Import products
The CSV import feature allows you to create multiple product records simultaneously by uploading a structured spreadsheet. All imported products are created as drafts — they are never published automatically. After import, review each product and complete any fields not covered by the CSV before publishing.
The import is best suited for operators migrating an existing product catalogue into Traceable, or for adding batches of similar products (such as a range of SLI or Portable batteries with known specifications).
Download the Template
Always start from the official Traceable import template. Do not attempt to create your own CSV structure from scratch, as column names and data formats must match exactly.
To download the template:
- Go to Products in the sidebar.
- Click Import Products.
- Click Download Template.
The template is a UTF-8 encoded CSV file. Open it in any spreadsheet application (Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, LibreOffice Calc). Do not change the column headers. Do not add columns that are not in the template — extra columns are silently ignored, but removing required columns will cause the import to fail.
Template Structure
Required Columns
These columns must be present and populated for every row. A missing or empty value in any required column will cause that row to fail validation and be excluded from the import.
| Column Name | Description | Format |
|---|---|---|
product_name | Commercial name of the product | Free text, max 200 characters |
battery_category | Battery category code | Must be one of: EV, LMT, INDUSTRIAL, SLI, PORTABLE (case-insensitive) |
battery_model_number | Manufacturer's model number | Free text, max 100 characters |
battery_chemistry | Electrochemical type | Must match a value from the chemistry controlled vocabulary (see below) |
nominal_capacity_ah | Rated capacity in ampere-hours | Positive decimal number (e.g., 75.0) |
nominal_voltage_v | Nominal voltage in volts | Positive decimal number (e.g., 400.0) |
manufacturer_name | Legal name of the manufacturer | Free text, max 200 characters |
manufacturer_country | Country of manufacture | ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code (e.g., DE, CN, PL) |
Optional Columns
These columns can be left blank. If a value is provided, it must conform to the format specified. Optional columns that fail format validation are cleared (set to blank) and a warning is recorded in the import report — they do not cause the row to fail.
| Column Name | Description | Format |
|---|---|---|
internal_reference | Your internal SKU or product code | Free text, max 100 characters |
energy_content_wh | Total energy in watt-hours | Positive decimal number |
mass_kg | Battery mass in kilograms | Positive decimal number |
manufacturer_address | Manufacturer registered address | Free text, max 500 characters |
manufacturing_facility_country | Country of manufacturing facility | ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code |
product_description | Optional product description | Free text, max 1000 characters |
Battery Chemistry Values
The battery_chemistry column must contain one of the following exact strings (case-insensitive):
lithium-ion-nmc, lithium-ion-lfp, lithium-ion-nca, lithium-ion-lco, lithium-ion-other, lead-acid-flooded, lead-acid-vrla-agm, lead-acid-gel, nickel-metal-hydride, sodium-ion, solid-state-lithium, other
If your chemistry is not in this list, use other and specify the chemistry in the product_description column.
Specifying Battery Category
The battery_category column controls the DPP schema that is applied to the imported product. The accepted values are:
EV— Electric Vehicle BatteryLMT— Light Means of Transport BatteryINDUSTRIAL— Industrial BatterySLI— Starting, Lighting, Ignition BatteryPORTABLE— Portable Battery
Entries with an invalid or misspelled category value will fail validation for that row. The remaining valid rows in the file will still be imported.
Import Limits
| Limit | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum rows per import | 500 |
| Maximum file size | 10 MB |
| File encoding | UTF-8 (required) |
| Permitted file extension | .csv only |
If your catalogue exceeds 500 products, split it into multiple CSV files and import them in batches. There is no limit on the total number of imports you can perform.
Fields Not Importable via CSV
The following DPP data categories cannot be imported via CSV and must be entered manually after import:
- Carbon footprint data (lifecycle stage breakdown)
- Supply chain due diligence information (raw material sourcing details)
- State of health performance parameters
- End-of-life / recyclability data
- Document uploads and associations
- GPS coordinates for manufacturing facilities
- Economic operator identifiers
These fields require structured data that cannot be reliably represented in a flat CSV format. Use the DPP editor after import to complete these sections.
Uploading the File
- Go to Products > Import Products.
- Click Choose File and select your completed CSV, or drag and drop the file onto the upload area.
- Click Validate to run a pre-import check without creating any records.
The validation step checks every row against all required column rules and format constraints. It produces a validation report showing:
- Total rows found
- Rows that will pass (valid)
- Rows that will fail, with the specific error for each row
Review the validation report carefully. If you want to fix errors before importing, close the dialog, edit your CSV, and re-upload. If the errors are in rows you are happy to skip, proceed directly to import — failed rows are excluded and valid rows are imported.
- Click Import [N] Products to confirm. The import runs immediately.
After a Successful Import
Imported products appear in the Products list with Draft status. A confirmation banner shows the number of products created and links to the import report.
The import report is available in Audit Trail for 90 days. It records:
- The full list of products created, with their assigned Traceable IDs
- Any rows that failed validation and the reason for each failure
- The timestamp of the import and the user who performed it
Review each imported product to:
- Complete sections that could not be populated via CSV (see limitations above).
- Verify that the imported values are accurate — particularly chemistry, capacity, and voltage.
- Upload any supporting documents.
- Send data requests to suppliers for fields requiring upstream data.
Once a product is ready, proceed to Publish a DPP.
Common Validation Errors
| Error Message | Cause | Resolution |
|---|---|---|
battery_category: invalid value "ev battery" | Category value does not match the accepted vocabulary | Use exactly EV (or LMT, INDUSTRIAL, SLI, PORTABLE) |
nominal_capacity_ah: must be a positive number | Capacity value is blank, zero, or contains a currency symbol or unit suffix | Enter a plain number: 75.0 not 75.0 Ah |
manufacturer_country: invalid ISO code "UK" | The United Kingdom ISO code is GB, not UK | Replace UK with GB |
battery_chemistry: unrecognised value | Chemistry string does not match the controlled vocabulary | Check spelling against the accepted values list above |
product_name: exceeds maximum length | Product name is over 200 characters | Shorten the product name; move detail to product_description |
File encoding error | CSV was saved in a non-UTF-8 encoding (common with Windows Excel) | Re-save the file as UTF-8: in Excel, use "Save As" → "CSV UTF-8 (Comma delimited)" |