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Importing items from a spreadsheet

Last updated: October 16, 2026

Who can do this: administrators and owners.

What it does

Import, in the Actions menu beside Create Item, brings the rows of a spreadsheet into your item list. A strip across the top shows the steps Upload, Match Columns, Review, Import and Done.

Every import creates and updates. Lucrii matches a row to an item you already have by its ID, else its SKU. The row then updates that item. A row with neither becomes a new item. A column headed stock followed by a dot and a location name brings that location’s quantity in with the item. A column headed Stock with no location brings in the quantity at your default location.

The rows of one item share its ID, or its handle where they have no ID. The Items file from Export writes a row for each variant and repeats the item’s columns on every row. The item’s filled cells must match from row to row. A blank item cell reads as the item’s other rows. A cell blank on every row of the item clears that field. A file that gives the item’s columns on its first row, then leaves them blank on the variant rows below it, imports too.

A stock cell above zero is opening stock where the item or variant has no stock history at that location. Stock history there means it holds stock there, or its stock there was adjusted, received or fulfilled. A location already in the item’s or variant’s stock before Lucrii began recording stock moves counts as having history, even at zero. A stock cell there is always a correction. Lucrii values opening stock at the row’s Cost Per Item, or Variant Cost Per Item on a variant’s row. Where that cell is blank, it uses the cost price on the item or variant. Opening stock counts toward the item’s Average Cost Price. It shows on the item’s timeline as a stock adjustment with the reason Opening stock. Any other stock cell sets the stock at that location to its figure.

Option 1 Values to Option 3 Values list every value of each option, separated by |, as in S|M|L. The import adds the values and options an item lacks, after its last one. It never removes or reorders a value. Lucrii keeps a value that variants don’t use, such as a colour you no longer stock.

Image URL and Variant Image URL take the web address of a picture. Lucrii doesn’t fetch a picture again when the cell gives the address the item or variant already has.

Some columns hold figures Lucrii works out, such as Average Cost Price and Variant Average Cost Price. The Committed Stock, Available Stock and Incoming Stock at each location are among them. So are Created At and Created By, then Updated At and Updated By, in your organisation’s time zone. These columns are for reading. Importing and exporting contacts explains them, the headings and the rows Lucrii skips.

Match Columns guesses which Lucrii field each spreadsheet column belongs to. Lucrii applies a match of 80% or more. Its label is Auto-Mapped. A match from 60% gets the label Suggested, with its percent match, for you to review.

Review counts the new items, the updates and the rows with errors. It reads like 3 new items, 2 updates and 1 row with errors. It states the stock the file brings in, as in “Opening stock for 3 items at 2 locations. Corrections for 1 item.” Rows that lack both an ID and a SKU get a note in Review. It reads like “4 rows will be created as new items” and asks you to add an ID or SKU. Review lists the vendors and units of measure the import would create alongside the items. It also shows the first rows as they will be written.

Review counts a row that doesn’t change its item as neither new nor an update, and Lucrii skips it. Review says so, as in “4 rows change nothing, so Lucrii will skip them.” An Items export imported back unchanged skips every row, and moves no stock and no average cost.

A started import keeps running. You can close the page. Done reports how many rows were created, updated, skipped and failed.

Before you start

Importing is for an administrator or above. Anyone else sees a message that they do not have permission to import inventory. Lucrii also refuses their import requests.

One import runs at a time in an organisation, whatever it imports. Importing and exporting contacts says what shows when you start a second.

A file can be up to 25 MB, 50,000 rows and 1,024 columns. A file with more than 128 columns has a lower row limit, and Lucrii says how many fit when it refuses one. A column name can be up to 128 characters. Lucrii refuses a file with a header row and no data rows as you choose it, before anything is uploaded.

Lucrii refuses a row with a cell longer than its column allows, or with more than 250 tags in one cell. Importing and exporting contacts says more.

