Find out how to prepare your spreadsheet for product variant automation and how to use the spreadsheet in your catalog
Table of contents:
Download the Flipsnack CSV template
How to use the spreadsheet in your catalog
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 own 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.
Here is how you can use the automation feature for the product variants.
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.
To do so, while on the Main dashboard, click on Automation, Import, Import product list, then click on Download template.
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. 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.
You can now edit the spreadsheet and populate it with your products.
Important: When editing the downloaded CSV file, we advise you to keep the original column header names and avoid adding or deleting any columns. Otherwise, when you import the file back into Flipsnack, you will need to assign the new data manually, and the process might not work as intended.
To add images, you can upload the files to a web server, FTP, or hosting service that allows images to be stored and retrieved, and then copy the direct URL of that image and paste it in 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 have the option to leave them blank if they are not applicable to your catalog.
| 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. |
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| 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. |
| 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.
3. Upload the file
To do so, while in the Main dashboard, click on Automation, Import, then Import product list.
You now have two options: Upload file or Sync Google Sheet.
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, and the changes will be automatically applied.
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.
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.
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 be created. To preview the product, click on Preview.
If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact us via live chat.