The short answer
Prepare a copy of your source spreadsheet, standardise customer and product fields, then use the import preview to resolve errors before writing records. In CeramicPortal, customer and product imports include a preview and error report; the saved result still needs a sample check.
Keep these in mind
- Preserve an unchanged source and review one working copy.
- Resolve preview errors before execution.
- Inspect saved records and investigate before repeating an import.
Keep the source file and define the purpose
Start with an unchanged copy of the existing file and a separate working copy. Decide whether you are preparing customer records or products; do not combine unrelated data because it happens to be on the same spreadsheet.
Record the person responsible for the working file and which version will be imported. If several staff members clean different copies without a clear handover, the final file may reintroduce the duplicates someone already fixed.
Clean identities before formatting
| Customer records | Product records |
|---|---|
| Use a consistent customer or business name. | Identify the exact product or variant. |
| Review the contact number associated with the customer. | Keep dimensions and units consistent. |
| Check whether apparently similar names are duplicates. | Separate similar names with different sizes or finishes. |
| Keep contact details in the intended fields. | Confirm selling unit and relevant packing details. |
| Review customer relationships before app access is used. | Check category and supporting attributes. |
A neatly coloured workbook can still contain incorrect identities. Prioritise the meaning of the fields before presentation. Preserve leading zeros or other meaningful identifiers as appropriate to the supplied template; do not let spreadsheet formatting silently rewrite them.
Use the current import template and a small representative set
Take field names and required values from the import flow you are actually using. A template saved months ago may not reflect the current fields. Include a few ordinary records and a few difficult examples: similar names, missing data or different product units.
Do not start with the entire business history merely to test whether the upload works. A representative set makes an error easier to understand and limits the work needed if the mapping is wrong.
Treat preview as a decision point
- Select the intended customer or product import and review its field requirements.
- Upload the prepared working file to the preview step.
- Read row-level errors and compare the interpreted fields with your source.
- Correct the working copy, then preview the corrected version again.
- Execute only the reviewed version and inspect the saved records afterwards.
Check what actually arrived
Count the records expected and the records written where the flow provides that information. If the result is partial or unclear, investigate before uploading the same file again. Do not assume a repeated import is harmless or automatically deduplicated.
Prepare a handover for the next upload
Keep the reviewed source version, the error corrections and a brief note about the final sample checks. Those are operational records your team maintains; this article does not imply the application automatically creates that handover.
Once the first batch is correct, apply the same field conventions to the remaining data. Good preparation makes later catalogue access, pricing and document work easier to review.
Common questions
Should I upload the whole catalogue for the first test?
Start with a small representative set so mapping and identity problems are easier to diagnose.
Does a successful import remove the need to check records?
No. Open representative customer and product records and compare them with the reviewed source.
Explore the relevant workflow
Put the explanation in context.
Product education from CeramicPortal. Examples are illustrative unless identified as recorded product evidence. The available actions depend on your account and assigned access.