What is Update Catalog from File?
Update Catalog from File is an AI-powered tool that reads your document (an invoice, quote, price sheet, spreadsheet, or even a photo) and matches each item it finds against your existing catalog. For every item, you choose to:
Update an existing matched material,
Create it as a new material, or
Skip it.
This means you no longer need separate uploads for adding new materials vs. updating existing ones, one file handles both.
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.
How it works:
Upload: Drop any document. Ply extracts every line item.
We match & score: Each item is matched to your catalog by item number and name, with a confidence score.
You resolve: Update, create, or skip, in bulk or row by row, then sync.
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
How to Use Update Catalog from File
1️⃣ Go to your catalog
Click the three dots (⋯) in the top right, and select Update Catalog from File.
2️⃣ Upload your File
Click to upload or drag and drop your document.
Accepted files: PDF, XLSX, JPEG, JPG, PNG, TIF, TIFF, WEBP, HEIC, HEIF, or CSV, up to 10 MB.
Up to 7,500 items per file.
3️⃣ Review & Map
Ply shows the detected items with a summary count (e.g., “4 items detected · 2 matched · 2 new · 0 need review”).
For each item, you’ll see:
The Match (e.g., Matched 100%, New item)
The matched Catalog Item, if any
An Action: Update, Create, or Skip
Fields to Update, where applicable
Use Bulk apply (e.g., Matched → Update, New → Create) to apply an action to multiple rows at once instead of going row by row.
4️⃣ Confirm & Sync
Still Need Help?