Importing and exporting categories and brands

Your categories and brands can go in and out of Orbit as a spreadsheet. Use this to bring a catalogue over from another shop, or to change hundreds of records in one go. The Categories page and the Brands page both have an Import and an Export button, and they work the same way.

Considerations

• Files can be CSV, XLSX or XLS. The biggest file you can upload is 25MB.
• Rows are matched by handle. A handle is the short name used in the web address.
• You choose whether the import creates new records, updates ones you already have, or both. You have to pick at least one.
• When a row updates a record you already have, only the columns in your file change.
• A big import keeps running after you close the box.
• An import cannot be undone. Export first so you have a copy to go back to.

Export a file to start from

An export gives you the columns an import expects, with the right headings in place, so every column is matched for you. Do this before your first import.

1. From your Orbit dashboard, go to Products, then Categories. For brands, go to Products, then Brands.
2. Click Export at the top of the page.
3. Choose how much to export: All categories, Filtered results or Selected categories. The brands page offers the same three for brands.
4. Under Export as, choose Plain CSV (.csv) or Excel Format (.xlsx).
5. Click Export categories, or Export brands on the brands page.
6. Wait for the file. A small panel tracks the export and downloads it when it is ready. A big export keeps running in the background.

Import categories

1. From your Orbit dashboard, go to Products, then Categories.
2. Click Import. The Import categories box opens.
3. Click Add File and pick your file, or drop the file on the box. To change it, click Replace File.
4. Under This import should…, tick Create new records, Update existing records, or both.
5. Click Upload & Preview.
6. Check the preview. It shows how many rows were found, how many columns were matched, and the first category.
7. If a column went to the wrong place, open Map columns. Set each CSV Column to the field it belongs to under Maps To, or to Do not import to leave it out. Columns matched for you carry an Auto badge.
8. Click Import Categories.
9. Watch the progress, or click Close & Continue in Background and carry on. The import finishes on its own.

If you have no file yet, click Download sample CSV at the bottom of the upload step. It has the right headings for you to fill in.

Note: A column has to map to Name. Until one does, the Import Categories button stays turned off and the Map columns step lists what is missing.

Columns in a category file

The mapping step groups the columns under Core, Media, Products, SEO and Smart Rules.

• Handle: the short name in the web address. Rows are matched on it.
• Name: what the category is called.
• Description: the text shown on the category page.
• Status: whether the category is published to your storefront.
• Type: whether the category is a manual one or a smart one.
• Image: the web address of the category image.
• Product Handles: the handles of the products the category holds.
• SEO Title and SEO Description: the search engine listing.
• Rule Entity, Rule Field, Rule Operator, Rule Value and Rule Match: the rules a smart category uses to pick up products.

Import brands

Brands follow the same steps. Only the wording and the columns change.

1. From your Orbit dashboard, go to Products, then Brands.
2. Click Import. The Import brands box opens.
3. Add your file, tick Create new records, Update existing records, or both, then click Upload & Preview.
4. Check the rows, put any stray column right under Map columns, then click Import Brands.

Note: A brand file needs a column mapped to Handle or to Name. Rows with neither are turned down with the message "Handle or Name is required".

Columns in a brand file

The mapping step groups these under Core, Media, Contact and SEO.

• Handle: the short name in the web address. Rows are matched on it.
• Name: the brand name.
• Description: the text shown on the brand page.
• Status: whether the brand is published to your storefront.
• Image: the web address of the brand logo.
• Website URL, Email and Phone: the maker's own contact details.
• SEO Title and SEO Description: the search engine listing.

What the result tells you

When the import stops, the box shows one of four results.

• Import successful: every row went in.
• Import partially successful: some rows failed. The failures are listed below the counts.
• Import skipped: nothing changed. A row is skipped when it matches a record you already have and Update existing records was not ticked, or when it matches nothing and Create new records was not ticked.
• Import failed: the import could not run. The reason is shown in the box.

Above the list are the counts: created, updated, skipped and failed. Click Show error details to read the failed rows, or Download CSV to save the full list. Put those rows right in your file and import it again.

Related guides

• Organising products with categories
• Adding and managing brands
• Importing and exporting products
• Migrating from Shopify