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Formatting matrix variants in item import files

To import inventory items via our Retail Imports team, please refer to this article.

 

To import matrix variants, you need to format them differently in your item import file than other item types. How you format them in your item import file is dependent on if you're:

 

 

Format to create matrix variants

To import new items as matrix variants, you need to format them in a specific way in your item import file. To help you understand how to format them, let's pretend you're trying to import a plain t-shirt that comes in three colors (red, blue and yellow). To import each variation of the t-shirt as a matrix variant, you would need to enter the following in your import file for each variant:

 

  1. Leave the Description column empty. Matrix variant names are created based on the Matrix Description + Attribute 1 Attribute 2 Attribute 3 columns.
  2. In the Matrix Description, enter "Plain T-Shirt".
  3. In the Matrix Attribute Set column, enter "Color". 
  4. In the Attribute 1 column, enter the color of the variant (e.g. "Red").
  5. Format the rest of the columns as you would for any item you're importing.

Screen_Shot_2019-10-04_at_3.05.png

By doing so, you would create a matrix called "Plain T-Shirt" under Inventory Matrix and each variant within the matrix would be called:

 

  • Plain T-Shirt Red
  • Plain T-Shirt Blue 
  • Plain T-Shirt Yellow

 

Now, let's pretend you're trying to import a plain t-shirt that comes in three colors (red, blue and yellow), three sizes (small, medium and large) and 2 materials (cotton and tri-blend). Let's also pretend that you wanted to use a custom matrix attribute set for these t-shirts. To import each variation of the t-shirt as a matrix variant, you would first need to create the custom attribute set. You would call it "Color/Size/Material" and it would have three attributes (color, size and material). Then, you would need to enter the following in your import file for each variant:

 

  1. Leave the Description column empty. Matrix variant names are created based on the Matrix Description + Attribute 1 Attribute 2 Attribute 3 columns.
  2. In the Matrix Description, enter "Plain T-Shirt".
  3. In the Matrix Attribute Set column, enter "Color/Size/Material"
  4. In the Attribute 1 column, enter the color of the variant (e.g. "Red").
  5. In the Attribute 2 column, enter the size of the variant (e.g. "Small").
  6. In the Attribute 3 column, enter the material of the variant (e.g. "Cotton").
  7. Format the rest of the columns as you would for any item you're importing.

Screen_Shot_2019-10-04_at_3.03.png

By doing so, you would create a matrix called "Plain T-Shirt" under Inventory Matrix and each variant within the matrix would be called:

 

  • Plain T-Shirt Red Small Cotton
  • Plain T-Shirt Red Small Tri-Blend
  • Plain T-Shirt Red Medium Cotton
  • Plain T-Shirt Red Medium Tri-Blend
  • Plain T-Shirt Red Large Cotton
  • Plain T-Shirt Red Large Tri-Blend
  • Plain T-Shirt Blue Small Cotton
  • Plain T-Shirt Blue Small Tri-Blend
  • Plain T-Shirt Blue Medium Cotton
  • Plain T-Shirt Blue Medium Tri-Blend
  • Plain T-Shirt Blue Large Cotton
  • Plain T-Shirt Blue Large Tri-Blend
  • Plain T-Shirt Yellow Small Cotton
  • Plain T-Shirt Yellow Small Tri-Blend
  • Plain T-Shirt Yellow Medium Cotton
  • Plain T-Shirt Yellow Medium Tri-Blend
  • Plain T-Shirt Yellow Large Cotton
  • Plain T-Shirt Yellow Large Tri-Blend

 

 

Format to update matrix variants

When formating matrix variants in your item import file, it's important to understand which columns will update every variant in the matrix and which will only update the individual variant. It's also important to note that matrix variants cannot be removed from a matrix through an import and that some columns cannot be updated.

 

Entering inventory data in these columns will update every variant in the matrix:

  • Brand
  • Category
  • Subcategory 1-9
  • Tax Class
  • Vendor
  • Item Type
  • Serialized

 

Entering inventory data in these columns will update the individual variants in the matrix:

  • UPC
  • EAN
  • Custom SKU
  • Manufacturer SKU
  • Price
  • MSRP
  • Online Price
  • Default Cost
  • Reorder Point
  • Reorder Level
  • Vendor ID
  • Publish to eCom
  • Clear Existing Tags
  • Add Tags
  • Image
  • Archived 

 

The following columns cannot be updated:

Matrix Attribute Set
  • Entering a different matrix attribute set in this column will not update the current matrix attribute set of the matrix (e.g. to update it from Color to Color/Size).
Attribute 1-3
  • Entering a different attribute in any of these columns will not update the current attribute of a matrix variant (e.g. to change an attribute from Red to Blue).
  • Entering "NULL" in any of these columns will not remove a current attribute from a matrix variant (e.g. to remove the Cotton attribute from a matrix variant called Plain T-Shirt Red Small Cotton).
Archived
  • Entering "yes" in this column will archive a matrix variant, but will not archive the matrix it belongs to.
Shop Quantity on Hand
  • The quantity on hand of a matrix variant can only be imported when the matrix variant is created. It can't be updated.
Shop Unit Cost
  • The unit cost of a matrix variant can only be imported when the matrix variant is created. It can't be updated.

 

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