Data Import

Content Overview Importing Data Setting up import on every synchronization Expressions

Videos and Files Import data into Linnworks - Basic product import This video demonstrates how to import new products information into linnworks, along with the stock levels and stock values.

Overview

Linnworks has a very flexible mechanism for importing data into the system such as orders for your websites, generic e-commerce carts and non-integrated selling venues you can also import and synchronize your stock levels with other systems and your stock held by your suppliers using very simple Comma Delimited (CSV) file import functionality.

Similarly when you need to output information from Linnworks, you can configure the system to output CSV files onto a disk, post it to the web or upload to FTP location. Every time you synchronize (click Sync) button the data gets generated. This method is ideal if you need to distribute latest stock levels, upload it to your website, post it to drop-shippers or notify your suppliers of your low stock and raise automatic purchase order. Read exporting data article.

In essence, Data Import/Export allows you to completely automate your processes.

Importing Data

You can import data of specific nature, for example stock items, stock levels and order book data. Below we describe how to do one-off import of stock items and stock level data into the system. Following that we will cover the functionality for configuring the import to start when you synchronize. Open a data import utility from Start menu > Programs > Linn Systems > Linnworks > Tools > Data Import UI.

Select Type of the import, in this case select Basic Product Import and click Next

Next specify the file you wish to import by selecting Select. The import UI will automatically find the delimiter and text qualifier.

If the import UI does not find the text qualifier then you can add it to the UI your selves under the File Specification section. Next select if the file has column names, for example SKU,  Title and so on. This screen will also show you a preview of the file you are importing to check if the columns are being read properly and that the file is as it should be. Click Next to continute to column mapping.

The Column mapping screen allows you to configure which data files in your file corresponds to wish data fields expected by the system. The system will automatically read your column names if provided and AutoMap them for you without the need to map them manually.

If a column hasn’t been mapped you can select it from the corresponding drop down in the File Column. Once clicked off the column it will updat ethe Preview import part of the screen. Expressions or default values can also be assigned to a column if required.

The Preview Import will show all the mapped columns and automatically validate them. If there are errors it will show an error icon in which can be hovered over to see the specific error. For ease of seeing errors check the Show XX errors tick box to only display errors.  Most commonly the error caused is a blank field where data is expected. Once finished click Next.

This will then show the Import Screen, click import to start importing your data.

Once the import has started the progress of the import will be shown on the progress bar and also the amount of rows completed. The data import imports in batches of 100 rows at one time.

If there were any errors in the import then this will show a dialogue prompting you to view the errors. It will also show how may rows were succesfully imported into the system.

Click Yes, this will then provide a list of errors that can be viewed in the last column called “import_error”, this will give the specific error with the column.

Setting up import on every synchronization

You can set up the system to import the data every time you synchronize (click Sync button). This is particularly useful to import new orders coming from different sources for which the direct integration is not always possible (for example your website which is hosted on third party cart provider). Below we describe how to set up automatic import of order from the web, the Order Book import process imports orders only once, therefore the same file can be brought in as many times as you like and only new order will appear on the system.

In Linnworks, go to Settings > Import / Export Automation > Data Import.

• Click Add New
• Define new unique name for the step
• Define which type of file you want to import
• Specify the location of the file

Note: You can set the system to import multiple files from a specified location using a wildcard. This works for FTP as well. For example to import all files begining with Stock from c:\dataimport folder, set the File location path to C:\dataimport\Stock*.csv

• Similar principle applies to FTP import, ftp://ftp.mywebsite.com/dataimport/Stock*.csv
• Specify column mapping, the same as for one-off import. You can load prepared template.
• Make sure the step is enabled
• Save the configuration
• Sync

Expressions

Sometimes it is necessary to provide data into the system which is not obviously available in the source data file. Expressions are any functional or mathematical equation which takes its variables from the data already available and evaluates it. Let’s look at three examples of expressions when importing orders into the system

1. The import requires column Full Name, however you may have it Title, Surname, Firstname in the data feed as 3 separate columns. We can create an expression

Where join is a function that takes some parameters. This expression will create a text value that combines all three fields

2. You want to record Tax column, but it is not available in your data source file. You have OrderTotal column and ShippingCosts, and you want to exclude shipping costs from OrderTotal and calculate 15% inclusive tax. Mathematical expression can solve this problem

Where N2 is a function which converts the result into two decimal point value

3. Order import procedure requires Status field to be set as PAID, otherwise the order will not be imported. However the status identifiers in your data source file are different, lets say you have 1 for paid, 0 for unpaid (refunded). The logical expression can evaluate the status and output the desired value, for example

Where iif is a function that takes first parameter as evaluation, second as an output if true, third as an output if false

For more information on expressions see  the Expressions documentation.

4. Importing Stock Value - N2[Cost * Quantity]

You will need to change the cost to the same name as the column header in your import file, this is the same for Quantity.