Video Tutorial
What is Unstructured Document Upload?
Unstructured Document Upload is an AI-powered tool that automatically reads documents (like invoices, quotes, packing slips, or price lists) and extracts material information directly into your catalog. No manual typing, no copy-pasting. Just upload a file and let Ply do the work.
Instead of manually entering names, item numbers, brands, and pricing from a document, Ply's AI reads the document and creates (or updates) materials in your catalog automatically.
Important: This is a Labs Feature.
This feature is in Labs, meaning it's newer and still improving. It works great, but it's marked as experimental. If you find bugs or have feedback, let us know. We're actively making it better.
Before You Start: Enable the Feature
This feature lives in Labs, so you need to turn it on first.
Go to Settings
Click Labs
Find Unstructured Document Upload
Toggle it ON
Why Use Unstructured Document Upload?
Think of it like having a data entry person who never makes typos and works instantly.
Save Time
No more manually typing item numbers, names, brands
A 50-page invoice becomes a catalog import in minutes
Fewer Errors
AI reads consistently and catches details humans might miss
No transcription mistakes
Update Prices Easily
Upload a new price list → Ply matches it to existing items → Updates costs automatically
No need to manually edit each item
Works With Any Document Format
Supplier invoices
Price quotes
Packing slips
Excel spreadsheets
PDFs of any kind
Real Example:
You get a price list from a supplier with 200 items. Normally you'd:
Open Excel
Copy names, item numbers, prices
Paste into Ply
Fix mistakes
With Unstructured Document Upload:
Upload the PDF
Ply extracts everything automatically
Review and confirm
Done
How to Add Materials by Uploading a Document?
1️⃣ Go to the Bulk Upload Module
Open Settings > Bulk Upload, or
Go to your Catalog, click the three dots (⋯), and select "Bulk Upload/Update".
2️⃣ Select "Upload Document"
Along with Add New and Update Existing, you'll see a third tab: Upload Document ✨
Click on it.
3️⃣ Upload Your File
Click to upload or drag and drop your document.
Accepted files: PDF or XLSX, up to 50 MB.
Works with invoices, quotes, packing slips, or similar supplier documents (it may take a few minutes).
How Long Does It Take?
Processing time depends on:
File Size - Bigger files take longer than smaller ones
Data Quality - Clean, well-formatted documents process faster than messy ones
Most documents finish in a few minutes. You'll see progress as Ply works: "Processing..." → "Matching to your catalog..." → "Complete."
4️⃣ Let Ply's AI Parse the Materials
Once uploaded, Ply automatically reads the document and pulls out the materials it finds (name, description, quantity, and pricing when included).
Review the extracted materials before continuing; fix or fill in anything that's missing, and delete any rows you don't want to import.
5️⃣ Complete the Import
From here, it's the same flow as a regular bulk upload:
Map any columns that need it, resolve flagged errors, review duplicates (Ply won't merge these automatically), and optionally assign the materials to a location.
Click Confirm Import.
Pro Tips
Use clear, well-formatted documents - A clean price list processes faster than a faxed invoice or handwritten quote.
Batch documents together - Instead of uploading 5 separate invoices, combine them into one document. Ply reads all items at once.
Review before confirming - Take a moment to scan the extracted items. Fixing a typo now is easier than correcting it later in your catalog.
PDFs work great - If you have both PDF and Excel versions of a document, either works. PDF is slightly more reliable for reading actual text.
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Still need help? Contact Support!