How to Perform Automated Product Import with osCommerce Automated Product Import Addon

Product Import can be really fast and easy if performed with osCommerce Automated Product Import Addon. Read this step-by-step instruction and make sure you avoid any errors while importing data.

Here is what you need to do to import your products to your osCommerce store.

1. Start your work with Automated Product Import Addon by opening Store Manager for osCommerce and choosing Addons section - Automated Product Import Addon. 

The demo version is built in Store Manager for osCommerce by default. Demo version allows you to import only 10 products, but to transfer more of them you need to purchase the registration key. To learn whether your Automated Product Import Addon is registered, check its status in Settings - Preferences. 

If Automated Product Import Addon is still unregistered, you can purchase the License Key. After receiving it in an e-mail, type it in the corresponding field. 

When this is over, you can go back to the main window of the addon and use all the functions of the extension.

2. In the main window of Automated Product Import Addon you can see two sections: Before Import and After Import. Before actually starting the import procedure you’ll be able to see the products from your store as they are at the moment.

3. First of all before importing products you need to specify import configurations. Click on Create or Modify Import Configuration button. You should specify the import source: local .csv file, .csv via http URL or FTP URL in the window that appears. Depending on the option you choose here you’ll need to provide additional info: either select the local file, enter its URL address or fill in all the required fields for establishing FTP connection. 

4. The next step consists in specifying delimiter characters that will separate fields data. This step is highly important so pay much attention to it. Here you can also choose what to do with the images. You can substitute those already existing with the new ones.

Next thing to do is assign columns from the .csv file to the corresponding fields. Select the field from the list, choose the corresponding column and assign it to the selected field. Database fields can be displayed with their frontend labels or attribute codes. Choose whichever of these options depending on what is more comfortable for you. 

You can also create additional fields (e.g. Colour, Texture), to do that press the corresponding button and entering the name of the field.

You can also use Auto set option if your columns in the file are given the names of the fields. In this case the columns will be assigned to the corresponding database fields automatically.

You can undo everything by clicking on Clear All Relations button.

5. When the previous steps are accomplished, you’ll get to Import Preview. Check the info about your products as it will be imported to your database. If everything is right, click Next. 

6.  The next section is Import Options. Here you are to make sure that the option Reindex product data is selected. It is most advisable to perform reindexing  during the import process. This way you’ll know that all the products in your store are displayed correctly. Another point is here is that it takes much less time to reindex product data during the import procedure than reindexing the whole catalogue afterwards. This section also allows to clear relations among products. Having filled in all the fields, click Save to preserve Import settings.

7. Create the schedule of your import by adding scheduler tasks. Choose the start time and the period for repeating the Automated Product Import. From now on Import procedure will start automatically according to the schedule you’ve created.

If you want to begin Import immediately or at any time differing from your schedule, press the button Run Import in Automated Product Import Addon window.

8. When the process of Automated Product Import is over, you will see all the changes and updates in After Import section. 

This is all you need to do. Now you can assuredly tell that import of products is much easier when this extension is used. Import your products with osCommerce Automated Product Import, set up all the settings once and don’t bother about the procedure anymore.

If you have any suggestions on osCommerce Automated Product Import Addon, you're welcome to contact our support team.