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How to Import Product Groups and Product Group Descriptions.

Updated

This article explains how to use bulk import tools to create and update Product Groups, and to manage Product Group descriptions and SEO content in Pulse Commerce. The Product Group Import creates or updates the group records themselves (structure, categories, images, visibility, related products, etc.). The Product Group Description Import updates the content and SEO metadata (descriptions, tabs, and meta tags) for existing product groups.

Recommended Approach: If you are importing data for the first time, it is recommended to enter the first 10 records using the respective editor in the Admin panel, then export these records and use that export as a guideline when preparing your import file.
🔍 Understanding the Two Import Types – When to Use Each

Pulse Commerce provides two product-group–related import tools that serve different purposes:

Product Group Import

Use Product Group Import when you need to:

  • Create new, non-matrix product groups in bulk (Formats 1–3).
  • Assign product groups to categories and control featured flags and sort order.
  • Update group-level content such as name, short/long descriptions, search terms, and images.
  • Control visibility, display format, product options (Format 4), grouped SKUs, and related products.

This import creates or updates the product group records themselves, including category assignments, images, visibility, and cross-sell/option configuration.

Product Group Description Import

Use Product Group Description Import when you need to:

  • Update group-level display content (names, enhancers, short/long descriptions).
  • Manage additional tab content (Tab 2 and Tab 3 names and descriptions).
  • Update SEO metadata (meta title, keywords, description, and additional meta tags).
  • Enable or disable additional meta tags for a group.

This import updates content and SEO fields for existing product groups. It does not create new product groups.

Identification & Matching:

  • Product Group SKU is the identifier used to locate the product group in both imports.
  • Product Group Name is required and will be updated if you import a different value.
  • Ensure Product Group SKU values in your CSV exactly match those in your system (including case and spacing).
📝 Product Group Import – Creating or Updating Product Groups

Follow these steps to create new product groups or update existing ones in bulk.

Download the Template and Legend

1 Navigate to Import/Export > Import in your admin panel.

2 Locate the Product Group Import row.

3 Click Download default Template for Product Group Import.

4 Click 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

5 Open the CSV template in Excel, Google Sheets, or a text editor.

6 Populate your product group data following the legend. Required fields are marked with an asterisk (*).

Required Fields (Product Group Import):

  • Product Group Name* – Must not exceed 255 characters.
  • Product Group SKU* – Unique identifier for the Product Group.
  • Category* – Required for both Insert and Update actions.
    At least one category association is mandatory; up to 20 may be included.
  • Action* – I = Insert; U = Update.

Important: Category* is always required. Leaving Category blank will cause the import to fail, even for updates.

Matrix Groups: Matrix product groups cannot be created via import. However, non-grouped values (descriptions, visibility, images, etc.) can be updated.

Category Field Format

The Category* column controls category associations:

  • Category hierarchy
  • Featured flag (Yes/No)
  • Sort order

Format:

Category1;SubCat1;SubSubCat1^Yes^1|Category2;SubCat2;SubSubCat2^No^2|Category3;SubCat3^Yes^3

  • ; separates category levels.
  • ^Yes^ or ^No^ indicates category-featured status.
  • The final caret value is the sort order.
  • | separates multiple category associations.

Key Field Definitions (Highlights)

Field Name Description Notes
Home Page Featured Displays the group as a featured item on the homepage. Values: Yes or No.
Product Group Name Enhancer Label Label displayed under the product group name in list views. See legend for length limits and overwrite behavior.
Search Terms Space-separated keywords used in storefront search. Maximum 255 characters.
Thumbnail / Image / Large Image (and Image2–Image5 variants) Small, medium, and large images for the product group and their alt text. Use paths like images/products/<filename>.gif. Alt tags are required for storefront accessibility.
Use Large Image / Use LargeImage2–5 If Yes, the large image is used for medium and thumbnail sizes. Large image must exist before setting this to Yes.
Product Options (Format 4 only) Global product options for Format 4 product groups. Format: OptionClass;Description;SortOrder;Visible sets separated by |.
Grouped Product SKUs Associate individual products to this Product Group. Format: Caption;SKU sets separated by |.
Related Products Cross-sell related product configuration. Format: SKU;Visible;SortOrder;Position;ObjectType
Example:
SKU01;Yes;1;Bottom;0|GROUPSKU02;No;2;Right;1
ObjectType: 0 = product, 1 = group.
Display Format Display style for the product group. Values: 1, 2, 3
Force Matrix Selection Controls whether matrix selection is required. Values: Yes or No.

