Learn how to design and automate dynamic catalogs in Flipsnack from scratch using a product feed.
Note: Automation is available with the Enterprise plan.
Step 1. Create your CSV/Spreadsheet
You can add all the information about your products in a Google Spreadsheet or create your CSV file in Excel or a similar program. You will need a column for each element you want to automate, such as Name, Price, ImageURL, or Description.
Tip: We recommend creating or importing the datasheet, directly in Google Spreadsheet, because it will be easier to update if something changes with your product information.
If you don’t have a product feed yet, don’t worry! You can easily download and customize one of our pre-made templates to include the necessary information for what you need.
We have two temples, and the differences between the two are:
- Simple Product Feed: Designed for products without variations. It's straightforward and ideal for simpler inventories.
- Variant-Rich Product Feed: Includes detailed attributes such as color, size, material, and more—perfect for products with multiple variations.
Please choose the template that works best for you. Within the product feed, you can customize the look and feel of buttons and product areas, including styling for colors, transparency, and button text to match your brand.
Important: If your products have variations, using our Variant-rich product feed template is mandatory, as it simplifies connecting your data to our platform more easily.
Below is an example of a simple feed spreadsheet:
Note: To include images in your content, you can first upload the image files to a web server, FTP, or hosting service that allows you to store and retrieve images. Then, you can copy the image's direct URL and paste it into the designated image column. You can now host the images directly in Flipsnack. Please read this article for more details.
If you don’t want to display the discounted price or other types of information in your shopping options, you can simply omit them from the CSV file.
However, you can check out more information about CSV files at our help center or contact us on live chat.
Step 2. Create the catalog
Go to the Home page in Flipsnack and click on the Create button, then select From Scratch.
Step 3. Set the layout
Decide the structure of your catalog, organize placeholders for product elements such as images, titles, and descriptions or you can add a button as well, here you are flexible.
These placeholders will later connect to your product feed for seamless updates.
Then select all the elements, click on the Group button from the upper right corner and then you press the Connect with feed button, that you will find the upper right corner and a modal will pop-up.
Step 4. Map the elements
On the left side, you’ll see the grouped elements from your page and on the right side, the feed column from your spreadsheet. You will have to map element from your page to the elements from your product feed. This this case I also added a button, but you can skip this part if it’s not necessary for you. But if you added a button, scroll down in the pop-up and on the section Shopping button you will set it, and you choose what you want to appear, the SKU, description, ProductImageURL, currency, etc.
After you are done, click on Save Changes.
Then go to automation and drag and drop the products from your product feed into the template you made.
Please click the Preview button in the upper right corner to test if it worked properly.
Tip: To make the process faster, duplicate the element by using Ctrl+D on Windows or Cmd+D on Mac. A duplicated section will already be connected to the feed and then just drag and drop it.
If you have products that need frequent updates, we recommend using Google Sheets. For example, if you manage an inventory of seasonal items that change frequently, using Google Sheets makes the update process easier, ensuring all information remains accurate and current.
If you want to learn more about synchronization and how to update easily, read this article.
If you have any more questions about preparing a spreadsheet for Flipsnack automation or other questions about automation, contact us via live chat.