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Automation

Learn about product variant automation

Find out how to prepare your spreadsheet if you have product variant and to automate the process of creating the catalog.

Overview

Creating a digital catalog that contains numerous products and product variants can be challenging and time-consuming. The same can be said about managing and keeping the catalog up to date. Products might come in multiple variants, each with its properties, and it can get overwhelming soon.

To simplify the process and save you valuable time and effort, we have introduced an automated solution for the shopping list that allows you to easily create, populate, and manage your product catalog, regardless of the number of products and variants it contains.

Step-by-step guide

1. Download the Flipsnack CSV template

To ensure everything works smoothly, we have created a CSV template you can download and then populate with your products and variants.

Note: We recommend downloading our CSV template with your products and variants, to ensure everything works smoothly.

On the main dashboard, go to Automation, on the bottom left side, click on Import feed.

import feed

Now either click on the Upload CSV file or Google Drive.

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After you click, the preferred option, you will have the option to download our pre-mapped templates, if you download them you will get the Simple Product Feed and Variant-Rich Product Feed in the same folder. Choose the Variant-Rich Product Feed.

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2. Edit the file

Once the template is downloaded, you can either import it into Google Sheets or open it with your preferred program, such as Microsoft Excel or Numbers.

Tip: We recommend using Google Sheets, especially if you regularly update your catalog, because, through Google Sheets, you can automatically sync your data. With the other methods, you must upload the file each time you make any changes to your spreadsheet.

After that, you can edit the spreadsheet and populate it with your products.

Note: When editing the downloaded CSV file, we advise you to keep the original column header names. And to add images, you can upload them to Flipsnack, copy the direct URL of that image, and paste it into the image column.

Here is a detailed list of each field from the CSV file. The mandatory properties are mentioned as such. For properties that are not listed as mandatory, you can leave them blank if they do not apply to your catalog.

Important: The variations must always be listed under the Parent.SKU in the order list.
This means that if a variation row is placed above its parent row, it won't work properly.

Field	Explanation	Example	Instructions
Product.Type	The type of product (Product or Variant).	Product	For products and variants The field is mandatory. You can add either Product (e.g. T-shirt) or Variant (e.g. blue).
SKU	Stock keeping unit for products and variants.	SKU-01-WFW - SKU for the Product SKU-01-WFW-SB - SKU for the Variant(see the example below)	For products and variants The field is mandatory. The SKU should be unique for each product or variant.

Parent.SKU	Stock keeping unit of the parent product.	SKU-01-WFW	For variants The field is mandatory. It should have the parent product’s SKU. Otherwise, the connection can’t be made between the product and its variant.
Name	The product name.	Women Fine Watch	For products If the information is added to the variant, it will be ignored, as the name will always be taken from the parent product.
Description	The product description.	Imported Japanese quartz movement keeps time accurate...	For products If the information is added to the variant, it will be ignored, as the description will always be taken from the parent product.
Product.ImageURL	The product image.	https://cdn.flipsnack.com/images/automation/women-fine-watch-black.jpg	For products You can add 3 images in the same row, but you have to separate them with a semicolon (;) The image link must end in either .jpg or .png, otherwise it will not work The product image link will automatically apply for variants as well. You can overwrite variant images by filling in the Variant.ImageURL field.
Price	The product price.	35 35.5	For products The price will automatically apply to variants as well. You can overwrite variant prices by filling in the Variant.Price field. If you use a decimal separator, please use a decimal point, not a decimal comma.
Currency	The product currency.	USD	For products You can add a single currency for the entire flipbook, but you can modify the currency when editing the flipbook. If you change the currency, it will be applied to all products/variants. If you need to change the currency, we recommend doing so in the spreadsheet and then updating the spreadsheet in Flipsnack. If the sheet contains more than one currency, the first currency added will be applied to the entire flipbook.
Discount.Price	The discounted price for the product.	25	For products The discount price will automatically apply to variants as well. You can overwrite variant discount prices by filling in the Variant.Discount.Price field.
Visible	The visibility for the variants.	TRUE	For Variants You can choose between TRUE or FALSE If FALSE, the variant will be unavailable for purchase. If you leave the field blank, it will be set as TRUE by default, but if a variant is missing from the sheet, it will be set as TRUE.
Quantity	Enable or disable quantity	TRUE	When set to `TRUE`, users will be able to adjust the quantity of a product using a control like the one below: When set to `FALSE`, the quantity field becomes unavailable, and users can only add one product at a time.
MIN.Purchasable.Quantity	The minimum quantity available for purchase for the same product/variant.	2	For Products It will also apply to the variants. If you have set a minimum quantity, you must also add a maximum one, otherwise, it will not work.
MAX.Purchasable.Quantity	The maximum quantity available for purchase for the same product/variant.	3	For Products It will also apply to the variants.
Attribute.Name1	The product attribute name.	Color	For Products You can add a maximum of 3 attributes. If your product does not contain variants, you can leave the field blank.
Attribute.Options1	The options available for Attribute.Name1.	Product options: Silver;Black;Gold;Brown Variant options: Silver Black Gold	For Products and Variants You can add up to 30 options The options for the product should be added on the same row and should be separated by a semicolon(;). Each option should be added on separate rows for each variant.
Attribute.Name2	The product attribute name.	Size	For Products Same as Attribute.Name1.
Attribute.Options2	The options available for Attribute.Name2.	Product options: Small;Medium;Large Variant options: Small Medium Large	For Products and Variants Same as Attribute.Options1.
Attribute.Name3	The product attribute name.	Material	For Products Same as Attribute.Name1.
Attribute.Options3	The options available for Attribute.Name3.	Product options: Cotton;Polyester Variant options: Cotton Polyester	For Products and Variants Same as Attribute.Options1
Image.Attribute	The attribute that will be used for the image.	Color	For Products You need to choose a single attribute (if you have more than one) for which you want to add the images. E.g. if you’re selling T-shirts with the attributes Color and Size, the obvious choice would be to choose Color for the image attribute. This way, when someone selects the T-shirt in a different color, they will see a picture of the T-shirt in that particular color. Using different images for each size would not make too much sense since, visually, they all look the same.
Variant.ImageURL	The URL that will be used for the image attribute.	https://cdn.flipsnack.com/images/automation/women-fine-watch-black.jpg;https://cdn.flipsnack.com/images/automation/women-fine-watch-black2.jpg	For variants You can add up to 3 images in one field, separated by semicolons(;). The field should be located in the same row as the attribute option to which you want to add images.
Variant.Price	The price for the variants.	30	For Variants You can add a different price for each variant. If you leave the field blank, the product's price (Price column) will be applied to the variant.
Variant.Discount.Price	The discounted price for the variants.	26	For Variants You can add a different discount price for each variant. If you leave the field blank, the product's discount price (Discount.price column) will be applied to the variant.
Shop.Element	The type of element to be added to the catalog.	AREA	For Products The field is mandatory. You can choose between AREA and BUTTON. The Area element is an overlay. The Button element is a call to action button. If you leave the field blank, AREA will be selected.
Area.Element.Tooltip	The text displayed when you hover over the area element when browsing the flipbook.	Click here	For Products Applicable only if you have selected AREA. If the field is blank, “Click to view this product” will be displayed.
Area.Element.Color	The color of the Area element.	#7BC2FF	For Products You must add a HEX Code.
Area.Element.Opacity	The opacity of the Area element.	20	For Products You can select a value between 0 and 100. 0 = completely transparent. 100 = completely visible.
Shop.Button.Color	The shop button color.	#0362FC	For products We recommend using the Hex Code. If left empty, the default color will be black.
Shop.Button.Label	The text displayed on the shop button.	Shop now	For Products If the field is blank, “Shop this item” will be displayed.
Shop.Label.Color	The color of the text on the shop button.	#ffffff	For products By default, the color is set to white.
Website.Button	Find out how to prepare your spreadsheet for product variant automation and how to use the spreadsheet in your catalog	TRUE	For Products Visible when you click on the area or button element. You can choose between TRUE or FALSE. If the field is blank, FALSE will be used.
Website.Button.Label	The text displayed for the website button.	Our website	For Products It can be used if Website.Button is set to TRUE. If the field is blank, “View more” will be displayed.
Website.Link	The URL used when the website button is clicked.	https://www.flipsnack.com/	For Products If you don’t add a link, the button will not be displayed, even if you set its value to TRUE.

