Efficiently importing your products and their variants into Katana is crucial for accurate inventory management and streamlined operations. This guide provides step-by-step instructions for seamlessly adding new products and variants using Katana's import template.
Note: You can also use the Assisted import option to add/update products without a template.
Preparing your import file
Download the import template:
Navigate to Settings > Import and more> Products.
Within the template section, click on Download a blank template to obtain the Excel (.xlsx) file.
Fill in the template:
Open the downloaded template.
Each row represents a product variant.
Use the Product name field to group variants under the same product.
Define variant attributes using Variant option 1, Variant value 1, etc.
Ensure all required fields are completed.
Save the completed template:
After entering all necessary information, save the file in
.xlsor.xlsxformat.
Importing the data into Katana
If you already have products and variants in Katana, the imported file will match by Variant code / SKU to avoid duplicating existing items (existing items will not be updated as matched items are skipped during import). To update existing products, use the Download current data button underneath the Download a blank template button.
Access the Data import section:
In Katana, return to Settings > Import and more > Data import.
Upload the completed template:
Open Products and, within the template section, click on Upload data.
Select your completed template file for upload.
Review import results:
The import process may take a few minutes, depending on the number of items.
Upon completion, a message will indicate how many items were successfully imported.
Tips for a successful import
Ensure column headers match:
Column names in your template must exactly match those in the provided template.
Mismatched headers can lead to import failures or missing data.
Creating product variants:
To create variants, use the same Product name for each variant row.
Differentiate variants using Variant option and Variant value fields.
Example: For a "T-Shirt" available in "Red" and "Blue":
Row 1: Product name: "T-Shirt", Variant option 1: "Color", Variant value 1: "Red"
Row 2: Product name: "T-Shirt", Variant option 1: "Color", Variant value 1: "Blue"
Adding variants to existing products:
To add new variants to an existing product, ensure the Product name in the template matches exactly with the existing product in Katana.
Required fields:
At a minimum, the following fields must be filled:
Product name
Make? and/or Buy? (At least one must be marked as "Yes", "Y", or "yes")
Product tracking:
To enable batch or serial number tracking, enter "batch" or "serial" in the Product tracking field.
Leave the field empty or enter "no"/"none" to disable tracking.
Note: This feature is part of the Full Traceability add-on and is available on specific plans.
Barcodes:
You can assign Supplier item codes and Internal barcodes to each variant.
Ensure barcode numbers are between 3-40 digits.
This feature is available on Standard or higher plans and must be enabled in barcode settings.
Troubleshooting common issues
Import Failures:
If a field in the imported file doesn't meet the required format (e.g., incorrect column names or invalid data types), the specific field will not be imported, and the corresponding item's field will remain blank in Katana.
Duplicate Entries:
If a variant with the same Variant code / SKU already exists in Katana, the import will skip that entry to prevent duplication.
Missing Required Fields:
Rows missing mandatory fields like Product name will not be imported.
Import fields/columns additional info
Category - All variants of the same product should be in the same category (a Maximum of 35 characters is allowed).
Unit of measure - All variants of a product should use the same unit of measure. (Max 7 characters allowed).
*Make? - adding "Yes" to the Make? column, you'll enable Product recipes and Production operations for the product.
*Buy? - Adding "Yes" to the Buy? column allows you 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 only one or all of the Make and Buy columns.
* = Required
Registered barcode - One registered barcode can be assigned to retail products. The registered barcode number can be between 3-140 digits.
The registered barcode only imports if internal barcodes are switched on from 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.
Default sales price - Value is per unit of measure and in your base currency. You can set the base currency inside Settings > General. Numbers only, up to 9 decimal places.
Default supplier - Fill in if you have chosen 'Yes' in the Buy? column. The product supplier is added to purchase orders (PO) in Katana by default, but can be edited on each PO. All of a product's variants should have the same default supplier.
Default purchase price - Fill in if you have chosen 'Yes' in the Buy? column. (Numbers only, up to 9 decimal places.)
Lowest plan: Value is per unit of measure and in your base currency. You can set the base currency inside Settings > General.
