Category and Content Import/Export

Important: Before importing any changes, ensure that you make a backup.

Loaded 7 provides you with a powerful way to import and import cintent and categories through a tab delimited CSV file.

You can also Import and Export Products and Simple options. These will be covered in separate articles.

In this guide we will:

1. Show you how to export categories or a sample file that you can use to add products from another source.
2. What each field means in the CSV so you can properly input information.
3. How to import your categories and review the results.

Step 1: Exporting Products or Sample File

To Export your categories or sample file, login to your Administrative Tool and click Products

 Then Click on Products Import/Export

 If you would like to export categories, click the button denoted by the red arrow (Full Data Set)

To download a sample file, click the button denoted by the blue arrow (Get Sample File)

Remember your download location.

Step 2: Working with your data file

You can work with this file in any spreadsheet or notepad program. Spreadsheets are preferred as they have an easier view.

Open your spreadsheet program and open the file that you downloaded, you may see a few boxes as shown below.

Ensure Delimited is selected, Import is at column 1 and that the File origin  is correct. Click Next

On the next box, ensure that Tab is selected and leave the text qualifier unchanged. Click Next.

In the final box, Make sure the Column data format is General and click Finish.

Now that our file is open, it will look like the image below, we are ready to edit products

 You will see a number of fields and they are explained below.

• Id – the ID of the content
• Image – The default image for the content
• Parent_id – If the content is a child
• Sort_order – Arranges the order of the content. Lower has a higher value
• Mode – is the type of page, the types are below
• Category – This is a category page
  • Page – Create a page and link to it
  • Specials – Create link to specials
  • Override – Custom link to content
  • New – Link to new items
  • Search – Link to search
  • Cart – Link to shopping cart
  • Account – Link to My Account
  • Info – Link to Info content
  • Link Target – Defines if the link is internal or external (1 = external, 0=internal)
  • Custom URL – Defines the target of the content, generally not used for category pages
  • Status – If the content is visible (1=yes, 0 = no)
  • Visibility_Nav – If the content is visible in the navigation bar (1 = yes, 0 =no)
  • Visibilty_Box – If the content is visible in the info box (1 = yes , 0 = no)

Editing a Product

Now that you have your file, you can make changes to any field in the sheet. Keep in mind you should never change the id or parent_id fields.

If you plan to change the base image, ensure that it is uploaded to you server.

Once you have made the changes, save the  file. You will be presented with a few popups during this process as seen below.

You will want to click the Yes box. You may be presented with this box again when saving, just click yes again.

When you exit your spreadsheet program you may see this message, click save and choose the location in which you would like the file if it has changed.

Step 3: Importing your Changes

We are now ready to import your changes. Navigate to the Products Import/Export page.

You click on the Upload a File button.

Once you click, you will be presented with a file box. Navigate to the location of the file. Select the file and click open.

You will now see the file ready to be imported. To start the import, click Import

After the import is completed, you will see the results. It will show you the number of items imported and the number updated. If you are adding new items as well, you would see the number added.

Adding New Content

You can add content in 2 ways. You can add them to your full content/category set data file, or start with an empty sample file. The sample file includes the required headers.

The biggest change when importing new content is that the id and column MUST be blank

Ensure that you fill in all information for the new content.

When you are done creating the file, the file and you are now ready to import.

Follow the same steps as above:

1. Click the Upload a file button
2. Select the correct file and click open
3. Click the import button

When finished, you will see it will show you the number of new content items imported.

Trouble Shooting

If you do not see the new products or other changes reflected on your storefront, you will want to clear the store cache files. See the steps below.

1. Click the Settings/Menu Button

2. Click on System Tools

3. Click on Cache Control

4. There are 4 steps on this screen
1.In the show box, select al1
2. To the left of the Cache Blocks, Click to select all
3. Clock on the With Selected and choose delete.
4. Confirm the deletion.