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How to prepare a product variant feed for automation

Structure a product feed with color and size variants, then automate the catalog layout.

Overview

A product variant feed lists each product once, with every color, size or material as a variant row linked to it by SKU. Flipsnack reads the feed and builds the catalog from it, so a catalog with hundreds of products in several options does not need to be laid out by hand. This article covers how to prepare the feed, upload it and use it in a catalog.

The feed feeds the shopping list: each product you place in a catalog becomes a shopping list element that readers can add to their cart.

Check the feed against these requirements before you start.

Requirements

Download the variant template

Flipsnack provides a CSV template you populate with your products and variants.

  • Click Automation in the left menu.
  • Click Import feed.
  • In the Import product feeds window, click Download templates. A ZIP file with the product feed templates downloads. Open the Variant-Rich Product feed; the Simple Product feed is for catalogs without variants.

The Automation page in Flipsnack with the Import feed button highlighted above the list of imported data sets

The Import product feeds window in Flipsnack with the Download templates link highlighted

Why use a variant feed
  • One row per option. Add colors, sizes and materials as variants of one product instead of repeating the product.
  • Inheritance. Variants take the name, description, price and images of the parent product unless you override them.
  • Always current. Update the feed and sync it, and the catalog follows.

Edit the product feed file

Open the downloaded template in Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel or Numbers, and fill it with your products. Use Google Sheets if you update the catalog often: you can sync the feed with one click instead of uploading the file again.

Important: keep the first three columns of the template: Product.Type, SKU and Parent.SKU.

Each variant sits in its own row, directly under its parent product. The rows below show a watch with three color variants. Only the Black variant has its own price; the other two take the product price.

Product.Type
SKU
Parent.SKU
Name
Attribute.Name1
Attribute.Options1
Variant.Price
Product
SKU-01-WFW
Women Fine Watch
Color
Silver;Black;Gold
Variant
SKU-01-WFW-S
SKU-01-WFW
Silver
Variant
SKU-01-WFW-B
SKU-01-WFW
Black
30
Variant
SKU-01-WFW-G
SKU-01-WFW
Gold

Important: list every variant as Variant in Product.Type, directly under its Product row, with the parent's SKU in Parent.SKU. A variant row placed above its parent does not work.

The table lists every field in the template. Fields not marked mandatory can stay blank when they do not apply 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.
Parent.SKU
Stock keeping unit of the parent product.
SKU-01-WFW
Only 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
Only 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...
Only 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 up to 15 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 If you have trouble finding a correct URL, you can use the link from Design Studio. 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
Only 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. Do not use dollar signs ($); prices will not display if a dollar sign is included. We have a separate column for currency.
Currency
The product currency.
USD
Only 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 feed and then updating the feed 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
Only for products Same rules apply as for Price (only numbers and period)
Visible
The visibility for the variants.
TRUE
Only 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 set this field to FALSE if the variant is out of stock or if you do not want buyers to be able to purchase it.
Quantity
Enable or disable quantity
TRUE
Only for products When set to TRUE, users will be able to adjust the quantity of a product using a quantity control on the product. 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.
MOQ
When products must be bought in packs or minimum quantities.
TRUE
TRUE → enables quantity steps (multiples). FALSE → buyers can choose any number between the min and max E.g., if you have MIN.Purchasable.Quantity 2 and MAX.Purchasable.Quantity 10, and MOQ TRUE, the buyers can add only 2,4,6,8, or 10 items to the cart (multiples of 2, until they reach the maximum value, 10)
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 include up to 90 attribute options in total (the limit is calculated for the 3 attributes in total; for example, if you add 90 options to the first attribute, the options for the second attribute will not be displayed)
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
Only 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 15 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. E.g. If “Color” is your Image.Attribute and the options are red, green, or white, do this: Add a variant row for each color. For example: Product.Type → Variant Attribute.Options1 → green Variant.ImageURL → add the image links for the green product. Repeat for each color (e.g., a “white” row with its own image links). Flipsnack will automatically show the correct images when a buyer selects that color.
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
Only for products The field is mandatory. You can choose between AREA, LINK 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 by default.
LINK value is used for SKU detection.
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
The add to cart shop button.
TRUE
If you set it to FALSE, the add to cart/shop this item button will be hidden.
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
Shows a website button on the product.
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.
Customizable.Product
Personalization for the product.
FALSE
Set this field to TRUE if the product allows personalization (e.g., “Add your name”).
Customizable.Product.Instructions
Instructions for personalization.
This is a short message or guide for buyers, for example: “Write your message or initials below.” It appears inside the personalization box in the shopping modal.
Customizable.Product.Flat.Fee
Personalization fixed cost.
A fixed extra cost for personalization. Example: If you charge $2.50 for engraving, enter 2.5.
Customizable.Product.Per.Character
Charges a price per character typed by the buyer
Charges a price per character typed by the buyer (e.g., $0.10 per letter). If you fill in both Flat.Fee and Per.Character, Per. Character takes priority.
Customizable.Product.Character.Length
The maximum number of characters a buyer can type
Numbers only. Sets the maximum number of characters a buyer can type (e.g., 20).
Customizable.Product.Mandatory
Personalization required or no.
Set to TRUE if personalization is required (the buyer must fill it out to purchase). Leave FALSE if it’s optional.

