Bulk upload and categories

Bulk upload and categories: your whole catalogue from one file, sorted the way you sell.

Add or change hundreds of products from one CSV file instead of one by one. Group them into categories and sub-categories so customers find them fast.

Free plan. No credit card needed.

What is bulk upload?

Bulk upload adds many products at once from a spreadsheet saved as CSV. Bulk update exports what you already have, so you change prices or stock in the sheet and upload it back.

Categories are the aisles of your store. Each can have sub-categories, a photo and a banner, and customers see them in the order you drag them into.

Bulk updateExported, Active
Product IDProduct NamePriceStock
1042Pasta15280
1043Basmati rice128140
1051Butter33936

What you can do

  • Add many products at onceFill the template, one row per product, and upload it.
  • Change many products at onceExport, edit prices, stock or status, and upload the file back.
  • Set categories in the fileWrite paths like Staples > Rice, and use | for more than one.
  • Brand, tax and codes tooOptional columns for brand, tax slab, stock, SKU, tax code and barcode.
  • See what happenedRecent uploads shows Done with a row count, or Failed with a report.
  • Build your categoriesMain categories and sub-categories, each with a photo and banner.
  • Put them in orderDrag categories into place. Customers see the same order.
  • Hide a categoryHide it and its products from customers until you are ready.
Categories
StaplesRiceLentilsFlourDairySnacksOffers

How bulk upload works

Template, fill, upload, check. Then sort it into categories.

1

Download and fill the template

In Products, open More ways to add, choose Bulk upload and download the template. Fill one row per product: name, type, price, minimum and maximum quantity.

Bulk uploadCSV, up to 20 MB
TemplateWith example rows
Download template
2

Upload the file

Save as CSV, choose the file or drag it in, and press Upload CSV.

Uploadproducts.csv
Drop your CSV here
Upload CSV
3

Check Recent uploads

Done with a row count means the products are in, and active. Failed comes with a report of what to fix.

Recent uploads
products.csvDone, 412 rows
4

Sort your categories

In Products, then Categories, add sub-categories, drag them into order and choose what is shown.

CategoriesDrag to order
Staples3 sub-categories
DairyShown

The customer side and your side

Neat aisles for customers. A history of every file for you.

What your customer sees

Aisles that make sense

  • Main categories with sub-categories under them
  • Category photos and banners
  • The order you set, with hidden ones kept out of sight
Categories
StaplesRiceLentilsFlourDairySnacksOffers

What you set

Every upload on record

  • Done or Failed, with a row count
  • View report on a failed file
  • Download and search your past files
Recent uploadsBulk upload
products.csvToday, 10:42
Done, 412 rows
prices-nov.csvYesterday
Done, 120 rows
new-items.csv2 Nov
Failed View report
Upload CSV

What you can set

The file rules, and the category settings.

SettingWhat it does
FileCSV, up to 20 MB. Keep the column names from the template.
Required columnsProduct Name, Product Type (unit or weight), Price, Min Order Quantity and Max Order Quantity.
Optional columnsDiscounted Price, variation fields, Category Names, Brand, Tax Slab, Weight Unit, Stock, Main Images, descriptions, SKU, tax code and Barcode.
Category NamesUse > for levels and | between categories. The product links to the last level.
Bulk update exportAll products or a selection, filtered by Active, Inactive or All.
Product ID and Batch IDKeep them as they are in a bulk update. They tell Ordrio which product is which.
Flexi Box sheetFlexi Boxes have their own sheet, opened from either page.
Name, description, photo, bannerDescription up to 500 characters, photo up to 5 MB, and a banner.
Parent categoryNone for a main category, or pick one to make a sub-category.
Shown on your storeShow a category now, or keep it hidden with its products.
OrderDrag categories on the list. The new order saves when you drop it.

How shops use bulk upload

Made-up shops and numbers.

Grocery

Jack lists 412 items in one go

Jack copies his price list into the template, writes category paths like Staples > Rice, and uploads. Recent uploads shows Done, 412 rows, and the shelves are on his store.

products.csv
Rows412
ResultDone
Supermarket

A price change across 120 items

Before the festival, Fatima exports 120 products, changes the prices in the sheet, deletes the rows she is not changing, and uploads the file back.

Bulk updateprices-nov.csv
Changed120 prices
KeptProduct ID, Batch ID
Wholesale

One product in two aisles

Sam puts basmati in Staples > Rice | Offers. It shows in both. When the deal ends he takes it out of Offers, and it stays in Rice.

Basmati rice2 categories
Staples > Rice
Offers

Edge cases and limits

What trips people up, and what to do.

What happens whenThe answer
My upload shows FailedOpen View report. A common cause is a blank required column, such as Price. Fix the file and upload again.
A category name is used in two placesWrite its full path, such as Staples > Rice, so Ordrio picks the right one.
I want to change a category's parentThe parent cannot be changed after the category is created, so choose it with care.
I want to delete a categoryDelete its sub-categories first. Deleting cannot be undone.
I hide a categoryIts products are hidden from customers too.
I am adding just one or two productsAdding them directly is usually faster than a file.
Bulk catalogue upload is on every plan, including Free. Product counts depend on your plan. Compare plans

Bulk upload questions, answered

A CSV file of up to 20 MB. Excel, Google Sheets and Numbers can all save as CSV.

Product Name, Product Type (unit or weight), Price, Min Order Quantity and Max Order Quantity.

Yes. Use Bulk update: export, change the values, keep Product ID and Batch ID, and upload it back.

Use the Category Names column. Write levels with > and separate categories with |.

Yes. Adding it to one category does not remove it from others.

Recent uploads shows Failed with a View report link. Fix the file and upload it again.

Yes. Drag them on the Categories list. Customers see the same order.

Yes. Turn off Shown in menu. The category and its products are hidden until you turn it back on.

Yes. Send us your items in Excel and we load them. See moving to Ordrio.

Yes. It is on every plan. See pricing for product counts.

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What do you sell? Optional