CSV import

Overview

CSV list of products bulk-imports your team catalog from a spreadsheet export — one row per product. You upload a single .csv file, map columns to Tendersight fields, assign categories per row, then create products with optional AI enrichment and duplicate-SKU handling.

Ideal for ERP, PIM, or Excel catalog exports with dozens or hundreds of SKUs. It is Path D on the new product hub for structured tabular data.

Tip: Before you import, confirm you have:

Header row as the first line of the CSV
UTF-8 encoding to avoid garbled product names
Product name and Description columns ready to map (required)
Product categories if you categorize during import
Decision on overwrite duplicate SKUs — append vs full catalog refresh
Test file with 5–10 rows before importing thousands

Important: Unmapped CSV columns are not discarded — each becomes an additional specification on every product, using the column header as the spec name. Map only core fields; leave attribute columns unmapped intentionally.

CSV import vs other catalog paths

Aspect	CSV import	Datasheet upload	Manual input
Input	One `.csv` file	PDF/DOC/XLS files	Single form
Rows per session	Hundreds+	One task per file	One product
Column mapping	Required step	N/A	N/A
Duplicate SKUs	Skip or overwrite toggle	Per-file extraction	Manual uniqueness
List badge	Uploaded products list	Uploaded datasheet	Manual input

When to use

Good fit	Poor fit
Hundreds of SKUs in Excel/ERP export	Single PDF datasheet → Datasheet upload
Columns: name, description, SKU, price	Unstructured prose → User manual upload
Recurring catalog refresh same format	Live shop → Connected services
Append new SKUs without touching existing	One product → Manual input

How to open

Path	Steps
From new product hub	Click CSV list of products card

Page heading: Upload CSV list of products

Four-step wizard

Step	Title
1	Upload file
2	Map columns
3	Assign categories
4	Review & process

Same non-linear stepper behavior as datasheet upload — cannot advance without a CSV selected.

Step 1 — Upload file (numbered)

Click Select CSV file or drag .csv onto dropzone.
Review inline card: CSV badge, filename, size, Remove.
Click Next: Map columns.
Only one CSV file per import session.

Step 2 — Map columns (numbered)

1. Read blue Technical specifications alert:

- "Each value from the Description column will be added as a specification named Attribute."

- "Any column you leave unmapped becomes its own specification automatically."

Map dropdowns (searchable Search columns):

Field	Required	Notes
Product name	Yes	Display name
Description	Yes	Becomes `Attribute` spec per alert
SKU	No	Duplicate handling on step 4
Unit price without VAT	No	Numeric
Currency	No	3-letter code per row

Preview Your file looks like this — scrollable table with color-matched headers.
Footer: "and another {n} rows" when more rows exist beyond preview.
Next: Assign categories — disabled until required fields mapped.

Step 3 — Assign categories (numbered)

Same category assignment UI as datasheet upload — items are CSV rows (product name + snippet) instead of files.

Drag rows from Uncategorized to category drop targets.
Multiselect + Assign to category for bulk moves.
Create category inline if needed.
Continue with {N} items — N = total CSV rows. Assignment optional.

Step 4 — Review & process (numbered)

1. Choose Price type for all imported prices:

- Selling price (default)

- Acquisition price

Helper: "This applies to the price column for all imported products in this file."

2. Toggle Enable AI processing:

- On → Start processing + credit badge

- Off → Create products

Set Overwrite duplicate or existing SKUs:

Checked	Unchecked
Update existing products with same SKU	Skip duplicate SKU rows silently

Use checked for full catalog refresh; unchecked for append-only imports.

Click Start processing or Create products.

After submission

Outcome	Toast	Redirect
AI on	"AI processing started!"	Products list
AI off	"Products imported!"	Products list
Error	"An error has occurred!"	Stay on page

Source badge: Uploaded products list. Track Processing tasks when AI enabled.

Column mapping reference

Mapping choice	Effect on product
Product name	`name` field
Description	`Attribute` specification + description context
SKU	Stock identifier; duplicate logic
Unit price	Catalog price
Currency	Per-row currency when mapped
Unmapped column	Spec named after header, value from cell

Caution: Accidentally mapping an attribute column to Product name collapses distinct products — preview the table before continuing.

Permissions

Action	Administrator	Collaborator
Upload and map CSV	Yes	Yes
Assign row categories	Yes	Yes
Overwrite duplicate SKUs	Yes	Yes
Enable AI processing	Yes*	Yes*

Best practices

Include header row — required for mapping dropdowns.
Map Product name + Description minimum.
Leave attribute columns unmapped — they import as individual specifications.
UTF-8 encoding — re-export from Excel if characters break.
Test small file first — validate mapping before thousands of rows.
Enable overwrite only when refreshing full catalog from source of truth.
Assign categories for families that share business knowledge text.

What you can and cannot do

You can

Import prices in multiple currencies when Currency column mapped
Import without SKU column (no duplicate detection)
Leave all rows uncategorized
Re-import same file with overwrite for refresh

You cannot

Import .xlsx directly — export to CSV first
Map one CSV column to two Tendersight fields
Undo import in one click — delete products or use overwrite strategically

FAQ

Can I import non-CSV Excel files?

This module accepts .csv only. Export Excel to CSV or use datasheet upload for .xlsx.

What delimiter does Tendersight expect?

Standard comma-separated CSV. Semicolon exports — re-export or convert.

What happens to unmapped columns?

Each becomes a specification: header = spec name, cell = spec value.

Are empty rows imported?

Rows without required mapped fields fail during processing.

Can I import prices in multiple currencies?

Yes — map Currency column. Step-4 Price type still applies uniformly.

How do duplicates interact with synced products?

SKU overwrite affects team products in your catalog. Synced external products follow integration rules separately.

Fewer products than rows — why?

Duplicate SKUs skipped when overwrite unchecked.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Cause	Action
Next disabled on mapping	Missing required maps	Map Product name and Description
Fewer products than rows	Duplicates skipped	Enable overwrite
Specs missing	Description not mapped	Map Description column
Garbled characters	Wrong encoding	Re-export UTF-8 CSV
Import failed entirely	Malformed CSV	Validate in Excel
Wrong specs from column	Column left unmapped intentionally	Review unmapped = spec rule

New product hub
Products list
Datasheet upload
Product categories
Manual product create
Team product entity