How To: Import Items with Multiple Sizes
End user · Yellow Dog Inventory 2026
WHY IT'S IMPORTANT
Yellow Dog Inventory lets you import items directly into the database, which saves significant time when adding large numbers of new parent and child items at once. Parent/child imports run in two parts — the parent item data first, then the child item data — with a unique identifier tying each pair together. Use this feature with extreme caution: if mistakes are made during the import and development is required to correct them, a labor charge applies to clean them up.
PREREQUISITES
Before you begin, confirm the following:
• Import Data permission. This is typically granted only to admin users. If you cannot see Import Data, see your onsite admin for additional permissions.
• Your file is saved in CSV format, not an Excel file.
• Every parent and child item has its own unique identifier assigned in the spreadsheet. The parent unique identifier is what ties the parent and child together. The identifier does not need to be meaningful to Yellow Dog (for example: YDTest001, YDTest002, YDTest003).
• The levels/departments your items belong in have already been created in Yellow Dog.
• The vendors you are assigning to your items have already been created in Yellow Dog. Spelling and upper/lowercase must match verbatim between your import sheet and Yellow Dog.
• The variations of the dimensions you are assigning have already been created in Yellow Dog.
STEP BY STEP
Map your columns
When mapping the vendor/manufacturer and level fields, you can match on either the name/description or the assigned code. Confirm that the option for Description or Code (Identifier) is the one you intend to use.
Import the parent items
1. Go to System Setup > Import Data.
2. Select the three black dots (…) to the right of Import File and browse to the file on your computer.
Note: The file will not populate if it is still open on your computer while you import. Close the file first. |
3. Confirm the store(s) the items will be imported for.
4. Confirm that the data from your file populates on screen.
5. Right-click in the column headers to map your columns to the corresponding fields in Yellow Dog. Refer to the attached import field Key for the full list of fields that can be imported.
6. Map all columns you want to import for the
parent item.
7. Select Import.
8. Confirm you have checked all your column mapping.
9. Wait for your items to import.
Note: The larger the file and the more fields you import, the longer it takes to process the data. |
Import the child items
1. Once the parent items have finished importing, map the columns that contain your child item data. You do not need the parent item data mapped except for the unique identifier.
a. Map the child item's unique identifier to the Unique Identifier field.
b. Map the parent item's unique identifier to the Parent Unique Value field.
2. Select Import.
3. Confirm you have checked all your column mapping.
4. Wait for your items to import.
5. When the import is complete, select Update Item SKUs to assign SKUs to the items you just imported.
Note: Update Item SKUs is a supplemental permission to import. If the button is greyed out, see your onsite admin for additional permissions. |
6. Go to the Inventory Items screen to verify your items imported and appear correct. If the SKUs do not fill in right away, select Refresh Data. In some cases, maintenance must run overnight to generate SKUs.
RELATED ARTICLES
• Feature Overview: Managing inventory items with multiple sizes
Last reviewed: June 2026 · Applies to: Yellow Dog Inventory 2026
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