Spreadsheets can be tricky. Even with the power of Google Sheets, certain assumptions are made when specific values are entered into a spreadsheet.
This article addresses the most common issues you might encounter during the bulk upload. In addition, be sure also to check out our articles outlining all of our bulk upload spreadsheets, and tips and best practices articles.
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Import errors
An error is bound to happen when working with so much information across different spreadsheets. We get it!
That's why, when there is an error, we will:
Continue to upload the (non-erroring) products and rows to Thrive immediately.
Isolate the erroring products and rows on a NEW spreadsheet for you.
Provide the reason for the error or issue in the last column of the spreadsheet.
This way, all the correctly input information can be uploaded to Thrive immediately. Then, you can focus on correcting the errors and uploading the new spreadsheet.
Common Errors in Product Spreadsheets
When using Thrive's inventory system, there are two common issues:
Attribute-related errors: These occur when attributes in the spreadsheet are inconsistent or incomplete.
Duplicate item name errors: These are caused when product names are not unique across the dataset.
Fixing errors
When you encounter an error, you'll be redirected to a new spreadsheet containing ONLY the products with errors.
To fix the errors, start by clicking the link in the error message as shown below so that you can fix those errors and re-submit:
NOTE: For the Bulk Create Purchase Orders feature, we'll add the errors to their own spreadsheet, but because of how they are set up, it's a bit different. If there is one error, we will not import any information until it is fixed.
The reason for the errors will appear in the final row of the new spreadsheet. Here's an example of what the error column looks like:
For products with multiple variants, we cannot upload the full product to Thrive until all the variants are in a good state and there are no errors.
For example, if you have a product with 30 variants, and there is an error for one of the variants, the new "error" spreadsheet that is generated will have all 30 variants present. The error message in the last column will only appear on the row of the variant with the error.
Cannot Edit Protected Cells
Certain columns cannot be edited to protect the integrity of the spreadsheet. Protected columns are in grey to indicate that you cannot edit the field directly on the Edit Products, Edit Variants, Edit Variants Default Price, and Edit Vendors spreadsheets.
If you are using a different spreadsheet and want to see the protected ranges, click View > Protected Ranges as shown here:
NOTE: You must click into the spreadsheet to see the option to view protected ranges.
Information that isn't intended to be changed on a given type of bulk upload will show up on the spreadsheet, but you will not be able to edit it. For instance, if you've generated an "Edit Variants" spreadsheet, you cannot edit Product-level characteristics (like Product Name and Categories).
You may not be able to edit Variant Names. This would happen if variants were generated in Thrive with multiple attributes/options (e.g. Size, Color, Style, Flavor, etc.)
Leading zeros are stripped from numbers
Problem: 001234 becomes 1234
Cause: All spreadsheet apps (including Google Sheets) treat numbers as values to be calculated by default.
Fix: Format the desired cells as plain text instead of a number. To do this, highlight the cells you want to make plain text, then click Format>Number>Plain text.
Another option is to add a single quote (apostrophe) at the start of the number. That indicates to Google that this should be treated as text instead of a number value. So 001234 becomes '001234.
Large numbers (i.e. SKU and Barcode numbers) are converted to scientific notation
Problem: 10000000000 becomes 1E+10
Cause: This is also the result of spreadsheet apps (including Google Sheets) treating numbers as values to be calculated by default.
Fix: Same as above, simply add a single quote (apostrophe) at the start of the number. That indicates to Google that this should be treated as text instead of a number value. So 10000000000 becomes '10000000000.
Attribute Consistency Errors
To avoid or fix errors with inconsistent attribute names, follow these guidelines:
Ensure attributes headers under each group are consistent. For instance,
Attribute 1,Attribute 2, etc., must maintain the same header names across rows (e.g., 'Size', 'Style', 'Color').Example: If the first header is 'Size', make sure this is the uniform header for all records within that attribute.
The options within attributes can vary (e.g., for 'Size', options can include 'Small', 'Medium', 'Large'). Populate these fields appropriately.
Complete all required fields, including attribute options and product names for each row. Missing data will likely result in errors during upload.
Refer back to example rows or templates provided by Thrive to ensure correct spreadsheet formatting.
Editing 'Variant Name' for Attributes
Variant Names of attributes (created using the "Add Attributes" button or via the Bulk Create Products with Attributes spreadsheet) cannot be edited on the Edit Variants spreadsheet.
Duplicate Item Name Errors
To address errors caused by duplicate product names, follow these steps:
Ensure all product names in the spreadsheet are unique. Duplicate names are not allowed, and Thrive will flag such repetitions as errors.
If duplicate names are unavoidable (e.g., due to product variants), create a variant for the items with duplicated names. Include the variant designation in the relevant column.
Check the spreadsheet for error indicators (Thrive highlights specific cells or columns with issues) and make corrections as needed.
Re-upload the corrected spreadsheet to Thrive. The system should now process the document without errors.
Generating SKUs
SKUs cannot be generated inside the spreadsheet. Thrive can generate SKUs automatically after the products have been created though.
Outdated Spreadsheets
As of Thursday, February 29th, 2024, you can no longer import outdated bulk upload spreadsheets into Thrive.
Outdated is any spreadsheet generated over 120 days ago or on a previous version of bulk uploads.
If you need help getting information from an outdated spreadsheet, write to our Customer Care Team for assistance!