FAQ: Catalog Import/Export Troubleshooting

In this article

• Import troubleshooting
• Export troubleshooting

🔽 Import troubleshooting

What file formats can I import into Describely? Is there a recommended template?

You can import .csv, .xlsx, or .pdf file types into Describely.

While there isn't a required CSV template, make sure your CSV or workbook file:

• Has all the data you need on one sheet (not in multiple tabs of a workbook)
• Is under 100 MB
• Has no special characters in the file name (this can cause failures)
• Includes a Title column (required)
• Includes other data fields, attributes, or specifications in columns for the respective product

We recommend your file follows these guidelines, or your data may not come into Describely as expected.

For example:

How do I import my product categories or taxonomy?

• The Categories and Type fields are intended to support your product taxonomy (like departments, categories, subcategories, etc.). 
• We recommend mapping Type to the most granular category tier you'll need content customized for.
• For example: If you run a clothing store and your shirts need to be written differently depending on the style (tank tops, tees, long-sleeve, etc.), map the field with "shirts" to Categories, and the "style" to Type.

Can I import products from multiple manufacturers, suppliers, or brands?

• Yes! You can map Describely's Vendor field to your brand, manufacturer, or supplier names.
• With the right grouping & filters, this lets you easily enrich product data and create content in batches. 

How do I import in product images?

• Include live, publicly hosted image URLs as an individual column in your import file. For example: DropBox, Imgur, etc.
• Include one image URL per column, or multiple image URLs in one column (making sure each URL is separated with a comma).
• Avoid direct PC or Google Drive file paths - Describely cannot access these.

Do you support parent/child variation relationships?

• Describely generates content at the parent product level. Each product imported is treated like a unique product listing on your site, with unique copy designed to help you rank and avoid de-indexing by Google.
• You can use saved filters and group types to stay organized and filter products by collection, tags, and more.
• For connectors and API: While Describely doesn't create or manage variants directly, we pull in the products exactly as they exist in your product management system. You'll want to consider your optimal store setup and adapt your workflow in Describely accordingly.
• Read more about how Describely approaches variant relationships here.

I have product data spread across multiple CSVs, PDFs, etc. Can I combine them?

• You can use Excel’s VLOOKUP (or XLOOKUP) to match and merge data from different CSV files into a single file for import. 
• If you prefer, you can also merge in data from multiple files seamlessly in Describely. Just make sure you can match the data across sources by either your title or SKU!

Can I merge CSV data into an existing catalog in Describely?

After importing, you can merge the new file with your existing catalog or products by following these steps. 

How do I revert my catalog back to the original version?

• Easily restore your original catalog or content version by merging the original file into your catalog with these steps. 
• Make sure to choose the Merge option and check to only import empty fields to avoid overwriting any work you've done in Describely!

I accidentally imported data I don't need. How do I remove it?

• To remove imported data from your catalog, you can revise your latest CSV import and replace the column in question with blank cells.
• Then, merge that column back in following the steps in this article. This will overwrite the existing data with blanks, which essentially remove that data from your catalog.
• Make sure you remove any references to this data point in your content rules as well!

I'm still struggling to bring in the data I need. What do I do?

• If you haven't already, reach out to support@describely.ai to describe the problem you're having and attach your CSV file. We will do our best to help out!
• We also support an API call that may make it easier to bring data directly from your system into Describely. Please note you'd need a developer on your end to implement it.

📤 Export troubleshooting

Can I customize my export file format / template?

Yes! Describely lets you control:

• Which data points (e.g., descriptions, keywords, bullet points, etc.) are included
• Whether bullet points appear in one column (line-separated) or across multiple columns
• The order and names of columns before export
• Whether or not enriched data is included

You can make these changes directly when exporting content from your catalog or any bulk job.

How do I align Describely’s export with my system’s CSV template?

You can rename, reorder, and remove fields to better match your platform's template.

If you need more customization, use Excel’s VLOOKUP function to match fields between Describely’s export and your platform or PIM’s required format.

My exported CSV shows all the data in one column. What happened?

This can easily be fixed if you open the doc in Google Sheets. It usually means your Excel settings are using the wrong delimiter (likely a semicolon instead of a comma).

To fix the issue in Excel, follow these steps:

1. Open Excel and Start the Import Process: 

   1. Go to the Data tab and select From Text/CSV (or From Text in older versions).

      Select Your CSV File:

   2. Navigate to your CSV file and select it. This will open the Text Import Wizard.

      Configure the Import Settings

   3. In the wizard, choose Delimited as the file type.
   4. In the delimiter selection screen, uncheck Semicolon if it’s selected and check Comma instead.

   5. You can preview how your data will be split in the preview window. Finalize and Import

      Finalize and Import

   6. Click Next to adjust any additional settings (such as data formats for specific columns) and then click Finish.
   7. Choose where you’d like to place the data in your workbook.

I want to break up descriptions or bullet points into separate columns. How can I do that?

Use Excel’s Text to Columns feature to split content into multiple columns using a delimiter (e.g., comma, line break).