This article is helpful if:
You are listing multiple items on the platform
You already have or plan to catalog multiple items
Bulk import overview
Bulk import enables you to get your inventory digitized on the Rheaply platform quickly and efficiently. We’ve crafted this process to meet you where you’re at:
If you’re just starting out making your inventory, you can use our template from the start to make things easy. Collaborate with others in the sheet to complete your inventory quickly - everyone can work on the same shared document to divide and conquer!
If you’re starting with an existing inventory sheet, you can skip ahead to step 5 (Map fields) below.
Regardless of where you’re starting, here are some tips to keep in mind from the start:
Be sure to stay organized when taking and saving your photos, because you’ll match them to your listings after import. We recommend naming the photo file with the same name as you’re giving your listing - that way, you can easily match them up later.
Remember that for most organizations, only title, category, condition, location are required. We strongly recommend including replacement cost per unit and weight per unit, as they help the platform track your organization’s reuse impact. You can use our AI-powered Suggestions tool after importing to guess those values for you!
How does it work?
Navigate to Import by clicking on Create at the top of the homepage, or, on mobile, tap the + icon in the menu on the bottom. Then select Listing, and click on the Import tile on the Create new listings page to navigate to: https://app.rheaply.com/import/upload
Download our template and open a program like Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel.
Before you begin your actual inventory, make a plan of what data you need to collect during inventorying, and what you can compile later.
For example:
Fields like Title, Condition, Asset Tag, Description, Tags, and Quantity are probably best collected while inventorying. Don't forget to take photos during this time too!
All fields can all be edited in bulk after import - often, fields like Listing Manager, Sharing, Pickup Location, and Delivery Method are easiest to handle this way.
If your import has blanks for Category, Description, Replacement Cost Per Unit, or Weight Per Unit, you can use our AI-powered Suggestions tool to generate those automatically after import to save yourself some time.
If you're working with others to inventory, make a plan of who will take on each task. For example, maybe one person is the photographer, one person fills in information in the template, and another person is in charge of estimating weight and replacement cost.
Add your data for each listing as a new row in the spreadsheet template, then save your file as a CSV.
In the Excel template, you can hover over the field name in the column header for additional details about what that field is and what is expected there.
You will be able to add or bulk edit any fields that you couldn’t upload on the spreadsheet once you successfully import the rows into the application.
You will upload photos or additional files later (see step 6 Finalize your import) as part of the bulk edit process.
Feel free to keep track of any additional data within your spreadsheet (for example, the location of the photo file) - any new columns you add to the right of the spreadsheet will not interfere with the upload!
When you’re ready to upload, return to the platform to import your data. You can drag and drop, or browse to find your file. Note that if your spreadsheet was any non-CSV filetype it will need to be converted to a CSV before uploading into the platform.
Note that you will only be able to upload 500 rows at a time. To import more than 500 rows, you should split up your spreadsheet to create multiple spreadsheets. If you upload a spreadsheet with more than 500 rows, the platform will only pull in the first 500.
Next, you have the opportunity to Map fields. If you used our template exactly, you can click Next right away to proceed to the next step. If you didn’t use our template (or if you chose to modify our template), follow the steps below to map your fields:
We’ll automatically map any fields we recognize so you have a good starting off point.
Review the automated mapping choices. To modify any mapped fields, use the drop down menu to search for a field to map to.
Click the X icon to tell the platform to ignore the field. Ignored fields are at the bottom of the page. Ignored fields will not show up in the finalized import.
If a field is being ignored incorrectly, use the plus icon to add it back to the mapping.
When you’re done, click Next.
Finalize your import by filling in missing fields, adding photos, and adding additional files (if desired) before you publish. The bulk edit features on this page can help you save time.
The platform will highlight the number of rows in your import that are missing required fields and cannot be uploaded as is. You can easily filter for those rows by using the Filter by rows with errors button at the top of the page.
To edit multiple listings at the same time, select all the desired listings by clicking the square which is located at the beginning of each row. After doing so you’ll see additional toolbar options at the top of the table.
