How to Import and Export Items in Product Catalog
Adding, updating, and exporting products in the CSV and YML formats
The Product Catalog allows you to import and export lists of products in the CSV and YML formats. In this article, we'll take a look at how this works on Tilda.
Importing a file allows you to add or update information about a large number of products quickly. You can import a file you have prepared by yourself or add a file obtained from a third-party service. You can also export product information from the catalog to update it in a third-party service.
What are the CSV and YML formats?
Comma-Separated Values (.csv) files allow data to be saved in a table structured format. This format can be created and edited both in a text editor and in spreadsheet programs such as Microsoft Excel, OpenOffice Calc, or Numbers.
The Yandex Market Language (.yml) format is a Yandex-made file type to save online store data. This format is used to receive data about products and add them to the Yandex.Market database.
The Yandex Market Language (.yml) format is a Yandex-made file type to save online store data. This format is used to receive data about products and add them to the Yandex.Market database.
Importing and exporting files
You can use sample files as templates to create your own CSV and YML files. In CSV files, a semicolon is used as a separator.
In order to import correctly, check the import sample files before you start.
The maximum file size for importing is 50 MB.
If the exported CSV file is larger than 40 MB, several CSV files parts will be generated and packed in a ZIP archive. These parts do not exceed the CSV import limit.
A file from another source may contain columns with parameters that are not used in Tilda. Before importing, you can match the columns in the file to the parameters in Tilda. If a column is not used in Tilda, it will be ignored.
You can see the list of supported parameters in the CSV file section.
We recommend deleting empty columns and rows to avoid errors when importing.
You can separate values in one cell using a semicolon, comma, or space.
You can see the list of supported parameters in the CSV file section.
We recommend deleting empty columns and rows to avoid errors when importing.
You can separate values in one cell using a semicolon, comma, or space.
If you have not worked with the CSV format before or if you face an encoding problem when opening the file, we recommend using Google Sheets service. Detailed guide.
To import and export products, click on the button with three dots.
Getting a link to a YML file
When exporting a file with products in YML format, you can activate a link to it. For example, to use it in Yandex services.
To do this, go to the "Export Products to YML" section → activate the toggle switch beside the “Link to YML” option. The link is now ready for use.
When you enable the link to YML, as well as when you change the export settings, the file will be generated within 1 minute. When updating product settings, generation will take 10 minutes.
To do this, go to the "Export Products to YML" section → activate the toggle switch beside the “Link to YML” option. The link is now ready for use.
When you enable the link to YML, as well as when you change the export settings, the file will be generated within 1 minute. When updating product settings, generation will take 10 minutes.
If you have not worked with the CSV format before or if you face an encoding problem when opening the file, we recommend using Google Sheets service. Detailed guide.
If the exported CSV file is larger than 40 MB, several CSV files parts will be generated and packed in a ZIP archive. These parts do not exceed the CSV import limit.
In addition to the input fields describing the parameters and properties of a product, such as its title, description, price, or additional options, there are system IDs that help to update or arrange products: Tilda UID, External ID, and Parent ID.
The Tilda UID is a unique product system ID that is needed to update product information within a single project. You can export your items to a CSV file, change the information, such as the number of items in stock, and upload the file back again to update it. If you ignore the Tilda UID, the products are not updated but uploaded as new items.
The External ID is the product ID used if you are importing product data from an external system. It serves as the main product ID if the Tilda UID is ignored.
The Parent ID is the ID that points to the Tilda UID of the main product if the product with the Parent ID is one of the main product's variants. If the Tilda UID is ignored or absent, the Parent ID has to match the main product's External ID.
The Tilda UID is a unique product system ID that is needed to update product information within a single project. You can export your items to a CSV file, change the information, such as the number of items in stock, and upload the file back again to update it. If you ignore the Tilda UID, the products are not updated but uploaded as new items.
The External ID is the product ID used if you are importing product data from an external system. It serves as the main product ID if the Tilda UID is ignored.