Data Update & Overwrite Rules (Product Group Import):

  • Product Options and Related Products allow full removal by entering x in the column.
  • To retain existing data, keep the same value or leave the field empty.
  • Fields such as Visible, Home Page Featured, and Display Format do not support x.
  • Always consult the legend for field-specific overwrite rules.

Upload and Process the Import

7 Save the file as a CSV.

8 Return to Import/Export > Import.

9 Select Product Group Import.

10 Click Choose File and select your CSV.

11 Click Import to begin processing.

Processing Time: Large or image-heavy imports (500+ groups) may take longer. Consider splitting into smaller batches for easier troubleshooting.

Verify the Import

12 Navigate to Products > Product Group Manager.

13 Search by Product Group SKU or Product Group Name.

14 Verify categories, descriptions, images, options, related products, visibility, and display format reflect your import.

📝 Product Group Description Import – Managing Group Content & SEO

Use Product Group Description Import to update content and SEO fields for existing product groups without modifying categories, images, or product assignments.

Download the Template and Legend

1 Navigate to Import/Export > Import.

2 Locate the Product Group Description Import row.

3 Download the default template.

4 Download the legend for field definitions.

Download Import Templates:

Required Fields (Product Group Description Import):

  • Product Group SKU* – Identifier used to locate the group.
  • Product Group Name* – Will be updated if a different value is imported.

Important: Description Import cannot create new product groups. Every SKU must already exist.

Key Content & SEO Fields

Field Name Description Overwrite Rules
Product Group Name Enhancer Label Label displayed under the product group name in lists. Enter x to remove; leave blank to retain.
Short Description Short description (max 1000 chars). Enter x to remove; leave blank to retain.
Long Description Tab Name Tab label (max 100 chars). Enter x to remove; leave blank to retain.
Long Description Long description content. Enter x to remove; leave blank to retain.
Tab 2 Name / Tab 2 Description Additional tab name (max 100 chars) and description (max 1000 chars). Enter x to remove; leave blank to retain.
Tab 3 Name / Tab 3 Description Additional tab name and description. Enter x to remove; leave blank to retain.
Meta Title Meta title (max 256 chars). Enter x to remove; leave blank to retain.
Meta Keyword Meta keywords (max 1000 chars). Enter x to remove; leave blank to retain.
Meta Description Meta description (max 2000 chars). Enter x to remove; leave blank to retain.
Additional Meta Tags Additional meta tag markup. Enter x to remove; leave blank to retain.
Enable Additional Meta Tags Enable/disable meta tag rendering. Values: Yes or No. Does not use x.

Content Overwrite Rules (Critical):

  • To remove content, enter x in the column.
  • To retain content, keep the same value or leave the field blank.
  • Export existing Product Group Descriptions first when performing partial updates.

Upload and Process the Import

7 Save your file as a CSV.

8 Return to Import/Export > Import.

9 Select Product Group Description Import.

10 Choose your CSV file.

11 Click Import.

Processing Time: Description-only updates usually process quickly. Test with 5–10 rows first if unsure about overwrite behavior.

Verify the Import

12 Navigate to Products > Product Group Manager and locate a Product Group from your file.

13 Confirm the following:

  • Product Group Name and Enhancer Label
  • Short and Long Descriptions
  • Tab 2 / Tab 3 Names and Content
  • Meta Title, Meta Keywords, Meta Description
  • Additional Meta Tags and the Enable flag

14 Confirm that fields with x were cleared and that blank fields retained prior values.

 

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