Import Magento Products Quickly and Safely

Magento product import is a salient and, indisputably, workable means of store data handling. The import tool is extremely important when it comes to product management. Be it new merchandise appending or current ones renewing, you won’t go without the instrument of bulk data upload.

When you have multitude of wares in catalog, new products spin up and you have to arrange them within short span of time, data upload from .csv will come to assistance. One thing should be considered - import of products and associated data is a bulk procedure that can be perilous and impact entire store database. To bypass sudden product transfer mishaps and ensure flawless data appending, you may resort to Store Manager for Magento solution.

Store Manager bestows store owners and shop administrators with easy-to-use and helpful Import/Export utility called Wizard. It consists of several windows within which Magento import settings are being designated. Each and every window is accompanied with guiding clues, so-called prompts that tell you what should be done on this or that step.

As it has been already mentioned, data upload is significant and at the same time risky operation, and, respectively, you should consider a couple of things before starting the import process

Below in this article you can find detailed guideline and valuable pieces of advice on Magento product data import

1) In the first place, start up Import Wizard utility in the way that suits you best: via Store -> Import/Export -> Import/Export Products, click on appropriate option on the toolbar or find it in product context menu

2) Afterwards you will be instantly transferred to the succeeding window asking you to opt for action to be performed. Correspondingly you have to select Import operation. Note, you may start database backup directly from this window of the wizard utility

3)Logically, you have to indicate source of the file products will be taken from. These can be local spreadsheets or those disposed at remote location. Once data file source is selected you are to provide path (if this is locally placed file), URL to file or FTP details and file path (if remote feed is used)

4)Information you are going to upload to database will be represented on this step of Magento import wizard. Make sure correct file separators are designated since improperly set delimiters will negatively influence import results

5)The succeeding stage of product import wizard expects you to designate other settings:

Delimiters for file details - symbol that will be used to detach categories in category tree, images in Image Gallery, information in related fields

Category Options - you may use category ID instead of category path in the course of data import if you check the box of the same name available in this field. Another option allows you to preserve category associations and, if to-be-uploaded merchandise already exist in some categories, leave them in these categories and also place to folders provided in the file

Downloadable Products - on condition that downloadable products should be uploaded you must check this box and indicate local director they have been placed to

Images - not infrequently images are being added in the process of Magento product import. In this case “Import Images” box should be checked and, if these pictures are stored locally, directory containing them is to be indicated

6) Opt for store view(s) products will be imported to on this step if you have several store views

7) Base formats (date/time formats and separators) are accessible in subsequent window

8)In order product details to be placed to correct database fields, you should set associations between file columns and corresponding fields. Do not forget to opt for identifier by which Magento products will be recognized. If related products (cross-sells, up-sells, related products) are being uploaded, choose identification method for them as well. To input pre-defined values for some fields you, respectively, must click on Set default values button

9) Check whether import settings were configured in suitable manner on preview import step and, if everything is OK, continue with import wizard

10) The last window requires you to carefully designate import options: product upload method (add and modify, updater products only, just add new products or only add); if needed manage merchandise that are not listed in the file (remove these products from Magento database, set them to Out of Stock or disable them), clear product relations (for related product, up-sells, cross-sells, configurable products, grouped, bundle or downloadable products).

There also is the ability run Custom SQL query right after the import is completed.

After you click on the Import button the process of Magento import will start

*Product IDs are incremented by Magento system itself, Store Manager does not allow to force ID during import in order to ensure data integrity.

*Global attributes have the same values within all the store views and, correspondingly, can not be updated for specific store view.

*When importing to specific store view, uncheck Default Values Store View box to bypass default values overwriting.

Store Manager for Magento lowers the chance of error occurrence and, at one time, improves product upload providing store owners with advantageous possibilities and makes it more and more flexible.