Generic File: Add a Store - Importing From a Local or Network Folder

ShipWorks can import from your PC, from a network location, FTP directory or even pull from an email. In this example we will be pulling our orders from an Excel file located on a network share. This is useful if you are running multiple ShipWorks computers and would like for more than one of them to be able to import the order files. If you only have one ShipWorks PC, you can certainly create a folder on that PC.

We want to have a unique directory from which only ShipWorks orders are imported. If any other files are placed in this directory you may encounter errors in ShipWorks and unexpected behavior may occur.

1. Go to the location at which you would like to create your ShipWorks Import folder. Again, this can be a network share or just a folder in My Documents if you would like.

2. Create a new folder at this location and name it ShipWorks Import. (You can name the folder whatever name you would like, really.)

3. Open the ShipWorks Import folder. Create a new Folder in the ShipWorks Import folder and name it Complete.

4. Now, copy your file containing your orders into the ShipWorks Import folder.

Great! Now, you are ready to begin working in the ShipWorks application.

1. Click on the Manage tab, then on the Stores button. Then, click Add Store.

2. Select the platform you are adding to ShipWorks from the What platform do you sell on? drop-down menu. Then, click Next.

3. Now, select the type of file you will be importing from the What type of file will ShipWorks be importing: option. Then, click Next.

For this example, we are importing from an Excel spreadsheet, so we have selected the Excel option.

4. Next, we need to tell ShipWorks from where we are pulling our data. From the Import the data from: menu select A folder on your computer or network.

For this example we are using a folder located at a network location. The FTP and email options are outside of the scope of this article.

5. We can now define from where we want to pull our data. We can also define where to move the successfully imported file to and how to handle any errors that may occur during import.

1. Click on the Browse button located under the Import the data from: section.

2. Go to and select the ShipWorks Import folder we created in the Creating the Import Folder section above. Then, click OK.

Import Options

There are two options available.

We will not select either of these options since we are using this folder ONLY for files that will be imported into ShipWorks and the files will always be named the same.

• Only import file names that match this pattern - Tells ShipWorks to only import files that match a defined naming pattern.

• Skip files names that match this pattern - Tells ShipWorks to skip importing any files that match a defined naming pattern.

Now, let's tell ShipWorks to where the successfully imported file should be moved. (Remember that we created the Complete folder earlier?)

1. Click on the Browse button located in the After a successful import: section.

2. Navigate to the Complete folder that we created in the previous section. Then, click OK.

Note

You do have the option of having the file deleted after a successful import.

There are two options that you can select from for when an error occurs while importing an import file. Let's take a look at them:

1. From the If an error occurs while importing: drop-down menu, select the option that works best for you. In this example, we are leaving the default to stop and display an error.

Nice job! We are now ready to select the actual import file and to begin the mapping process.

2. Click Next.

Now, we are going to point ShipWorks to the actual order file that we wish to use for mapping. We placed the import file into our ShipWorks Import folder earlier on in this article. If you missed this step, no problem, just paste it into the folder now.

1. In the Import Map screen, click on the New Map button.

2. Click on Browse, navigate to your ShipWorks Import folder and, select the import file you will use to create your mapping. Then, click Open.

After selecting the import file, ShipWorks will display the data found in the file so that you can be sure that it looks correct. By default, ShipWorks will look to the first row of an Excel file (row A) for the column headers.

3. If needed, modify your headers so that they are located on the first row of your spreadsheet or data source. Once the data is correct, click Next.

If you have never mapped a file to an application or database before, it is super easy. What we will be doing is defining to ShipWorks exactly where ShipWorks should import your data to. For example, ShipWorks does not know that it should place the customer's first name into the First Name field. So, we are going to tell ShipWorks where to place our data.

Before we begin mapping, take a look at the Map Setting section. it gives you the File Name, source information and Date format information. If the Date format is not correct, you can click on the Edit button to manually configure the date and time settings.

OK, let's begin mapping.

Notice that ShipWorks breaks the data down into 3 separate groups, Orders, Address, and Items. When you select one of the three groups, only the fields in ShipWorks that relate to this group are made available for mapping. This is done to help organize the mapping process.

In addition, the Column Mapping screen is divided into two columns. The ShipWorks Field column lists the available fields in the ShipWorks database while the Source Column allows you to select from your import file what data should be imported into the ShipWorks Field.

We will not go through mapping every single field in our file. That would make this article really, really long. So, instead we will map two or three columns for each group so that you can see how it is done.

1. Select Orders from the Column Mappings screen. Now, let's map the Order Number. In the Source Column click the drop-down menu to the right of Order Number. A list of all of the available columns in your source file will be displayed along with examples of the data from your import file.

2a. Click on the Column Name that houses your order number data. Notice that the OrderNumber source column is now mapped to the Order Number field in ShipWorks. This means that when you import your orders, ShipWorks knows where to place the order number in its' database.

2b. Let's map one more column from the Orders group. Sometimes, you will need to map to a field in ShipWorks based upon how your input file is formatted. For example, you will notice that ShipWorks has an Order Date and Time field AND separate Order Date and Order Time fields. Our sample import file only has an order date so we will only use the Order Date field. However, if you have both the order date and the order time in the same column, you may wish to use the Order Date and Time field in ShipWorks.

2c. Continue mapping all of the Order fields in your import file to the fields available to you in ShipWorks.

3. Select the Address group on the Column Mappings screen. Notice that the ShipWorks Fields change to show only the fields that relate to address information.

3a. In our sample import file, we only have one address. So, we will map our address columns to the Ship to fields in ShipWorks. Map your address columns to the available fields in ShipWorks.

Mapping the Ship First Name field

Mapping the Ship Last Name field

Mapping the Ship to Address1 field.

3. Continue mapping the address columns from your import file to the available fields in ShipWorks.

4. Select the Items group from the Column Mappings section. The screen changes to display only the ShipWorks fields related to items.

5. Make note of the Multiple Items section available to you now. You will use this section to define how the line items are listed in your import file. There are two options available to you. Let's take a look at both of these options.

Click to enlarge the above image

With this option selected, you can select the max number of items you will need to map to ShipWorks and how many attributes are available for each item.

Click here to enlarge the above image.

With this option selected you can specify what column of your input file identifies each order and the number of attributes associated to your items. It is important to note that line items will be combined into a single order only when the unique identifier appears in contiguous lines of your import file. (For example: In the above image, OrderNumber 6000 appears on lines 2 and 3 for the import file. So, the line items will be combined into a single order.)

5a. Based upon the above examples, select the correct option for your import file. For this example, we will select the below options:

5b. Map the appropriate columns from your import file to the correct fields in ShipWorks.

6. When you have completed mapping all of your Order, Address, and Item fields, click Next.

Congratulations! You have completed the Generic File setup!

7. Click Finish. Then, click Close.

Once you have completed your Generic File setup you will be able to import the orders from your input file. To test your setup:

1. Ensure that your import file is placed into the ShipWorks import folder that you created in the above steps.

2. In ShipWorks, go to the Home tab and then click on the Download button.

If all goes well you will see your orders being imported into the ShipWorks software.

You will also notice that the import file was moved from the ShipWorks Import folder into the Complete folder you created in the steps above. It will also be appended with the date and time that it was imported into ShipWorks.