Trouble Uploading Inventory

[ndixon]

I'm bulk editing my categories via excel. I'm having issues importing my edited inventory. When I go to import it the progress bar goes normal until like 5% and then jumps to 100% and returns an error. It tells me to refresh the page and try again later. I've tried this and it won't work. In the past, it would let me download an error report so I could see what I need to change for it to upload properly but I'm not getting that option now. This is really frustrating because I've just wasted a bunch of my time. I tried re-exporting and editing again to see if that would make it go. Any ideas on this? 

[RobynR]

Hey @ndixon,

Thanks for reaching out to the Community.  

Can you please provide a screenshot or screen recording of the error message you are receiving, so we can see what you're experiencing? 

[ndixon]

Any chance you could update me on this?

[ndixon]

[ndixon]

@RobynR  ^^^

[ndixon]

I'm still having this problem

[Candlestore]

The Screen shot you posted earlier (weeks ago) shows that there was 1 Error.   No identification on the error or if you could download the error file.  I have no idea of a way to compare your New file your trying to upload to your Current Catalog that is in Square.  

The best Idea I have to find this might be to take your New File your trying to upload, and turn it into a Pivot table.   Then 1 at a time view the column Headers as a Sort.   Look through the Sort and see if you see anything weird, Like letters instead of a Price point or letters in a Cost column.   Without seeing the File your trying to upload its hard to pinpoint your 1 error.

Yes Square did use to give a Downloadable error file but I am not sure why you are not getting that to Download.  If you want to send me a DM of your file your trying to Upload, I can see if I can find the error your having or see if I get an error log when I upload it.

[ndixon]

Ya it doesn't give me the option of downloading an error file for some reason. I was able to fix an error before using that. I have thousands of items it would take me too much time to look through everything line by line to try to find the needle in the hay stack. I appreciate your response. I'm trying not to get on a service call with Square because that would take a long time too. For now everything works albeit in an annoying unorganized way. I'm mostly trying to change categories with the replace function in excel. I make sure I do only full cells so it won't change part of a description or something in an item name.

[Candlestore]

@ndixon ;

I just got the same screen you posted below but I was able to download an error log.  The issue is that I do not understand the Error in Question.

In the last column I have the below text:

      Invalid token in cell B8. To create a new item variation, leave the token value blank.

The problem is I never adjusted the Token field (31 Errors).

Token field MATCHES the Downloaded xlsx file from Square original.  I only adusted the Variation Name fields.  

Meaning I had variations missed named 3x6 Pillar for all my 2x3, 2x6, 3x3, 3x9 etc.  Changed these from 3x6 to the correct variation names and now I got the:

    Invalid token in cell B8. To create a new item variation, leave the token value blank.

Now here is the REALLY strange part.  When I went to my Items Dashboard and entered the SKU, the CORRECT variation showed for at least the first 5 errors that were highlighted and marked as invalid Token error.

So I think this is working even though I had ERRORS?

I realized this when I was away today and my son range up an Item.  The correct Item name showed up, but the Variation and Price were wrong.   He told me he typed in 3x6 pine and selected the first one.  Problem was on my stand when your search 3x6 Pine i got 3x6 pine, but also was getting every other size that I had 3x6, in the Variation accidentally for a Pine scent.   So he chose a 4x9 Pine that had Variation name of 3x6.  Now on my Square dashboard if I typed in 3x6 Pine only 1 item showed up.  

Here are my Search images from my Square Stand (Ipad) and my Square Dashboard.

As you can see two different search results and they are 1 minute apart  14:32 and 2:33pm both on 7-8-2024.  Why are they different when the same phrase was typed in?   On my dashboard I thought I had everything correct but my Ipad gave different results.  This is why I was fixing my Catalog by export and upload.  Not even touching the Token Column.   IDK but I wonder if the errors you had went through anyway like mine appear they did.   I search by SKU and the Upload appeard on my dashboard correctly!?!?!?   