If a variant differs from the product in price, image or visibility, list that difference in the variant row. Otherwise it inherits the product's details.

Upload the product feed to Flipsnack

  • Click Automation in the left menu, then Import feed.
  • Choose Upload CSV to upload a file from your device, Google Drive to pick a Google Sheet, or Import URL to import from a link.
  • In the Map feed content window, set Select unique ID to the column that holds your SKUs. Flipsnack uses it to recognize each product when you update the feed.
  • Under AI mapping, check that each Flipsnack option points to the right column of your feed. Columns named like the template are mapped automatically; others are mapped by AI.
  • Click Save changes.

The Import product feeds window in Flipsnack with the Google Drive, Upload CSV and Import URL options highlighted

The Map feed content window in Flipsnack with the Select unique ID field highlighted

The AI mapping list in Flipsnack with the Parent SKU and Product type options highlighted

Do not rename the template's columns. For every renamed column you have to assign the data by hand, which takes time and invites mistakes.

Update and sync your product feed

  • Feeds imported from Google Drive have a Sync button, so a change in the sheet reaches Flipsnack with one click.
  • For an uploaded CSV, click the Replace icon in the feed's row on the Automation page, or Replace feed in the Design Studio Automation panel, and upload the updated file.
  • To change how columns map to Flipsnack options, click the Mapping icon in the feed's row.

The Automation page in Flipsnack with the Replace, Mapping and Delete icons highlighted in a feed row

Learn more in how to use synchronization for Automation.

The feed suits catalogs where one product comes in several options.

Where it helps
  • Fashion and accessories: one watch, jacket or T-shirt in several colors and sizes.
  • Large catalogs: a feed with hundreds of products stays in one file you can edit and sync.
  • Mid-market and Enterprise teams: catalog production that is repeated every season.

Use the feed in your catalog

  • Open the catalog in the Design Studio and click Automation in the left panel.
  • Click your feed to see its products. The panel shows each product's name, price and SKU.
  • Drag a product onto the page. Flipsnack creates a shopping list element for it.
  • Click Preview in the top right to check the product.

The Automation panel in the Flipsnack Design Studio listing the imported feeds, with the Add feed button highlighted

The product list of a feed in the Design Studio Automation panel with the Replace feed button highlighted

Filter used and unused products

To see which products are already in the catalog, open a feed in the Automation panel and click the filter icon. Choose Used in this catalog or Not used in this catalog. All products clears the filter.

The product filter in the Flipsnack Automation panel with Used in this catalog and Not used in this catalog highlighted

Troubleshooting

  • The variants do not show up: use the Variant-Rich Product template, keep Product.Type, SKU and Parent.SKU, and place each variant directly under its parent.
  • A variant shows the product's price or image: a variant inherits from its product when its own field is blank. Fill Variant.Price or Variant.ImageURL in the variant row.
  • Prices do not display: use numbers and a decimal point only. Remove currency signs and keep the currency in the Currency column.
  • An image does not load: the link must end in .jpg or .png. Copy a reliable link from the Design Studio.
  • Columns are not mapped after a sync: a renamed column header breaks the mapping. Restore the original header or assign the column again with the Mapping icon.

Additional tips / FAQs

  • Is there a limit on products or variants? Flipsnack does not limit the number of products in a feed. A product can have up to 3 attributes, for example color, material and size.
  • What kind of images are accepted? JPG, PNG and GIF. Add direct URLs in the image columns of your feed. Learn how to host images in Flipsnack.
  • Why can I not see the product variants? Start from the template Flipsnack provides when you add variants.

Next steps

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