Posts Tagged ‘products’
Tutorial: Magento CSV Batch Product Upload
There are a few different ways to import products into Magento. The fastest way to upload lots of products is the CSV spreadsheet import. This can be done using a number of methods, but here I will explain the super-easy way. First thing we need is to get a template into which we can add our other products. Using this method we can add Simple Products.
Login to Magento and add a new product. We’ll use this as a basis for our CSV, you could add a few products making sure you set different options and setting for each to give a wider set of variables.
Export Sample CSV
The next step is to export your example products into a CSV file which you an edit and update in Microsoft Excel, or other spreadsheet application. Go to System > Import/Export > Profiles. Click on the “Export All Products” option. The default options on the wizard page should be acceptable, but double check the format type is CSV, you’ll want headers in the first row and you will want all the fields to begin with. There should be no export filters applied.
Click on the “Run Profile” tab on the left hand side, click on “Run Profile In Popup”. A page will pop-up showing the progress of the export. Once the export has completed you will have to log-into your website filesystem. Navigate to the <magento-install>/var/export in which you’ll find the CSV file. Download this onto your local computer.
Edit Original CSV Spreadsheet
Open up the file, it should open correctly in a spreadsheet application, if not right click and choose the program from the options. It will look something like the one at the top of this post. The list below are the ones you are most likley to use, with example content.
- store
- websites
- attribute_set
- type – “default”
- sku – product ID
- category_ids – “3,4,2″
- name
- short_description
- description
- price – “3.33″
- weight “1.4″
- visibility – “Catalog, Search”
- tax_class -”Taxable Goods”
- qty – “34″
- is_in_stock – “1″ for yes, “0″ for no
Simply create a new row for each of the products you wish to have in your store. Some of the columns can be duplicated (store, website, attribute_set, typpe, even category_ids) throughout your products, the rest need to be entered manually, or copied from another source. In Microsoft Excel when saving your spreadsheet select the alternative format “CSV (MSDOS)” your document should have a .csv extension like the original.
Upload Products CSV
Once you have completed your spreadsheet you’ll have to upload it to Magento, then import the products using the Import All Products profile. Go go System > Import/Export > Profiles. Click on the “Import All Products” profile, and select the “Upload File” tab, find and upload your document. Now click the profile wizard tab, again, the default settings should be fine; make sure the format is CSV.
Import Products
Select the “Run Profile” tab and choose your file from the drop-down menu. Click on the “Run Profile in Popup”, a pop-up will show your product as they are imported to the system. The original spreadsheet you created also acts as a back-up of your products. I will discuss exporting produts from Magneto at a later date, but invoices much the same Import/Export profiles.
That’s it.
Tutorial: Set-up Configurable Products in Magento
Magento’s configurable products allow you to give users options when ordering products. This could be a product like a t-shirt which is essencially one product but can be bought in different sizes or colours.
Configurable products in Magento appear on the front-end as drop down boxes on the product pages. They are required fields and the user must select one of the options in each of the drop-down boxes before the product can be added to the cart.
Configurable products are managed via one central ‘configurable product’ and lots of associated ‘simple products’. Each of the simple products are created dynamically from the information you add to the main ‘configurable product’.
Set-up your Attributes
First thing you need to do is set-up attributes for the configurable products, like colour, size, etc. Login to magento and navigate to ‘Catalog’ > ‘Attributes’ > ‘Manage Attributes’. Click on the + Add New Attribute button in the top left of the screen.
Fill in the properties with the following settings…
- Scope = Global
- Catalog Input Type = Dropdown
- Use to Create Configurable Product = Yes
Add your attribute to a set
Navigate to ‘Catalog’ > ‘Attributes’ > ‘Manage Attribute Sets’. You can just use the Default attribute set, or create a new one based on the default. Choose the set you want to use and click on it. Drag your new attribute into the set (listed in Unassigned Attributes).
Create the Super Product
Next step is to create your configurable, or base, product. You will need to go to ‘Catalog’ > ‘Manage Products’ and click on + Add New Product. Choose your attribute set, and set the product type ‘Configurable Product’, click continue. Next you need to choose which configurable attributes you want to use to create the configurable product. You can choose as many as you want, but to make life easier for your customer you may want to limit yourself to two or three at most. Click continue.
On the next screen you need to add in the basics for the product; name, descriptions, SKU, status, price, tax, images and categories. Click on the Sage And Continue Edit button at the top of the page.
Create Associated Products
Next you will need to find the Associated Products tab, usually at the very bottom of the list on the product page. To create your configurable options you need to create Associated Products. These share the common details above, but can have different prices and most importantly you can manage the stock independently. Using the Quick Simple Product Creation box set the status, visibility, select the option(s), any additional price can be added to the option(s) and enter the quantity available. Click on Quick Create button. Each of the associated products created will appear in the list at the bottom of the page.
One thing to be careful of is when editing the product at a later date make sure you only edit the Super Product (the one with type: configurable product)
That’s it.
Tutorial: Set-up Simple Products in Magento
Products are an essential element to every Magento website, this post is a basic overview of the steps required to create a simple product in Magento.
First thing’s first, log-in to Magento, and go to ‘Catelog’ > ‘Manage Products’ and click on the ‘Create New Product’ link in the top left of the page. In a standard install you should select the default attribute set and the product type should be ‘simple product’. Click continue.
Next step is to add in your product’s details. You will have to add all the require fields which can be found in the General, Prices and Inventory tabs down the left-hand-side. Required fields are marked with a red asterisk (*).
Product Images
More than likley you will want to add some images to your products, which can be done very easily by clicking on the Images tab to the left of the sccreen. Click on ‘Browse Files…’ and locate the files on your computer you want to upload. Once you have located them click on the ‘Upload Files’ button. Then, once your image(s) has uploaded make sure you that you set active using the radio buttons (as above).
Finally, you will need to add the product to the categories you created in the last post — Tutorial: Set-up Categories in Magento. Simply click the Categories tab and check the categories you want to add the product too.
That’s it.
