Inventory import creates multiple inventory items from a CSV or Excel file. The workflow separates preview from commit so managers can review categories, units, opening quantities, minimum quantities, and unit costs before records are created.
Prepare the import file
- Open Admin → Inventory → Import Inventory.
- Select Download Template.
- Add inventory item names and the requested template fields. Keep quantities and costs numeric and use consistent unit names.
- Save the file as CSV, XLSX, or XLS. The upload limit is 10 MB.
Do not use the product import template for inventory items. Products are items sold through POS or guest channels; inventory items are stock records used for movements, counts, purchasing, and recipes.
Preview and correct rows
Upload the file by selecting it or dragging it into Step 2 — Upload your file. In Step 3 — Review and adjust, check the total rows, valid rows, errors, warnings, and duplicates.
- Rows with errors are excluded automatically.
- Duplicate warnings indicate that an item with the same identity is already in inventory; remove or correct the row instead of creating an accidental duplicate.
- Review Category, Unit, Qty, Min Qty, and Unit Cost for every included row.
- Remove a row from the commit set when it should not be imported.
The optional Use AI to suggest categories and units setting can add suggestions to the preview. A suggestion is not approval. Confirm every suggested category and unit before import, or leave the option off.
Commit and verify the import
Confirm the message showing how many items will be imported, then select Import N Items. The completion screen reports created and skipped rows. If rows were skipped, select Download Failed Rows, correct that file, and preview it again instead of re-importing successful rows.
Select View Inventory and open several created items. Confirm the category, unit, starting quantity, minimum quantity, and default unit cost. Then review the stock or movement ledger so the initial state is understood before receiving, transferring, wasting, or counting stock.
Troubleshoot a rejected file
If the file cannot be previewed, confirm its extension and size, return to the downloaded template, and copy only the data values into a clean copy. If a row is rejected, use the row-level issue instead of guessing. Record the file type, row number, field name, and displayed issue when contacting support; do not send vendor credentials or unrelated financial data.