To edit the data for multiple listings, click on the pencil icon labeled Edit. Then choose the field in which you want to edit. After completing your edit, click Apply. This will apply your information across all selected listings.
To apply our AI-powered Suggestions tool in bulk, choose the sparkles icon. After a few minutes, Suggestions will generate data for Category, Description, Replacement Cost, and Weight. It will not overwrite any existing data; it will only fill in blanks. Be sure to review the AI's work before applying any updates.
To delete multiple listings at a time, you can click on the trash can icon labeled delete. This will delete all selected listings from the table. NOTE: You cannot undo this action once completed.
If you exit the import process in the middle of your import, the platform will allow you to Continue your import when you come back to the Create new listings page. If you want to start over, use the Start over button to erase what you’ve done and start from scratch.
Once you have finished entering in your listings you will be able to publish them to the Rheaply marketplace by using the Publish button.
Tips for organizing the data in your spreadsheet
Title: use the title to best describe your listing. You can add more detailed information to the description. Check out our help article for tips on how to title your listing.
Listing manager: include the email address of the person you would like to mark as the listing manager. If you leave that cell blank, you will be the assigned manager. If you want to add multiple listing managers for a single listing, you can add multiple emails separated by a comma.
Category: Category will need to be an exact match in order to upload correctly. You can also choose to select a category at the “finalize your import” step.
The valid options for categories for your organization will be listed on the ‘Categories’ tab of the spreadsheet. You will need to use those values exactly in the column in your upload.
When opening the Excel template in Excel, you will have drop-downs automatically created for you in the columns. If you download the .csv template or open the spreadsheet in another application like Google Sheets, these cells will not have drop-downs.
Condition: Condition will need to be an exact match in order to upload correctly. The valid options for condition are included in the drop-down of the Excel version of the spreadsheet template. The valid options for condition are: New, Used - Like new or open box, Used - Good, Used - Acceptable, For parts or not working, Refurbished.
Asset Tag: a barcode or serial number that some organizations use to track high-valued equipment. This can be used in a way that is unique to your organization.
Description: details about the item being posted. This could be specifics about the condition of the item, how it could be used, technical specifications or anything else deemed relevant to the buyer. Can include basic HTML tags and formatting to organize the content and improve readability.
Sharing: if relevant to your organization, choose the group to which you want your listing to be visible. The valid options are included in the drop-down of the Excel version of the spreadsheet template, and must be exact on upload.
Tags: descriptive words or phrases that can help members of your organization find your listing when they use filters or search the platform using keywords. Use a comma between tags if you would like to include more than one tag.
Pickup Location: Location will need to be an exact match in order to upload correctly. You can also choose to select a location at the “finalize your import” step.
The valid options for locations for your organization will be listed on the ‘Locations’ tab of the spreadsheet. You will need to use those values exactly in the column in your upload.
When opening the Excel template in Excel, you will have drop-downs automatically created for you in the columns. If you download the .csv template or open the spreadsheet in another application like Google Sheets, these cells will not have drop-downs.
Pricing Format: if relevant to your organization, choose whether you want the listing to be available via Offers or via Buy Now.
Price Per Unit: how much each unit will cost to purchase on the platform. Leave blank or enter “0” or “$0.00” if the price is free. Typing out the ‘$’ is optional.
Replacement Cost Per Unit: refers to the value of each unit if it were to be purchased new and helps your organization to determine cost savings from reuse.
Quantity: the number of single units of a particular item that are available for a transaction.
Count Per Unit: if the item you are posting has multiple items per unit (like a box of 10 pens), this value is the amount contained per unit (10 pens). In other words, if the item you are posting comes in packs of 10, you would set this count to 10.
Weight Per Unit: the weight of each unit. This metric helps your organization to track how much weight you have diverted from the landfill.
Weight Unit: choose the unit of measurement to use for weight. You must choose one of the following options: lbs, g, mg, kg, µg, or ton.
Expiration Date: if you want your listing to expire on a certain date, add that here in MM/DD/YYYY format. If you don’t want to have an expiration date, you can leave this field blank.
Notes: this is an Admin only feature, where an Admin can add notes about a particular listing
Have additional questions about this feature? Email help@rheaply.com.