If the file would take you past your plan’s item limit, the review shows how far over you are. The import button turns off until you upgrade or take rows out of the file. Lucrii checks each item the import adds, and each vendor it creates, against your plan as it makes them. Lucrii does not add an item that arrives once the plan is full. It lists that item in Download Errors.

A column missing from the file, or left unmatched, changes nothing on your items. A blank cell in a column you bring in clears that field on the item, or on the variant for a variant column. These blank cells work differently:

  • Title can’t be left blank on an item’s own row. A blank Title stops that row, and Lucrii lists it in Download Errors. A variant’s row may leave it blank.
  • A blank Status, Sell Price Includes Tax, Cost Price Includes Tax, Track Inventory, Is Physical or Is Subscription leaves that setting as it is. A new item takes its usual setting.
  • A blank ID, SKU, Variant ID or Variant SKU names nothing. Lucrii matches the row another way, or adds a new one.
  • A blank stock cell moves no stock.

Two items, or two variants of one item, can share a SKU when each row has its ID, as an Items export writes them. Lucrii refuses a SKU repeated on rows with no ID.

The review counts the values the import will clear, field by field.

With All-or-nothing ticked, any row with an error stops the whole import. The import button will not start until you fix those rows or untick it. Leave it unticked to bring in the good rows and skip the rest.

The Vendor column takes the company name of an organisation in your contacts. When two organisations share that name, a row that updates an item keeps the vendor the item already has. Lucrii refuses the name for a new item, or for an item another organisation supplies.

Lucrii reads money columns in your organisation’s currency. A new item from a row with no tax gets your default tax. You set the default tax in Settings, under Taxes.

How to use it

  1. Open the Items list, select Actions, then Import.
  2. Drop a CSV or TSV onto the drop area, or select it to choose the file. Download Template under it gives you the column headings to start from.
  3. Select Next.
  4. Check the column matches. Change anything that looks wrong, or select Auto-Map Again to redo the guesses.
  5. Select Confirm Mapping. You need at least one column matched before you can confirm.
  6. Read the review. Tick the vendors and units you want created with the items, and set All-or-nothing.
  7. Select the import button at the foot, which states how many items it will import. It states the number of rows instead with All-or-nothing ticked.
  8. Wait for the run to finish, or select Close and come back. Where rows failed, select Download Errors to get them back, fix them and upload them again.

Troubleshooting

Importing the same file twice creates duplicate items. Lucrii matches a row only by its ID or SKU. With no ID or SKU column, the row is new every time. Add a SKU column to update the item in place.

A row says “Title is “Mug” here and “Cup” on line 2. Every row of one item needs the same Title.” The item’s rows give different values for one item column. Make them match, or leave the cell blank on every row but one.

Lucrii refuses Option 2 Values on an item without an Option 2 Name. Fill in the item’s Option 2 Name, or clear its Option 2 Values.

A row says “Keep one of Stock and Stock: warehouse.” The plain Stock column and the Stock column for your default location, here Warehouse, both give it a quantity. Keep one of the two cells on that row.

A variant’s row says “Add a Variant Title of up to 255 characters, or shorten the option values.” Its option values make a title over 255 characters. Fill in Variant Title, or shorten the values.

  • Exporting items: Download your items, their variants or your stock at each location as a CSV from the Actions menu.
  • Creating an item: Create an item from one form that takes its name, prices, stock tracking and the vendor you buy from.
  • Pricing, shipping and vendor details: Set an item’s prices and tax, its shipping details, the vendor you buy it from and its categories.
  • Adjusting stock: Check an item’s quantity at each location on its Inventory card, and raise or lower it outside an order with Adjust Stock.
  • Items and locations: Browse two lists in Inventory, one of the items you buy and sell and one of the locations you keep them in.
  • Stock locations: Add the places you keep stock, with an address and stats for what is held at each.
  • Bulk Activity: See the imports, exports and changes to many records at once that your role shows you, and what happened to each record.

Changes