Things like this is why I do not like Squares adds on my receipt for a referal.  

[ndixon]

No I wish my updates went through even though there was an error. The thing I'm trying to do is simplify my categories so it's easier for our bookkeeper to enter them into the books. Instead of having French, Italian, California Wine I'm just switching them all to Wine etc. I'm using the replace function in excel. Maybe it's replacing more than I anticipated. I switched it to full cells only which should work in theory. It'll only change the cells that have just the search term like replace "Sparking Wine" with "Wine". When I was first doing it, it was replacing things everywhere. If I had Italian in the description and I changed "Italian" to "Wine" it would change that in the description. When I toggled on the full cell option it fixed this but maybe there are other instances of that going on.

On the topic of the error reports, it isn't giving me the option to download one which sucks. I have no idea why this is happening. If I could download the error report. I wouldn't be posting here. 

For your issue, it seems like something wrong happened. I've had things not update on our square register before. It fixed it when I rebooted and forced the square software to look at the inventory again. Maybe you could try restarting everything and see what happens. Worst case scenario you could revert back to a previous inventory. From my understanding, it looks at the tokens and replaces the things you've changed that are attached to that token if you've made changes. It seems like you did everything correctly. May be we could get some insight on these problems with a Square employee?? 🤔

[Candlestore]

@ndixon 

Create in Square a Category Wine  set this as a Reporting category

Then Set French, Italian etc as Subcategories of Wine.

Maybe this would be less stressful and accomplish What your bookkeeper wants.   IDK?

[ndixon]

This is what I have in place. I just have hundreds of items to switch over. Also the spreadsheet inventory only has room for one category? Maybe this is where it's messing up in my case.

[Candlestore]

@ndixon ;

In your Square Dashboard on a computer.

Here is more on Categories : 8024-create-and-manage-item-categories 

Only reason I know of doing this, is I did it with all my Taper candles

Tapers, Formals, then by Size, ... etc but are all reported as Tapers

Above image Tapers is Parent Reporting Category I think

    Teenager - HandDipped Regulars and also Handdipped Slims

     Child are like the 8in 10in etc

I did this for myself not an accountant.

Lets say you have Red Wines

Then under the Category of Red Wines you have 50 Variations or Items.

Under Items - Categories   create a New Category call it Wines. Make this a Reporting Category.

Then also in the Categories find Red Wines.

Open that category up and it should say Like Parent.... search for the newly Created Wines Category and your done with Red Wines all 50 will now show in Wines Parent Category and Red Wines Child Category

Repeat for all categories you want under Wine.

Yes Square CSV files only show the One Category.... I forget if this is a Reporting or Parent category

Here is how I have Parent and Child Categories setup:

Parent Category Settings

Child Category Setting below

To change a category click the Edit in blue.... as you see I have Tapers as Parent for Hand Dipped Regular category.

I also found out that when you Move a category to a sub category or vice versa all items folow along in the hiarchy.  In my opinion this would be ALOT quicker than the CSV download especially as we discussed only 1 Category is reported in the csv file.

[ndixon]

Oh that's interesting. I'll try moving around the categories to see if I can get them reporting the right ones by moving it in as a subcategory. I have my categories set up like this since they introduced this feature but I am still moving stuff over from before that.

[Candlestore]

@ndixon ;

Just remember to change the Item Reporting Category to what you want.  Most likely Wine(s) in your case for your example.  Then you can do the items as the correct reporting category in the csv file.

I am guessing here but if you tried making Wines as a reporting category but did not have it in Categories first, that could be why your Upload gave you an error?  IDK

I wish I knew which Category Square exported ..... Parent, Child, or reporting category.   I believe its the Reporting category but not sure.

Here is what an Item looks like with a Subcategory and Parent Category.   Also you can choose a Reporting Category.   see Catalog Item image below :

On my Items Export the Category for the above Item is Tapers, for your refrence.