To mass upload auction, store, and fund-a-need items for your auction, you can use the Item Import Tool in the auction control panel. This article will walk you through setting up your import spreadsheet and importing your items.

Please note: The Item Import Tool creates new items for your event. It will not affect existing items.

Contents:

• Getting Started and Uploading Images
• Item Import Spreadsheet
  • Best Practices
• Resolving Errors and Confirming Import
• Finalizing and Reviewing Your Import

Click below to watch a video on using the Item Import Tool.

Getting Started and Uploading Images

To get started uploading items for your auction, select Item Import under Auction Items in your form-level control panel.

Next, click to upload the images of the items to be imported. Maximum image size is 10MB. For best results, images should be uploaded as .png files with a 16:9 aspect ratio.

Once images are uploaded, they’ll be added to the Unassigned Images table. If you'd like to delete any images you decide not to use, click the red "x" at the end of the row.

Next, click Proceed to item import.

Item Import Spreadsheet

To import your items, you'll need to upload a CSV file with information about the auction, store, and fund-a-need items you wish to add.

We've provided an Item Import Spreadsheet Guide to ensure the file is formatted correctly and all items are uploaded as intended.

After you click Spreadsheet Guide link, you’ll see a drop-down menu with different spreadsheet options. You can choose to download a Mixed Item Import Spreadsheet, which includes auction, store, and fund-a-need items, or you can choose a spreadsheet for just one of those item types. Mixed is the default.

Once you’ve selected the spreadsheet you want to use, click Download this Import Spreadsheet.

Please note: It’s important that you use the spreadsheets provided here. If you use a spreadsheet you’ve created from scratch, you might encounter unanticipated formatting issues. Properly formatted copies of the spreadsheets are also attached to this article.

The guide below the dropdown explains what each of the fields of the spreadsheet means, which types of items that field applies to, and whether or not the field is required. You’ll also notice that the guide will change slightly, depending on which type of spreadsheet you choose.

Best Practices

Here are a few best practices for filling in the spreadsheet:

• Values for itemValue, startingPrice, reserve, directCost, and bidIncrement must be whole dollar amounts.
• buyItPrice must be more than the reserve price.
• What's in the category field must match the categories you’ve defined for your auction. The default categories are "Auction Items," "Store Items," and "Fund-a-Need Items." 
• The CSV file is not case-sensitive.

Resolving Errors and Confirming Import

Once the import file is ready, select the file to import. If there are any errors (in red) or warnings (in orange) regarding the data in the file, an error message will appear.

You’ll see an explanation of the errors at the top of the page. Errors will prevent the upload from succeeding, so you’ll need to correct them and try your upload again. Click Cancel to exit the table.

If there are any orange warnings for the file, you have the option of correcting them, but you can still upload the file as it is. Warnings indicate that some changes will need to be made, and the system will make those changes automatically if you proceed with the import.

For example, if you choose not to assign item numbers, they will be assigned for you. Or if an image name in the spreadsheet doesn’t match the name of any unassigned images, an image won’t be attached to that item during import.

If the import file has no errors, a message will appear asking you to Confirm Import. Select this button to add the items to the auction event.

If you Confirm Import with warnings present, on the next screen, you’ll see a review table, indicating what changes were made to your items during import.

Finalizing and Reviewing Your Import

You can Print this table, and once you click Done, you’ll see that you can Review Last Item Import to return to the table. If you perform another import, that table will be replaced with a new one.

If you submit an import file with no warnings, you'll see a message that your items were successfully imported, and there won't be a modifications table to review.

If the file name in the Import File matches the file name of the image file in the Unassigned Images table the image will be automatically added to the imported item.

Once they've finished importing, the imported items will appear in the Items table. The default view is for the most recent items to be displayed first. Your imported items will appear above any manually entered items.