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Importing & Exporting

DMS can bring inventory in from a CSV or XML file or a VIN lookup, and send your inventory back out again. This is the fastest way to load or update many listings at once.

Find it per inventory type at [Your Type] > Imports / Exports. (The menu label may read just "Imports" or "Exports" depending on your permissions.)

Where the file comes from (and goes)

You don't have to hand-upload every file. Both imports and exports support several sources and destinations:

Method Use it for
Upload Pick a file from your computer. Best for one-off imports.
URL Point DMS at a file's web address - handy for a feed a supplier or provider keeps updated at a fixed link.
FTP / sFTP Connect to a server with a host, username, password, path, and port (tick sFTP for a secure connection). Imports pull the file from there; exports push the generated file to there.

Automate it

On a Standard license or higher, you can automate imports and exports with an extension - set them to run on a schedule so a URL or FTP/sFTP feed keeps your inventory in sync on its own. Manage it right on the Imports / Exports page.

Importing from a file (CSV or XML)

  1. Go to [Your Type] > Imports / Exports and start a new import.
  2. Choose your source - Upload, URL, or FTP / sFTP (see above) - and point it at your CSV or XML file.
  3. For CSV, set the delimiter if it isn't a comma. For XML, choose the node that represents a single listing so DMS reads the right level of the file.
  4. Map the fields - tell DMS which column (CSV) or node (XML) matches which listing field (title, price, make, model, and so on). DMS remembers sensible matches; adjust any that are off.
  5. Run the import. DMS creates or updates listings from your data.

Map carefully

The field mapping is what turns a plain file into correctly-filled listings - a wrong mapping puts data in the wrong field.

Imports with lots of images

Downloading images is the slowest part of an import. If a listing has many images, or the import stops with a timeout, there are two things you can do:

  • Download images in the background (an option on the import's last setup step). The first image of each listing is downloaded during the import, so every listing has its main image right away. The rest of its images are then downloaded automatically in the background, a few at a time, after the import finishes. You do not need to keep the page open, and the listing fills in over the next few minutes.
  • Rows per request (on the screen where the import runs). The import sends listings to the server in groups. Auto starts with 5 and adjusts itself. If an import keeps stopping, pick a smaller number, down to 1.

If an import does stop, the screen keeps your place. Reopen it and choose Resume Import to carry on from the row it stopped at.

Reading an import's log

Open an import's Logs to see every run. Each run shows whether it succeeded, how long ago it ran, how long it took and what it did (created, updated, unchanged, removed, failed). Open Details for the source file, the results and three tabs:

  • Changes lists each listing the run created, updated or removed, with the row number from your file, the price and what changed. Filter by kind or search by name.
  • Problems lists rows that failed or had an error (such as an image that could not be downloaded), grouped by message.
  • Full Log is the plain text log, with search, Copy and Download.

Listings that were in the file but did not change are counted as Unchanged. Pick the Unchanged filter to list them; All shows only what the run changed. Runs from before this update only keep the count. If a file is much smaller than the last run, the run is flagged, since that often means the feed is missing listings. Runs from before this view existed only show the list of changes they kept.

Importing from a VIN

For vehicle inventory, a VIN import pulls specs automatically from the vehicle identification number, so you don't have to type out every detail. Enter or upload VINs and DMS fills in what it can.

Exporting

Export sends your current inventory out for backups, feeds, or moving data elsewhere. Choose which listings to include, pick the file type (CSV or XML, with the same delimiter/node options as importing), then either download the file or have DMS push it to an FTP / sFTP destination.

Tips

Before a big import

  • Back up first - a large import changes many listings at once.
  • Start small - test with a few rows to confirm your mapping before importing thousands.
  • Match your categories - imported values for make, model, etc. work best when they line up with your existing Categories.

Next: fine-tune imported listings in Managing Listings, or line up your attributes first in Categories.