Bulk import your stock from a spreadsheet

This guide shows you how to bulk import your stock into Inventra from an Excel or CSV file, all at once. You need the Manage stock permission. Owners can always do this. Bulk import comes with the Shop and Business plans, and with your free trial.

You do not have to import everything before you start selling. You can also add items as you sell them. See Add a device or accessory while selling.

Get the template

1. In the app, tap Devices, then Bulk import. For accessories, tap Products, then Bulk import.
2. Tap Excel template or CSV template.

Devices and products have their own template. Use the devices template for phones, laptops and anything else you know by its IMEI or serial, and the products template for accessories you count, like chargers and cases.

The Excel template has three things to help you:

• The Instructions sheet explains every column and gives an example.
• Required columns are shaded.
• Type, Condition and Category have a dropdown list to pick from.

Fill it in

• Put one item on each row, starting on row 2. Keep the header row as it is.
• Leave optional columns blank if you like.
• Type prices in your store's currency. Amounts like 450000, 450,000 or ₦450,000 all work.
• For Type and Condition, use the words in the dropdown, like Phone or UK used.

Tip: Keep the IMEI or serial column formatted as Text. If Excel shows an IMEI like 3.53912E+14, it has lost the digits. Format the column as Text and type the numbers again. The Excel template is already set up this way.

Devices

Each row is one device. The required columns are Type, Brand, Model, IMEI or serial, Condition, Cost price and Selling price. You can also fill in Colour, Storage, RAM, Processor, Graphics and Notes.

Products

Each row is one product. The required columns are Name, Category and Selling price. Quantity is how many you have, and Cost per unit is what you paid for each one. Fill in both, or leave both blank.

Upload and check

1. On the import page, tap Choose a file and pick your file.
2. Inventra checks every row and shows you what it found: how many rows are ready, and every problem by its row number and column.
3. Nothing is saved yet. Read the problems.
4. Tap Import to bring in the ready rows. Rows with problems are skipped.

To bring in the skipped rows, fix them in your file and import it again. Rows that were already imported are skipped the second time, so nothing is added twice.

Good to know

• One file can have up to 2,000 rows and be up to 5 MB. Split a bigger list into parts.
• A device whose IMEI or serial is already in your store is not imported again. If it was sold, use Buy back on its page instead. See Buy back a device.
• A product row with the same name and category as a product you already have is skipped. To add stock to that product, open it and tap Receive stock.
• Old Excel files (.xls) cannot be read. In Excel, choose Save As and pick Excel Workbook (.xlsx) or CSV.