Once you have edited the file, it is time to upload it to Flipsnack.

Important: If a specific variant differs from the main product in details such as price, image, or visibility, you need to list it manually in the spreadsheet. Otherwise, all variants will inherit the main product's details (price, image, etc.) by default.

3. Upload the file

To do so, while in the Main dashboard, click on Automation, Import feed.

Now either click on the Upload CSV file or Google Drive.

Screenshot 2024-11-27 at 11.16.10-mh (1)

If you plan to update the catalog data regularly, we recommend using the Google Sheets option. In this case, instead of uploading the file for each modification, you can simply click the Sync button, learn more about synchronize here.

If you wish to upload a CSV file, you won't find the sync button(as shown in the image above). To update the catalog after making changes, you need to re-import the same CSV file. If the CSV file has the same name, a pop-up will appear, asking whether you want to overwrite the existing feed or not.

Here, you can also verify if the catalog has been populated properly. To check and manage the product field mapping, click on the icon.

If you have modified the column header names in the spreadsheet, the change will be reflected by an exclamation mark.

manage-product-list-mapping-error

If you still wish to continue, you can check the field (SKU in this case) and assign it the data from the dropdown menu, and then click on Save changes.

manually-map-a-column

Note: As already mentioned, we recommend not changing the fields because, for each modified field, you will need to assign the new data manually. Given the large number of properties, this process can be time-consuming and lead to errors.

4. How to use the spreadsheet in your catalog

Once your file has been imported into Flipsnack, you can easily use it in your product catalog. While in the Design Studio, click on Automation, then select the file from the dropdown menu. Here you will be able to see if the product has variants and how many variants it has.

Once selected, you can easily drag and drop a product on the page, and when you do so, a Shopping list element will product-list-from-the-automation-tab

Once selected, you can easily drag and drop a product on the page, and when you do so, a Shopping list element will be created. To preview the product, click on Preview button, from the upper right side.

drag-and-drop-the-product-from-the-automation-tab-on-the-page

Filter by used or unused products in catalogs

You can easily filter products to see which ones are already used in your catalog in the Automation tab and which ones are not. This is especially helpful if you're unsure which products you've already added

FAQ

Why can't I view the product variants?

Make sure to use the template that we offer, when adding variants.

Are there any limitations on the number of products or variants that can be automated in Flipsnack?

Flipsnack does not have a limit for the number of products that can be added to a spreadsheet, however you can only add 3 attributes (eg: color, material, size)

What kind of images are accepted?

Accepted formats include JPG, PNG, and GIF. Add images by placing direct URLs in the appropriate column of your spreadsheet. Learn more.

Next steps

Useful resources

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