The Parent ID is the ID that points to the Tilda UID of the main product if the product with the Parent ID is one of the main product's variants. If the Tilda UID is ignored or absent, the Parent ID has to match the main product's External ID.
Specifying product variants and additional product options in the file
Product variants are a unique combination of a product's properties (for example, a black T-shirt L-size) with separate information about the quantity in stock, image, and item number. Each product variant is added to the file in a separate row. By default, the variants' description in the CSV file table will be in the Editions column. You can label the variants as you like, provided the following three conditions are met:
- Match the Editions column with the Variants field when importing the product;
- Describe the variant in the Editions field the following way:
- Make sure that the Parent UID of the variants matches the external ID or Tilda UID if you are updating the items.
In order for the variant product to match the main product, its Parent UID must match the external ID or Tilda UID
Additional options are modifications to the main item that can affect its price, such as packaging, assembly, or shipping services. If a product has variants, then additional options only need to be listed for the main item.
Structure of the field in the CSV file to specify product variants
Characteristics refer to the properties of the product and all its variants—for example, its material, country of production, or brand—that can be listed in the following format: "Name: value."
If you need to add characteristics, you can create columns with names formatted like this: "Characteristics:name_characteristics." A separate column should be created for each characteristic.
If you need to add characteristics, you can create columns with names formatted like this: "Characteristics:name_characteristics." A separate column should be created for each characteristic.
Products sold by weight are the product properties used to specify the product units of measurement and the smallest sellable quantity the product can be ordered.
To add a product sold by weight to the catalog, include two additional columns to the table: specify the units of measurement in the Unit and unit quantity in Portion.
To add a product sold by weight to the catalog, include two additional columns to the table: specify the units of measurement in the Unit and unit quantity in Portion.
Importing and exporting tabs
Importing and exporting tabs is available for the CSV format only.
Maximum tabs number is 10 tabs for one product.
Maximum tabs number is 10 tabs for one product.
To export (download) products with tabs, click on the button with three dots and select the Export products to CSV option → Additional options, select the Export tabs option.
To import tabs, click on the button with three dots and select the Import (or update) products from CSV option.
We recommend exporting products in CSV format before importing and save the file as a backup copy.
When importing, match the Tabs: 1...N fields with the Tabs field
Adding a product feed to the Facebook Catalog
Go to Facebook Commerce Manager. Select the way to sell - the Catalog option. The system will ask you to select your catalog type. In this example, we are looking at the option for products sold onilne.
Go to the Product Data Sources tab of the Catalog section in the control panel.
Select "Data feed" for uploading, then select the "Scheduled feed" upload option on the next screen.
Select "Data feed" for uploading, then select the "Scheduled feed" upload option on the next screen.
Go to the Catalog Settings on Tilda → Additional. Select "Enable .csv file generation for Facebook Catalog", save your changes, and copy the Facebook feed link.
Go back to Facebook. On the next screen, paste the URL from Tilda's settings. You don't need to enter a username or password.
Schedule the feed updates, if you need. Name your feed and select the default currency for your store. Click on "Upload".
The products have been uploaded. You can now use your products in the Facebook catalog. If you can't see all your products, check if all the product images have been uploaded and if all their descriptions and additional text fields have been filled in.
How to add a product category to the feed
For Facebook product feed, you can add google_product_category that is suitable for Facebook as well.
You can add the product category for a category. Go to the Catalog Categories and click on the icon to edit the category you need.
You can add the product category for a category. Go to the Catalog Categories and click on the icon to edit the category you need.
Open additional settings of the category and specify the Google category ID and save the changes.
Then the values in the google_product_category will be added and the data will be pulled to Facebook when importing the feed.
The feed can be used for the Google Merchant catalog as well.
The feed can be used for the Google Merchant catalog as well.
How to create an online store or accept payments for single goods and services on Tilda website builder
Using Product Catalog or adding new products manually using blocks from the "Store" category in Tilda Block Library.
This is a step-by-step guide to creating an online store selling different categories of products