Standard, Professional, and 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 - 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.
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.
Importing products and stock from an ecommerce platform
If you sell online and manage product stock on an ecommerce platform (e.g. Shopify), you can connect your e-store to Katana and import all your products to Katana in minutes. Imported products will maintain the same variant structure you have set up in Shopify. Connect your Shopify store.
Since materials are typically not managed on ecommerce platforms, only product stock will be imported. Import materials using our spreadsheet template.
If you need to update stock, take a look at this article for updating products.
Updating products/variants
You can perform the following updates using the import feature:
Assign variant codes (SKUs): If your products lack SKUs, generate them in a spreadsheet and import them into Katana.
Update product details: Modify product names, categories, default sales prices, barcodes, and additional information in bulk.
Adjust safety stock levels: Set or update safety stock levels for multiple products simultaneously.
Define default storage bins: Specify default storage bins for products.
Enable tracking: Activate serial number or batch tracking for products (requires the Full Traceability add-on).
Set default suppliers and purchase prices: Assign default suppliers and purchase prices for purchasable products.
Steps to bulk update existing products
Download the current product data:
Navigate to Settings > Import and more > Data import in Katana.
Open Products, and under the template section, click on Download current data.
An
.xlsxfile containing your current product data will be downloaded.
Edit the spreadsheet:
Open the downloaded file in your preferred spreadsheet editor.
Make the necessary changes to the product data.
Ensure that you do not alter the Katana ID column, as it is used to match the products during import.
Important: Do not delete any unused columns from the original template!
Save the updated file:
After making your changes, save the file in
.xlsor.xlsxformat.
Import the updated data:
Return to Settings > Import and more > Data import in Katana.
Under the Products > Templates section, click Upload data.
Select and upload your updated spreadsheet.
Note: Only active (non-archived) products are included in the download and can be updated through this process.
Important import rules and considerations
Katana ID matching:
Each product in the spreadsheet includes a unique Katana ID used to match and update existing products.
Products without a matching Katana ID will be skipped during import.
Immutable fields:
The Product variant column is included for identification purposes only and cannot be updated via import.
Mandatory fields:
Ensure that at least one of the following columns is marked as "Yes", "Y", or "yes": Sell?, Make?, or Buy?.
Rows without a positive value in any of these columns will be skipped.
Product tracking settings:
In the Product tracking? column, you can enable tracking by entering:
"batch" for batch tracking
"serial" for serial number tracking
"no" or "none" to disable tracking
These values are case-insensitive.
Consistent product naming:
If a product has multiple variants, changing the Product name for only one variant will update the name for all variants under that product.
Barcode updates:
Updating product barcodes is available on Standard and higher plans.
The relevant fields will appear in the template if your plan supports this feature.
Default supplier:
If you change the Default supplier to a supplier with a different supplier currency, the default purchase prices of this item will be converted to the new supplier's currency.
Default purchase price updates:
Purchase price is per purchase unit of measure and in the currency of the default supplier of the item. Updated price values entered here are not converted anymore. Read here about purchase prices in foreign currency.
Multiple locations:
If you have multiple locations in Katana, the file will include multiple rows for each item variant (one row for each location), so you can update safety stock levels and default storage bins for items.
If you have multiple locations in Katana and there are multiple rows for each item variant in the file, and you change product data (e.g. product name, category, default sales or purchase price, serial number/batch tracking settings) on one row but not on the other, the values for the bottom row of this item variant in the file will be imported.
Note: Empty cells are ignored during import and won't overwrite existing data, except barcodes. This allows you to delete barcodes in bulk.
Tips for a smooth import process
Using Mac:
Open the spreadsheet in Numbers.
Navigate to File > Export To > Excel... to save the file in
.xlsxformat.
Using Google Sheets:
Open the spreadsheet in Google Sheets.
Go to File > Download > Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) to save the file.
Data integrity:
Avoid altering the Katana ID column to ensure accurate matching during import.
Double-check for any formatting issues or invalid data entries that might cause import errors.
Your feedback is invaluable. Let us know your thoughts on this article or anything in Katana you'd like to see improved: [email protected]