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      CREATING CUSTOM FILES AND PROFILES

      Importing is an efficient method for adding or updating existing information on your site. If you are new to importing we recommend that you visit our Using Preset Files & Profiles page.

      Overview

      Performing custom imports can be helpful when adding or updating information on your website.

      The process consist of three main elements:

      • CSV File
      • CSV Profile
      • Importing

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        How to create an Import File

        Steps on how to create an Import File

        1. Open Microsoft Excel
        2. Adding Headings: In Row One(1) write in the types of data that you would like to organize.
        3. For example if you are trying to import products in A1 you may write DealerID and in B1 you may write Name. A good way to determine what data you would like to organize is to log into your WSM account and view the backend of the type of data that you are aiming to import. 
        4. Enter Data: Now, you will need to populate your cells with the appropriate data. To learn more about what information goes into each cell, please visit the relating article to the type of data you are trying to import. Products, Customers, Locations, Events, Attributes, Categories and more.
        5. Save File: Once your file is complete you will want to save your file as a CSV (Comma Delimited) file.  Depending on the version of Excel your are working with you may need to first select "Other Formats" and then select CSV (Comma Delimited) 
        6. Create Test File: Next you will want to create a TEST import file. It is always very important to run a TEST import with only 2-3 lines  so that you can make sure that everything is being populated as you expected. There is no undo button on an import, so once you hit run the data will be in the store.
          • To create a Test File, open a new blank Excel file and copy over your column headings
          • Toggle back to the completed file and select the most complex row(s) of data and paste it in the newly opened blank file
          • Save your TEST file as a CSV (Comma Delimited) file. Depending on the version of Excel your are working with you may need to first select "Other Formats" and then select CSV (Comma Delimited)

        You will now have two files saved:

          1. Your completed file
          2. Your test file

        The next step will be to prepare your Import Profile so that you can import into it.

        How to create an Import Profile

        1. Log into WSM
        2. Hoover over Data
        3. Click CSV Profiles
        4. Click the Add Profile button
        5. Next, click Add Profile button
        6. You will then be taken back to the list of CSV Profiles
        7. Click Fields icon to the left of your profile that you just created
        8. Next, click Add Field to add the fields that you want mapped from your file

        9. Click Add Field button to save

        10. You will then return to Fields list for your profile

        11. Continue to click Add Field until all your desired fields are added to the profile

        Add Profile:
        Name* This field allows you to name your profile something that is relevant to what you are trying to import.
        Type* Choose CSV as the Type
        Update Only Select No for all imports except for an Attribute import
        Model* Select the type of import you are creating this profile for. For Attributes & Tiered Pricing you would select Products.
        Strip HTML Most times clients leave this as No. There are very rare cases where you would want to strip HTML.
          Update Field:
          Profile* If you followed the above steps, the profile will be pre-selected to the profile that you created. Technically you can assign this Field to a different Profile if you wish to move it. Typically you will want to leave the pre-selected Profile selected. 
          Target Field* The options in the drop-down is dependent on the Profile Model that you selected. The list will consist of the names associated with the each field in the database. For more information on what target fields populate view specific model pages; Products, Customers, Locations, Events, Attributes, Categories and more. 
          Source Column
          Source Type*

          The options in the drop-down will allow you to specify how the data is processed during import. The most common selection is Column.
          Column           -  Exports data to the named column or Imports data from the named column in your file.
          Literal - ONLY used for importing. It take whatever data you type into the source value and imports it to the target field.
          Expression -  ONLY used for importing. This Source Type allows for a mix of literal and column(s') data with the use of advanced formulas.
          Source Value* The field allows you to specify the details for processing the file based on the Source Type you selected above.
          Column           - Enter the column name from your CSV file that aligns with the Target Field selected above. The column names are spelling and space sensitive. 
          Literal - Type the value you want entered into the Target Field selected above. A example would be if you want all product shipping remarks to state, "Orders Ship in 5-10 Business Days".
          Expression - Enter the information for your expression; which combines different types of data. This can be a combination of literal and columns. For example if your file contains the file names for your images but not the full URL of where they are stored you can create an expression such as, http://wsmuniversity.com/files/images/${image}. For more details on view our advanced formulas page.
          Basic Options
          Unique The radio button will allow you to identify which Target Field is used your Unique Identifier for this profile. Each CSV Profile can only have one Unique Identifier.
          Compound-Value Delimiter This field is only displayed for certain Target Fields. When available, enter the character you are using to separate values. A common use for this field is when importing product categories. This field has specific use for importing product attributes. Learn more about Compound-Value Delimiter.
          Multi-Value Delimiter This field is only displayed for certain Target Fields. When available, enter the character you are using to separate your values. A common use for this field is when importing products that are assigned to more than one category.  Learn more about Multi-Value Delimiter.

           

          Importing to a Custom Profile

          The following steps will walk you through the process of performing your import. 

          1. Log into WSM.
          2. Hover over Data.
          3. Click on CSV Profiles.
          4. Identify the Profile that you wish to use.
          5. Click on the blue folder icon for Fields.
          6. Count the number of "Column" fields that are in your profile.
          7. Open the CSV File that you have completed and count the number of columns that have data. If your count matches the above count proceede to the next step. 
          8. From this screen or from the CSV Profiles screen, click Run Import or Import respectively. 
          9. Click the Choose File button, Browse and double click or select and Click Open on your Test CSV file.
          10. The Force Update is used only when you are updating existing products and only required for updating information in select fields (attributes, categories, images, option-sets, or attachments).
          11. The "Delete Old Items" is only used in special cases when you need to remove products from your site. It is very important that you learn more about this feature prior to use so that you do not mistakenly delete products from your site.
          12. Click the Run Import button, see Troubleshooting Errors if one occurs. If not, proceed to the next step.
          13. View what you imported in both the front-end and back-end of WSM. If everything is as you expected repeat the import steps with your Full CSV File.
          14. Spot check a few items when finished on both the back end and front end of your site. If your import created related items such as categories or brand, make sure to spot check them as well.

          Summary

          The process of creating files for import and the act of importing can be customized for the different types of data in WSM. We've created Model Specific pages for you to learn more about each type of importing you may want to perform on your site.