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The instructions below follow ecomdash and HostGator documentation. The first-party guides were published in 2020–2021, so labels can differ in a current account; confirm the visible menu name before proceeding.
Before adding anything
Complete the product-setup decisions before importing data. ecomdash’s product setup documentation puts sales-channel integration before product creation (product setup overview).
- Connect every marketplace or storefront you intend to manage.
- Choose the inventory authority. ecomdash’s quantity documentation describes ecomdash as the inventory master, with changes made there manually or through an inventory feed (quantity-field rules).
- Normalize SKUs. Decide whether identical physical goods will share one master SKU, and document each channel-specific SKU.
- Prepare names, prices, descriptions, images, identifiers, warehouse quantities, supplier data and costs.
- Classify each item as a regular product, variation, kit or bundle, multipack, or built/manufactured product.
- Decide whether this is a new load, a correction to existing catalog data, or an incremental stock receipt.
Method 1: Download existing storefront listings
This is usually the fastest route when active products already exist on a connected channel and its data is cleaner than your spreadsheet.
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- Connect the storefront or marketplace.
- Open Actions > Download Listings.
- Select the storefront and click Download.
- Check progress at Products > Active Listings > View History > Listing Import.
ecomdash imports active listings from the selected channel and organizes them by SKU (ecomdash product-import guide). You can start downloads for multiple storefronts, but processing occurs one at a time. Global attributes such as listing title, price, short description, listing description and condition may be applied during download.
When not to rely on a listing download
- Only active listings are included; inactive or archived products are not a complete migration.
- Different SKUs for the same physical item can create separate records instead of shared stock.
- Marketplace records may lack the identifiers, warehouse fields, supplier costs or clean descriptions you want as your canonical catalog.
- A successful import does not prove that channel listings are correctly mapped for synchronization.
Method 2: Upload an inventory file
Use a file when you need control over a larger catalog, are migrating from a spreadsheet or another system, or need to update many records consistently.
- Prepare a CSV or another supported inventory file.
- Create an ecomdash import format whose columns match your file. HostGator’s instructions recommend downloading the appropriate template and preserving its column structure unless you are using an explicitly editable format (HostGator product and inventory guide).
- Open Actions > Upload Inventory. In the HostGator-documented interface the path is Products > Upload Inventory; use the label shown in your account.
- Select the file and matching format.
- Choose the duplicate-SKU action.
- Upload the file.
- Review Products > All Products > View History > Upload Inventory.
Choose the duplicate-SKU action carefully
| Action | What it does | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Perform No Action | Leaves an existing matching record unchanged. | You are adding new SKUs and do not want existing records touched. |
| Overwrite Existing Product Details with File | Replaces existing product information with the file’s values. | The file is a complete, corrected catalog record. |
| Increase Existing Product Quantity with File | Adds the file quantity to the existing quantity. | You are receiving or adding stock incrementally, not replacing a total count. |
Export or otherwise back up the affected records before using Overwrite or Increase. If a file contains a new total of 50 units, choosing Increase when 50 already exists creates 100; choosing Overwrite with a partial file can erase corrected fields.
Create a product manually
- Open Products.
- Select Create Product > Product.
- Enter the product name, SKU and quantity.
- Complete the details and click Save.
Fields worth completing
- Catalog: product name, SKU, images, reorder level and Auto Sync.
- Listing defaults: listing title, price, condition, short description and long description. Global values can prefill new listings, but applying them broadly can overwrite channel-specific copy.
- Warehouse: warehouse, aisle, bin and warehouse-specific quantity.
- Supplier and cost: supplier, supplier SKU, target inventory level, unit cost, average cost and landed cost.
- Identifiers: UPC, GTIN, ISBN, EAN, brand, manufacturer, manufacturer part number and MAP price.
- Shipping: length, width, depth, major and minor weight, and units of measure.
The HostGator guide documents JPG, PNG and GIF uploads, up to 12 images, and HTTPS image URLs where a marketplace requires them. A channel can impose lower image counts or additional format rules (image and product-field documentation).
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Understand products, listings and publishing
A product is the inventory record. A listing is that product’s channel-specific representation. A draft listing is prepared but not live; an active listing is published on a storefront or marketplace.
Listing details can include title, description, SKU mapping, displayed quantity, images, banner text, pricing and sale settings, taxability, category and fulfillment type. Save the listing, then use Publish. Channel-specific categories, required identifiers, shipping rules, variation attributes and image limits still need separate review; one global product record does not automatically satisfy every marketplace.
Global versus channel-specific data
Use global listing fields for values that genuinely apply everywhere. Keep channel overrides where titles, prices, descriptions, categories or fulfillment settings differ. Check listing history after publishing so a saved draft is not mistaken for a live offer.
Update an existing product
- Go to Products.
- Open the product’s vertical-ellipsis menu and choose Details.
- Edit the required fields.
- Click Save.
