Getting started with your Ply catalog? Bulk uploading is the fastest way to add your materials in one go, especially if you’re migrating from another system or importing a supplier list.
🧹 Step 1: Delete the Sample Data
Before anything else, clear out the sample data included in your account.
- Go to the top-right corner of your Dashboard
- Click the red “Delete Sample Data” button
This gives you a clean slate to work from.
➕ Step 2: Go to “Set Up Your Account” > Add Items
In your Dashboard, under Set Up Your Account, click “Add Items”.
You’ll see two ways to add materials:
- Manually (one by one)
- Bulk Upload using a spreadsheet (that’s what we’ll do here)
📁 Step 3: Download the Bulk Upload Template
Click “Bulk Upload” to open the upload module, then:
- Download the Bulk Upload Template
- Fill it in with your materials data — required fields include:
- Name
- Item number
- Description
- Brand
- Manufacturer
- Tags
- Category
- UPC
- Photo URL (optional — make sure it’s a public link)
✅ Pro tip: You can paste info from a supplier file or export from another platform. Just follow the template structure.
You can upload up to 7,500 items per file. If you have more, break them into multiple uploads.
📤 Step 4: Upload Your File
- Click “Upload File”
- Select your completed spreadsheet
- Enter the Sheet Name (e.g., “Sheet1”)
- Click Continue
🧩 Step 5: Map Your Columns
Ply will ask you to match each column from your file to the correct Ply field.
- Required fields must be matched to proceed
- Optional fields can be added or edited later
- Use the dropdown menus to make adjustments if needed
Once everything looks right, click Next Step
🛠️ Step 6: Review Errors & Clean Up
- Red highlights = something’s missing or formatted incorrectly
- Hover to see what needs fixing
- Edit directly in the upload preview or click the pencil icon to apply a value to an entire column
- Use the toggle to Show Errors or Show Modifications
- You can delete rows if needed
Once it’s clean, click Next
🔁 Step 7: Duplicates (if any)
If your file includes materials already in your catalog, Ply will detect them and ask you how to handle duplicates.
If there are no duplicates, you’ll move straight to the next step.
📍 Step 8: Assign to Locations (Optional)
You can assign your materials to a warehouse or fleet location during this step.
- Use the location column in your spreadsheet
- Or select a location manually
This step is optional — if you’re just building your catalog, you can assign locations later.
Click Confirm Import when ready.
✅ Step 9: You’re Done!
Ply will process your file and upload all the materials in just a few seconds.
Once finished, head to the Catalog to review your items. You’ll see everything: names, item numbers, UPCs, categories, and more.
💬 Need Help?
We’ve got your back! If you have questions, run into an error, or need help formatting your file — just reach out to the team.