Use catalog import when you want to add many products to Fortis from one file. You can use it for the first catalog upload or later when you need to add new products.
Catalog import adds new products and variations. It does not overwrite products or variations that already exist in your catalog. If some rows cannot be imported, Fortis will show them in an import report with the reason.
1. Supported file formats
You can upload one of these file types:
| Format | Notes |
|---|---|
| .xlsx | Recommended format. |
| .xls | Supported Excel format. |
| .csv | Supported. Comma, semicolon, tab, and pipe separators are accepted. |
The file must be:
| Limit | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum file size | 10 MB |
| Maximum number of data rows | 50,000 rows |
2. Start from the template
To create the Import File:
- Log in to your account.
- Go to Catalog.
- Click the three dots (⋮) on the right side, then select Import Items.
- Download the import template.
- Fill in the required item details in the template.
Keep the column names exactly as they are in the template. Fortis reads the file by column name.
3. Required fields
These fields are required for a successful import:
| Field | What to enter | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Product category. | 2-128 characters. Example: Mobile Accessories. |
| Name | Product name. Must be 2-128 characters. Rows with the same Name are treated as variations of the same product. | Apple USB-C Charge Cable |
| Unit | Unit of measure for your product. | pcs |
| Price | Selling price. | Must be 0 or greater. Example: 79.00. |
4. Optional fields
These fields are optional, but they help make the catalog complete and easier to manage:
| Field | What to enter | Rules and examples |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Product category. | 2-128 characters. Example: Mobile Accessories. |
| Subcategory | Product subcategory. | 2-128 characters. If you use Subcategory, you must also fill Category. |
| Description | Product description. | 1-1024 characters. |
| BusinessType | Product business type. | Use regular or fnb. If empty, Fortis uses the company default. |
| VariationName | Name of the variation. | 1-128 characters. Example: 1m/White. |
| VariationDescription | Description for the variation. | 1-1024 characters. |
| Price | Selling price. | Must be 0 or greater. Example: 79.00. |
| SKU | Stock keeping unit. | At least 4 characters. Multiple SKUs can be separated by commas. |
| Barcode | Product barcode. | At least 4 characters. Multiple barcodes can be separated by commas. |
| VAT | VAT percentage. | Must be 100 or less. Example: 5. If empty, Fortis uses the company default VAT if it exists. |
| Option1, Value1 | First option name and value. | Example: Color and Black. |
| Option2, Value2 | Second option name and value. | Example: Model and iPhone 15. |
5. How variations work
Use multiple rows with the same Name when one product has several variations.
Important variation rules:
- All rows with the same Name become one product.
- VariationName values must be unique within the same product.
- One product can have up to 150 variations.
- If one variation has options, all variations of the same product must have options.
- FNB (Food and Beverage) products cannot have options.
- If VariationName is empty but options are filled in, Fortis can build the variation name from the option values.
6. Simple product example
For a product without options, one row is enough:
| Category | Subcategory | Name | BusinessType | Unit | VariationName | Price | SKU | Barcode | VAT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile Accessories | Cables | Apple USB-C Charge Cable | regular | pcs | 1m/White | 79.00 | SDG-APL-USC1M-WHT | 190199194496 | 5 |
7. Common problems and how to fix them
| Problem shown in the report | What it means | How to fix it |
|---|---|---|
| Item name is required (2-128 characters) | Name is empty or too short/long. | Fill in a valid product name. |
| Unit of measure is required | Unit is empty. | Fill in the unit, for example pcs. |
| Unit of measure was not found for the company | The unit does not exist for your company. | Use a unit already configured for your company. |
| Business type must be one of: regular, fnb | BusinessType has an unsupported value. | Use regular or fnb, or leave it empty to use the company default. |
| Subcategory requires a category | Subcategory is filled but Category is empty. | Fill in Category or remove the subcategory. |
| Category name must be 2-128 characters | Category length is invalid. | Shorten or correct the category name. |
| Subcategory name must be 2-128 characters | Subcategory length is invalid. | Shorten or correct the subcategory name. |
| Price must be 0 or greater | Price is negative. | Enter 0 or a positive price. |
| VAT must be 100 or less | VAT is greater than 100. | Enter a valid VAT percentage, for example 5. |
| VAT rate not found and no default VAT is configured | VAT is empty or not matched, and your company has no default VAT configured. | Enter a valid VAT value or ask support to check the VAT settings. |
| SKU must be at least 4 characters | SKU is too short. | Use at least 4 characters or leave it empty. |
| Barcode must be at least 4 characters | Barcode is too short. | Use at least 4 characters or leave it empty. |
| Duplicate SKU within the file | The same SKU is used more than once in the uploaded file. | Make SKUs unique or remove duplicates. |
| Duplicate barcode within the file | The same barcode is used more than once in the uploaded file. | Make barcodes unique or remove duplicates. |
| Variation name must be 1-128 characters | Variation name length is invalid. | Enter a shorter valid variation name. |
| Variation names must be unique within the item | Two rows with the same Name also have the same variation name. | Make each variation name unique. |
| Too many variations for one item (max 150) | One product has more than 150 variation rows. | Split the product or reduce the number of variations. |
| Option value is empty | An option name is filled, but its value is missing. | Fill both option and value, for example Color and Black. |
| All variations of an item must consistently have or omit options | Some variations of the same product have options and others do not. | Add options to all variations of that product or remove options from all of them. |
| FNB items cannot have options | A product with BusinessType = fnb has option columns filled in. | Remove options or use regular if the product should support options. |
| Variation already exists (matched by SKU/barcode/name) | The variation already exists in the catalog. | Check whether the item is already in Fortis before importing it again. |
| Item with options already exists and is not updated on import | The import cannot update an existing optioned item. | Review the existing item in Fortis and update it manually if needed. |
| Could not be imported (option configuration mismatch) | Options in the file do not match the existing product configuration. | Make option names and values consistent with the existing item, or create a separate product. |
8. After upload
After you upload the file, Fortis starts the import.
If all rows are valid, the products are added to the catalog.
If some rows cannot be imported, download the import report. The report keeps your original columns and adds:
| Column | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Status | Shows whether the row was added or skipped. |
| Error | Explains why the row was skipped. |
Fix the rows with errors and upload the corrected file again.
9. Quick checklist before uploading
- The file is .xlsx, .xls, .csv, or .tsv.
- The file is not larger than 10 MB.
- The file has no more than 50,000 data rows.
- Name is filled in for every product row.
- Unit is filled in.
- BusinessType is either regular, fnb, or empty.
- Price is not negative.
- VAT is not greater than 100.
- SKUs and barcodes are unique in the file.
- Variations of the same product have unique names.
- Options are filled consistently for all variations of the same product.