Import items from a spreadsheet

Create your items and their stock from one file: one row per unit or stock line, grouped by name and SKU, with warehouses and collections created on the way.

People with the «Inventory» permission in edit mode.

Loading the catalog is the biggest job of an onboarding: hundreds of items, each with its stock, prices and codes. The item import creates the items and their stock in one go, and the warehouses, collections and tags they need.

Each row of the file is a unit or a line of stock, not an item. For the Landmark Venues wedding: three rows for the three large frame tents, each with its , one row with 120 Chiavari chairs and one with 12 round tables.

Before you start

The import only creates. A that already exists in your account is an error; to change existing items, see Update items in bulk from a file.
A is never created by the import. Create it first, or leave «Pricing template» empty to use your default one.
Write dates as YYYY-MM-DD. The column help asks for day/month/year, but 01/03/2024 is saved as January 3.

Import your items

Open the import In «Inventory» → «Items», open «⋯» → «Import».
Download the template The has 42 columns and sample rows. Click «Download CSV template» and delete the samples, and their day/month dates with them.
Fill in the rows Three rows named “Frame tent 33 × 49 ft” with the same SKU and one serial number each; “Chiavari chair” with «Quantity» 120; “Round table” with 12.
Upload and map In «Map columns», check each field. Only «Name» is required.
Verify and edit Filmo groups the rows into items and shows the result per item, with errors and warnings.
Import Click «Import 3 items». The button only works when no row has errors.

«Import items» at «Map columns»: «Mapped columns: 7 of 7», «Required fields mapped: 1 of 1» and the «All required fields mapped» badge. Above each column of the file, a drop-down with the field it fills, the required one marked with an asterisk, and the first four rows of the file below. — Change a drop-down when a column fills the wrong field.

The summary counts the items, spaces, collections, tags, suppliers, custom fields and stock units created.

«Import items» at «Verify and edit»: «Total items: 3» and «3 valid» for four rows, two of them units of the same arch with their serial numbers, the «Bulk actions» button under «Import 3 items». — Four rows make three items: the two arch units are one serialized item.

Warning: «Verify and edit» offers bulk actions such as «Assign location», «Assign pricing template», generating SKUs or serial codes. Their changes show in the table but don't reach the import, which uses your file as it was. Make those corrections in the file and upload it again.

What the import creates

Collections, levels included (“Tents > Frame tents”), and tags. A or tag that differs only in capitals is the same one.
Each «Location» that doesn't exist, as a private . The default warehouse (Almacén, or Warehouse if Filmo isn't in Spanish) is created even if no row uses it.
Sub-locations such as “Aisle 2 > Green shelf”, as of that warehouse.
Each «Supplier» that isn't already a contact with the supplier role, as a company with that role.
Custom fields for each .
The stock, with its entry on the item's «Stock entries» tab.

Each imported item counts as created for automations: an active workflow that starts when an item is created runs once per item.

Prepare the file

How import rows become items, bulk stock and serial numbers

Rows with the same «Name» and «SKU» are one item. Capitals and spaces at the ends don't count; accents do.
A row with a (a serial code, serial number, QR code or custom content) creates one unit. Its quantity must be 1.
A row with a quantity and none of those creates stock. Rows of one item in the same location, sub-location and variant are added up into one .
A row with quantity 0 and nothing serialized creates a .
An item can't be bulk in one row and serialized in another.
Rows without a SKU get one (0001, 0002…). If some rows of an item have a SKU and others don't, the empty ones take the item's SKU. Units without a serial code get one too.

Importing the same file again is blocked if it has SKUs, because they already exist. A file without SKUs creates the items a second time. For the difference between the two kinds of stock, see Serialized and bulk items.

Item import template and columns

Columns	How to write them	Good to know
Name, SKU	2 to 400 characters; your own code.	They group the rows into items.
Collection	A path with >.	Created if missing. One collection per item.
Quantity	A whole number, 0 or more.	0 and nothing serialized: catalog only.
Serial code, Serial number, QR code	Codes.	Serialized only, except the QR code: bulk accepts several, separated by commas.
Variant, Location, Sub-location	Text; sub-location as a path with >.	Location defaults to Almacén or Warehouse.
Information visible in order, Private info	Text.	For the unit or the stock line.
Tags, Supplier	Tags separated by commas; one supplier per row.	Created if missing.
Manufacturer reference, Notes, Purchase order no.	Code; notes separated by \|\|.	Saved only on serialized units.
Custom accessories, Custom content	One per line: 2x XLR cable, 1x Manual.	Free text, not catalog items.
Description, Weight (kg), Width, Height, Length (cm)	Text and numbers.	—
Volume (m³), Current (A), Power (W)	Numbers.	Checked but not saved today.
Base price, Purchase price, Deposit value, Replacement Value, Internal cost, External cost	Amounts; both decimal formats and a currency symbol work.	Without a template, a positive base price is a daily price.
Purchase date, Warranty end date	YYYY-MM-DD.	See Before you start.
Insurance enabled, Discount enabled, Active	Yes or no.	Active is saved only on serialized units.
Buffer before rental (hours), Buffer after rental (hours)	Whole hours.	—
Pricing template	The exact name of one of your templates.	Empty: your default template. Not found: error.
Taxes	Rates or codes separated by \|\|: 21 \|\| 10, IVA_21.	Unknown ones are skipped with a warning.

Custom accessories are saved as : free and checked by default. In serialized items with variants, they apply to the variant of the row they're in.

Fix SKU, QR code and grouping errors in an item import

These stop the import until the file is fixed:

One name with two SKUs, one SKU with two names, or one item with two collections. Write the name and SKU the same way in every row of the item.
A SKU that already exists in the account. Remove the row, or change the item with an update.
A QR code already used in the account, or used by two items in the file. A QR code is unique across the account.
A serial number or serial code repeated within an item, or a serialized row with a quantity above 1.

When rows of one item disagree on other values, such as the description or the base price, the first row wins and Filmo shows a warning. Tags also come from the first row, without a warning.

If you see an error

Message or situation	What it means and what to do
SKU "…" ya existe en la base de datos. Las re-importaciones no están permitidas.	The item is already in your account. Remove the row or use an update.
La plantilla de precios "…" no existe.	«Pricing template» doesn't match any template. Correct the name or leave it empty.
Código(s) QR ya existentes en la base de datos: …	Another item or unit already has that QR code. Change or remove it.
Código QR "…" está duplicado con otros artículos: …	Two items in the file share a QR code. Keep one.
Valores de IVA no reconocidos (se ignoran): …	Warning: a «Taxes» value isn't a rate or code. The row is imported without it.
Purchase or warranty dates in the wrong month	The date was written day/month with a day up to 12. Correct it on the unit and use YYYY-MM-DD.
Volume, current or power missing after the import	Those values aren't saved today. Enter them on the item.
Bulk stock without manufacturer reference, notes or purchase order number	Those columns are only saved on serialized units.

The messages above appear in Spanish whatever your language.