This article explains how to use the bulk import tools to create and update vendors in your system, and assign vendors to your products. The Vendor Import creates or updates vendor master records with company information, contact details, and shipping preferences. The Product Vendor Import assigns specific vendors to products and manages product-specific vendor details like manufacturer cost, vendor SKU, and preferred vendor status.
Pulse Commerce provides two vendor-related import tools that serve different purposes:
Vendor Import
Use Vendor Import when you need to:
- Create new vendor records in bulk
- Update vendor company information, contact details, or addresses
- Set vendor shipping preferences, payment terms, and credit limits
- Import vendor master data from another system
This import creates or updates the vendor records themselves - the companies you purchase from.
Product Vendor Import
Use Product Vendor Import when you need to:
- Assign vendors to specific products
- Set product-specific vendor details (vendor SKU, manufacturer cost, minimum quantities)
- Mark preferred vendors for products
- Update vendor pricing or availability for products
This import links existing products to existing vendors and manages the relationship between them.
Follow these steps to import vendor master records:
Download the Template and Legend
1Navigate to Import/Export > Import in your admin panel.
2Locate the Vendor Import row in the import list.
3Click Download default Template for Vendor Import to get the CSV template.
4Click Legend to download the field definitions document.
Download Import Templates:
Right-click and "Save As" if the file opens in your browser instead of downloading.
Prepare Your Import File
5Open the CSV template in Excel, Google Sheets, or a text editor.
6Fill in your vendor data following the field requirements in the legend. Required fields are marked with an asterisk (*).
Required Fields:
- Vendor Name* - Unique identifier (max 50 characters)
- Vendor Password* - Required for vendor portal access (max 25 characters)
- First Name* and Last Name* - Contact person (max 50 characters each)
- Street1*, City*, State*, Zip*, Country* - Complete address required
- Country* - Use 2-letter country code (US, CA, GB, etc.)
- Preferred Shipping Carrier* and Method* - Default shipping for purchase orders
- Shipping Terms* - Required (e.g., "FOB shipping point, freight prepaid")
Key Field Definitions
| Field Name | Description | Format/Values |
|---|---|---|
| Vendor Number | Unique identifier for the vendor | Numeric or alphanumeric |
| Account Number | Your account number with the vendor | Max 50 characters |
| Gender | Contact person gender | Male or Female |
| Active | Whether the vendor is active | Yes or No |
| Payment Terms | Default payment terms | e.g., "Net 30", "Net 60" |
| Vendor LeadTime | Days required for vendor fulfillment | Numeric value (days) |
| Eligible For1099 | Whether vendor receives 1099 forms | Yes or No |
| RegularPO Email Template | Email template for regular purchase orders | Template name from system |
| DropshipPO Email Template | Email template for dropship purchase orders | Template name from system |
Upload and Process the Import
7Save your completed file as a CSV format.
8Return to Import/Export > Import in your admin panel.
9Select the radio button next to Vendor Import.
10Click Choose File and select your prepared CSV file.
11Click Import to begin processing.
Verify the Import
12Navigate to Vendors in your admin panel.
13Search for newly imported vendors by name or vendor number.
14Open a few vendor records to verify all information imported correctly.
After creating your vendor records, use Product Vendor Import to assign them to products and manage product-specific vendor details.
Prerequisites:
- Vendors must already exist in your system (created via Vendor Import or manually)
- Products must already exist in your system
- You must know the exact Vendor Name and product SKU as they appear in your system
Download the Template and Legend
1Navigate to Import/Export > Import in your admin panel.
2Locate the Product Vendor Import row in the import list.
3Click Download default Template for Product Vendor Import to get the CSV template.
4Click Legend to download the field definitions document.
Download Import Templates:
Right-click and "Save As" if the file opens in your browser instead of downloading.
Prepare Your Import File
5Open the CSV template in Excel, Google Sheets, or a text editor.
6Fill in your product-vendor data. Required fields are marked with an asterisk (*).
Required Fields:
- Product Name* - For reference only; not updated in product record
- SKU* - Must match existing product SKU exactly (max 50 characters)
- Vendor Name* - Must match existing vendor name exactly
- Preferred Vendor - Use "Yes" or "No" (only one vendor per product can be preferred)
Key Field Definitions
| Field Name | Description | Update Rules |
|---|---|---|
| Product Name* | Product name for reference | Not updated in product record |
| SKU* | Product SKU that must exist in system | Max 50 characters, must be exact match |
| Vendor Name* | Vendor that must already exist | Must match existing vendor name exactly |
| Preferred Vendor | Marks this vendor as preferred for the product | Yes or No (last "Yes" in file wins) |
| Vendor SKU | Vendor's SKU for this product | Max 50 characters; use "x" to remove |
| Vendor Barcode | Vendor's barcode for this product | Max 50 characters; use "x" to remove |
| Cost | Product cost from this vendor | Numeric only; use "x" to remove |
| Minimum Quantity | Minimum order quantity for this vendor | Numeric only; use "x" to remove |
| Quantity Multiple | Order quantities must be multiples of this value | Numeric only; use "x" to remove |
| Quantity Available | Available quantity from this vendor | Numeric only; use "x" to remove |
Important Data Update Rules:
- To keep existing data: Use the same value or leave the field empty
- To remove existing data: Enter lowercase "x" in the field
- To update data: Enter the new value
Example: Assigning Multiple Vendors to One Product
You can assign multiple vendors to the same product by creating multiple rows with the same SKU but different vendor names:
| Product Name | SKU | Vendor Name | Preferred | Cost | Min Qty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wireless Mouse | WM-100 | Tech Supplies Inc | Yes | 15.50 | 10 |
| Wireless Mouse | WM-100 | Electronics Wholesale | No | 16.75 | 5 |
When a product row does not include a preferred vendor, the system will automatically designate the first imported record as the preferred vendor
Upload and Process the Import
7Save your completed file as a CSV format.
8Return to Import/Export > Import in your admin panel.
9Select the radio button next to Product Vendor Import.
10Click Choose File and select your prepared CSV file.
11Click Import to begin processing.
Verify the Import
12Navigate to Products Product Catalog Manager.
13Search for one of the products you imported vendor assignments for.
14Open the product and click the Vendors tab.
15Verify that the vendor assignments, costs, and other details are correct.