Quick method for adding products?

[Kultya]

Hi All

Finally got my issues sorted and am about to begin loading products so please assume I'm a complete novice.

Was just wondering if someone could tell me the best method of loading new products so that I can get into a quick routine from the beginning.

ie: add the pic, name the item, write the decription, meta tags etc etc

Hope that makes sense!

Thanks in advance!

Malc

[leehack]

Read up on importing a spreadsheet instead, much quicker. Example files are in your actinic directory to help you get used to it.

[Kultya]

Thanks Lee, any clue what exact file name I'm looking for as I've been through the list and can't see anything that looks like it could be it!

Cheers
Malc

[Duncan Rounding]

Look in ...Original\Common

[Kultya]

Thanks, I think. Although if that's your guys idea of easy then I dread coming up against something you term as difficult!

Here's me thinking this was going to be a doddle and I'd have 500 products listed by next week, how wrong one can be!

[Duncan Rounding]

All you need to do is get to grips with the way the flat (and perhaps hierarchical) import files look; the field headings etc. A day's play around and you should be ok. It does look at bit tuff at first but once you get to know what's going on you see it's no too bad.

What will take more time is getting the data reading for your products.

[NormanRouxel]

If some products have the same thing in common, e.g. many with the same colour and size attributes/choices, then you can copy/paste an existing product and amend the fields that differ.

[Cheapprices4u]

it took me ages to get the hang of imports

read old posts
but as they say once you get the columns correct its easy to map

just remember you can use the map field in multiple fields

[Kultya]

What will take more time is getting the data reading for your products.

Lost on me there too!

Is it possible to set up one or two products within actinic and then export it to a csv file so I can see what goes where and then continue from there and import products back in!

Yes, very daunting and a bad week to give up smoking too me thinks!

[TraceyHand]

Is it possible to set up one or two products within actinic and then export it to a csv file so I can see what goes where and then continue from there and import products back in!

I think you'll find, from previous posts, that's what people usually recommend to do anyway

[Kultya]

Thanks

I did try searching but must have used wrong search terms I guess as I never foud much about it!

I'll give it a shot and see what happens! It's all the terminology that does my head in, absolutely no idea what a map field is!

Cheers
Malc

[leehack]

Keep it simple to get you started, 5 fields is all you need in a spreadsheet:

Section Text
Image Filename
Short Description
Full Description
Price (in pence and nett of vat)

Forget the rest for the time being, just create a spreadsheet with those 5 fields to start you off - far less daunting.