For larger changes, use the inventory formats or bulk inventory editor referenced in ecomdash’s product resources (product support topics). Treat quantity-on-hand and maximum-available quantity as separate fields when preparing a bulk file.
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Control the quantity sent to storefronts
Quantity on hand and maximum available
Quantity on hand is the physical or system quantity. The documented default is that ecomdash sends the lower of quantity on hand and maximum available quantity (quantity-field rules).
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| Quantity on hand | Maximum available | Quantity sent by default |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | 30 | 30 |
| 25 | 30 | 25 |
Reserve level
A reserve level withholds a safety buffer. With 10 units on hand and a reserve level of 3, the documented sync quantity is 7. Reserves can be set globally at product level or for individual storefronts.
Syncable balance and warehouses
The documented syncable balance is based on warehouse quantities minus reserve levels. Warehouse settings can exclude a warehouse from that balance. Check inclusion before assuming all physical stock is sellable online.
The Always Use Max Available Quantity option can cause sales when actual stock is insufficient; enable it only when you understand the overselling risk. The documentation also states that available quantity defaults to 999, but verify that behavior in your account before relying on it.
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Auto Sync and manual synchronization
With Auto Sync enabled, quantity changes can be pushed to connected storefronts. ecomdash recommends using Sync Now after quantity changes. This is not a promise of instant delivery: channel APIs, queues, listing errors or disconnected integrations can delay or block an update.
Map duplicate or cross-channel SKUs
If one physical product has different channel SKUs, map those records to one master before depending on shared inventory. Do not delete apparent duplicates first.
Product-level mapping
- Open Products > All Products.
- Choose Listing View and select the master SKU.
- Click the green plus icon and choose Map Additional.
- Select the other SKU records and click Map.
Channel SKU mapping
- Open Products > All Products in Default View.
- Open the master product with Actions > View.
- Choose Manage Listings > Channel Settings.
- Assign channel-specific SKUs in the SKU Mapping column and save.
- Only after confirming every listing points to the master should you remove obsolete duplicate records.
These mapping workflows are described in ecomdash’s inventory-organization guide (organizing inventory).
Create variations
- Go to Products > All Products.
- Select Add New > Parent Product.
- Enter the parent name and SKU, then create it.
- Add existing child products with Add Variation.
- Create variation attributes and options, assigning up to three option sets.
The parent groups the variations and does not hold quantity; child products are the stock-bearing records. The ecomdash guide lists eBay, Shopify, Walmart, Google, Bonanza, Etsy, WooCommerce and BigCommerce as supporting variation channels, but verify current channel requirements before publication.
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Every component must already exist as a product.
- Open Products > All Products and choose Add New > Kit.
- Enter the kit name and SKU.
- Add components and specify how many of each component the kit contains.
- Save.
Available kit quantity is limited by the scarcest component. A kit requiring one unit each of components stocked at 10 and 5 units yields five kits. Change stock at the component level; change the kit’s title or description at the kit level.
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Bulk kit import
Download the Bulk Kit Import Format, populate kit SKU, kit name, component SKU and component quantity, then upload it through the inventory-import process and select the appropriate duplicate-SKU action (bulk kit instructions).
Create built or manufactured products
- Go to Products > All Products > Add New > Built Product.
- Enter the name and SKU and select Create.
- Choose Manage Materials > Add New Material.
- Add existing component products and specify the quantity required for each.
- Save, then create work orders to increase finished-product quantity on hand.
A kit models a sellable combination of existing goods; a built product models a finished item assembled from materials. Do not use them interchangeably.
Verify imports, listings and synchronization
- The product appears under All Products with the intended SKU.
- Quantity, warehouse assignment, reserve level and maximum available settings are correct.
- The product is connected to the intended storefronts.
- Channel SKU mapping points to the correct master.
- Images load over HTTPS where required and identifiers meet the channel’s rules.
- The listing is in the expected draft or active area and has been published when intended.
- Listing-import, upload-inventory, sync, listing, inventory-import or inventory-export history shows successful processing.
- A small test group synchronizes correctly before a full-catalog rollout.
Troubleshoot common failures
The import is missing
Check that the file used the matching format, that the upload completed, and that View History shows no processing error. Confirm that you are looking under All Products rather than only active listings.
A duplicate product appeared
Compare SKUs across channels, identify the master record, map additional records or channel SKUs, and delete nothing until every listing is confirmed on the master.
The quantity is wrong
Recheck warehouse inclusion, reserve level and maximum available quantity. Confirm that an incremental receipt was not uploaded with Increase when it represented a replacement total.
The storefront did not update
Confirm Auto Sync, run Sync Now, inspect sync and listing history, and verify that the integration is connected. Channel processing may not be immediate.
A listing will not publish
Check required identifiers, category attributes, variation structure, image URLs, pricing, fulfillment and channel-specific fields. A saved draft is not a published listing.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
