Introduction to Import/Export

The Import/Export 3.0 application helps you import and export catalog data to and from your tenant. For new merchants joining the platform, this tool is a powerful onboarding aid that transfers all your existing product data without digging into the API. It takes all the inputs you need to get up and running and exposes them through easy-to-read template files.

For merchants already on the platform, the Import/Export tool also greatly simplifies batch updating data by allowing you to export existing data, make the required updates in the template files, and re-import your updated data back into Kibo. You can also use exports as a form of data back-up, and third-party applications can use exported data for reporting and administrative functions.

Template Files

The import/export tool uses specifically formatted Catalog and Price List template files to organize your data. These are simple CSV files with columns that map to properties and attributes within Kibo. You can map every column in a template file to a member of the Kibo API. In most cases, you can also find a corresponding field in Admin. This is why it is useful to have a good understanding of your catalog architecture (and how that architecture appears in the Admin) before trying to work with these files.

The Import-Export Cycle

Every time you export data, the template files update to include new data you have added since the previous export. The current data should always be exported before any import is performed. For instance, the Products.csv file should be exported before a new version is imported later. 

The easiest way to do this is to use the "export all" option before importing files. In addition to being required by the system, this makes it easier to adjust the data. You can take the current data and make sure that only the values you intend to update are changed for re-import. When you edit a file and re-import it, the import process compares the differences between the old export data and the new import data to determine what should be overwritten on the tenant. 

Keep in mind that changes to global data such as attributes affect every item that references the data, even if the item is not explicitly included in the import.

Prepare Your Tenant for Initial Import

If you are new to the Kibo platform and importing data for the first time, you must complete some extra steps ensure your data is imported correctly:

1. Decide and outline your catalog architecture. 
2. Ensure you have access to all existing store data from your previous eCommerce solution. You must have sufficient knowledge of the data structure to map your existing data to the fields in the eCommerce template files.
3. Use Admin or the API to prepare your tenant structure. The exact structure you need will depend on your catalog architecture, locations, etc., but the minimum requirements are as follows:
   • Master Catalog(s): All products are associated with master catalogs that contain one or more sub-catalogs. You need 1 or more master catalogs.
   • Catalog(s): You need 1 or more catalogs within each master catalog.
   • Locations: To manage inventory, products must be associated with a location. You need 1 or more locations.
   • Shipping Settings: When you import products, you include information on how they can be shipped to customers. Configure all your shipping settings including zones, carriers, methods, and so on.

Recall that you must always perform an export before an import. This is true even for new tenants who have not yet made their initial import. In this case, the initial export will be empty.