Insites Docs Instance EcommerceEcommerce Categories Importing and Exporting Categories

Importing and Exporting Categories

Last updated on January 16, 2026.

Insites enables importing and exporting product categories via comma-separated value (CSV) files. This capability is useful when you must pass data to or from an external system that is not integrated with Insites.

For example, you may need to migrate inventory data from a spreadsheet to Insites or use inventory data in Insites in another program. In these scenarios, importing and exporting data lets you transfer data from one system to another without manually re-entering it.

Importing categories

To import categories:

  1. Navigate to Ecommerce from the main menu.
  2. Select Categories.
  3. Select the overflow menu (), then select Import Categories.
  4. Select the CSV Template link on the 'Import Categories' modal to download the CSV template.
  5. Use the CSV template to guide you in creating an import file that matches the input requirements in Insites.
  6. When your CSV file is ready, return to the 'Import Categories' modal by executing steps #1 - #3.
  7. Use the clickable area on the modal to upload your CSV file.
  8. Select IMPORT CATEGORIES.

The following table displays the input requirements and descriptions for importing a category into an Instance:

Column Header Type Required Description
UUID String No UUID of the category.
Category Name String Yes Name of the category.
Parent Category UUIDs Array No Links this category to a larger hierarchy. Use arrays to nest sub-categories for a professional, organized store structure.

Sample input: ["6cd1036f-a13a-4320-8b00-3583d9279552","58858ef9-fdc3-41c9-9cb7-c2b2648fa88e"]
Slug String No The search-friendly URL segment used to view the category details page. Optimized slugs improve organic search rankings and link readability.
Category Title String No Title of the category.
Category Heading String No The main on-page H1 title. Reinforces the category theme for shoppers upon landing.
Short Description String No A brief, punchy summary of the category used in previews and search snippets to entice customer clicks.
Long Description String No Comprehensive content area for rich storytelling and SEO-heavy text to build category authority.
Meta Title String No The clickable headline in search results. Target 40–60 characters to maximize visibility and click rates.
Meta Description String No The search result summary. Keep between 150–160 characters to provide a compelling 'call to action.'
Canonical URL String No Designates the master version of a page, preventing SEO penalties caused by duplicate content paths.
Is Visible to Search Engines Boolean No

Use this option to show or hide the product category's page on search results. Can be used, for example, to hide draft categories or seasonal landing pages.Input options:

  • TRUE
  • FALSE
Open Graph String No Custom headline for social media shares. Ensures your category looks attractive when shared on platforms like X or Facebook. The field can only be used if the 'Use Meta Title as Open Graph Title' option is turned off.
Open Graph Description String No High-conversion summary for social feeds. Drives engagement and traffic directly from social discovery.
Open Graph URL String No The authoritative link for social posts to ensure all 'likes' and shares consolidate to a single URL.
Open Graph Type String No Type of content, i.e., website, article, and blog.
Open Graph Site Name String No The overarching brand name, reinforcing site identity across all social shares.
Is Sitemap Enabled Boolean No Add or hide the product category page from the system sitemap.
Sitemap Priority Float No The priority of this product category page's URL relative to other URLs on the site. Valid values range from 0.0 to 1.0. URLs are sorted in descending order.
Sitemap Order Integer No Sorts URLs that share the same priority. Ensures a logical, ascending crawl order for search engines.
Sitemap Change Frequency String No

An indication provided to search engines about how often this product category page is likely changed or updated. Options include the following:

  • Always
  • Hourly
  • Daily
  • Weekly
  • Monthly
  • Yearly

Crawlers treat the values chosen as a 'hint,' not a 'command.' For example, crawlers may crawl pages marked 'hourly' less frequently than that.

Schema Content Code No Specialized JSON-LD markup. Enables 'Rich Snippets' like star ratings and price ranges directly in search results.
Status String No

The status of the product category. Options include the following:

  • Enabled
  • Disabled
  • Archived
Category Weighting Integer No Manually controls the display order in menus. Use to promote high-margin or popular categories to the top.

Adding or updating a category via CSV

Use the 'UUID' column to add or update a category:

  • To ADD a category: Leave the 'UUID' column empty. A new category is created and automatically assigned a new and unique UUID.
  • To UPDATE a category: Provide the relevant 'UUID' of an existing category. Providing a UUID that does not exist causes an error.
Note

Importing images and files is not supported. However, you may add content to your product category using the following tabs when updating or creating a category:

Exporting categories

To export categories:

  1. Navigate to Ecommerce from the main menu.
  2. Select Categories.
  3. Select the overflow menu (), then select Export Categories.
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