case, use "Color" for "Variant option 1" and "Size" for "Variant option 2".
Variant value 2 - The values for the "Variant option 2". E.g. if you have defined "Size" as the "Variant option 2", values might be "Small" for one row and "Large" for the other row (if you have 2 size variants for the same color of the product, for example).
Note: Add new columns for variant options and values if you have more than 2 variant options per product. Name the columns in the same format, e.g. "Variant option 3", "Variant value 3" etc.
Default sales price - Value is per unit of measure and in your base currency. You can set the base currency inside Settings screen > General. Numbers only, up to 9 decimal places.
Default supplier - Fill in only if you have chosen 'Yes' in the Buy? column. The product supplier added to Purchase orders (PO) in Katana by default. Can be edited on each PO. All of a product's variants should have the same default supplier.
Default purchase price - Only fill in if you have chosen 'Yes' in the Buy? column. Numbers only, up to 9 decimal places.
Starter plan: Value is per unit of measure and in your base currency. You can set the base currency inside Katana Settings screen > General.
Standard, Professional, Professional Plus plans: Value is per unit of measure and in your supplier currency. By default, supplier currency is your base currency. Read about purchase prices in foreign currencies.
Purchase UoM - Only fill this in if you have chosen "Yes" in the Buy? column and if you buy this product in a different unit of measure then you track your inventory.
Note. If you enter a purchase UoM, then the value in the Default purchase price is also considered in this purchase unit of measure.
Conversion rate - Only fill this in if you have filled in the "Purchase UoM" field. It's the conversion rate of the purchase UoM to the tracking UoM.
Note. If you enter purchase UoM and do not specify the conversion rate or vice versa, then both values are not imported.
Location - Specify the Location for the imported stock quantity and value. Stock quantities in Katana are Location-specific. The Location's name must already exist in Katana. If the Location field is left empty, the default storage bin, stock quantity, and value will be imported to your main location. If the Location value doesn't match any existing Locations, the stock quantity, value, default storage bin, and reorder point will not be imported for this item (the new item will still be created in Katana).
You can also import stock quantities and values to multiple Locations for the same item with this template. In this case, add multiple rows for the same product variant (matching product name and variant settings) and assign a different Location for each row.
Default storage bin - Specify the Default storage bin. If the storage bin value doesn't match an existing Storage bin in that Location, a new one will be created.
This feature is available on a Standard or higher plan, the field only displays in the template if you're on a higher plan.
Reorder point- Only numbers up to three decimal places are allowed.
Initial stock quantity - Use this column if you're importing initial stock levels. This is the quantity of initial stock of the product variant you currently have in your inventory. Quantity is in the Unit of Measure set in the respective column. Only numbers, up to three decimal places, are allowed.
If you enabled batch tracking for an item, and import stock quantities with this template, the stock quantity will be assigned to an "Unbatched" batch. To import stock levels for batches, use the batch number import template.
Initial stock Cost per unit - Use this column if you wish to import initial stock costs. Assumes that the Initial stock quantity is completed. Insert cost per unit for the product variant in your initial stock (i.e. what you currently have in the warehouse). The value of stock in Katana is then calculated as "Initial stock Quantity" * "Initial stock Cost per unit". Value is in your base currency. You can set the base currency inside Katana. Only numbers, up to 9 decimal places allowed.
Additional info - This info is stored on the product card (the same info for all variants of the product). All variants of the same product should have the same additional info.