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Import/Export Service

Jeremy avatar
Written by Jeremy
Updated over a month ago

... or as we call it internally, "The Vandelay Industries Service".

The Run Free Platform provides two flexible options for importing product data and inventory into your system:

Each method is tailored for different use cases โ€” one for rapid inventory quantity changes, the other for managing full product metadata.

Inventory Update

Use Inventory Update when you need to update stock quantities via a structured CSV file. This method is ideal for routine quantity management and bulk updates across your catalog.

Required Columns

If your SKUs and UPCs already exist in the system, you may use the minimal format:

  • Store (๐Ÿ”น Optional for sites with single locations)

  • UPC

  • Quantity

While you can use just Store, UPC and Quantity, it is not recommended unless you're confident that your UPCs are unique and consistently formatted.

Recommended Columns (Full Inventory Update Format)

To ensure smooth processing and minimize failures, we recommend using:

  • Store (๐Ÿ”น Required for sites with multiple locations)

  • Sku

  • Upc

  • Size

  • Width

  • Quantity
    โ€‹

If you have a multi location instance, you will need to provide the generated Store Id found in the "Locations" section of the platform.

Optional Fields

You may also include the following fields for extended data tracking (they will be ignored if not mapped in the platform):

  • Store (๐Ÿ”น Required for sites with multiple locations)

  • Brand

  • Name

  • Color

  • Description

  • Price

  • Msrp

  • Gender

  • Image1 to Image6

  • Category1 to Category6
    โ€‹

Column names are case-sensitive. For example, Quantity will work, but QUANTITY, quantity, or QUANTity will not.

The import will fail if unknown, misspelled, or improperly cased fields are provided

How it Works

  • Upload your file through the Inventory Update interface.

  • The platform queues it for processing in the Inventory Processing Queue.

  • Changes will reflect once the queue completes, which may take several minutes depending on volume.


Full Product Info

Use Full Product Info when importing or editing comprehensive product metadata โ€” including descriptions, categories, pricing, and images. This tool is ideal for adding new products or correcting product details across your catalog.
โ€‹

Unlike Inventory Update, this option includes a field mapping interface, so you donโ€™t need to match column names exactly.

Fields You Can Import

When uploading a file through Full Product Info, you can map your spreadsheet columns to:

  • Store (๐Ÿ”น Required for sites with multiple locations)

  • Sku

  • Upc

  • Brand

  • Name

  • Color

  • Description

  • Price

  • Msrp

  • Quantity

  • Gender

  • Size

  • Width

  • Image1 to Image6

  • Category1 to Category6
    โ€‹

How it Works

  • Upload your CSV directly from the Full Product Info screen.

  • Use the dropdown menu to map your columns to the systemโ€™s expected fields.

  • This method is flexible and forgiving โ€” perfect when working with exports from other vendors or platforms.


Best Practices

  • Always validate your data before uploading. Avoid empty or malformed fields.

  • Use the Store column if your business supports multiple store locations. Location ID can be found in the "Locations" section of the platform.

  • For fast inventory-only updates, use Inventory Update with strict, exact column names.

  • For flexible field mapping and detailed product setup, use Full Product Info.

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