Format your data for upload

This article will outline the necessary steps to ensure successful onboarding of your brand’s data. You will learn how easy it is to upload product details, images, 2D vector drawings and attachments.

Format Your Data for Upload

Once you’ve decided what to publish and gathered your data, the next step is formatting it for upload. Canoa uses CSV files to organize product information in bulk. This section will help you structure your spreadsheet for success—whether you’re uploading 10 SKUs or 100,000.

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📄 What is a CSV file?

A CSV (Comma Separated Values) file is a universal spreadsheet format used to import structured data. It works with Excel, Google Sheets, Airtable, and most database tools.

You’ll upload your catalog as a single .csv file through your Canoa Brand Dashboard.

📁 Need a starting point? Download our [CSV template] for a pre-formatted version with example rows.

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🧱 Required Fields

To publish a product, each row in your CSV must include these core fields:

Column Header	Description	Example
product_name	Display name of the product	“Lounge Chair 001”
sku	Unique identifier	“LG-CHAIR-001”
thumbnail_image	Direct image link (JPG or PNG)	https://yourcdn.com/images/lg001.png
description	Short summary (1–3 sentences max)	“A modern lounge chair with a walnut base.”
category	General category or type	“Seating”
product_url	Destination URL for backlinks	https://yourbrand.com/lg001?utm_source=canoa
brand_name	Your brand or manufacturer name	“Modern Form”

✅ Be sure all links are live and publicly accessible—no login walls or expired file paths.

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🧩 Optional (Recommended) Fields

While not required, these help improve product discoverability, search relevance, and downstream specification:

• price (MSRP or base pricing)

• dimensions (e.g., W x D x H in inches or mm)

• materials (e.g., powder-coated steel, recycled PET)

• finish_options or variants

• tags (keywords for filtering, e.g. “outdoor”, “stackable”)

• collection (e.g., “Spring 2024”)

• downloads (direct links to PDFs, DWGs, or SIF files)

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🔧 Formatting Guidelines

• Save the file as .csv, UTF-8 encoded

• Use consistent headers—no merged cells or blank rows

• Avoid extra formatting (bold text, cell shading, etc.)

• Keep columns in a consistent left-to-right order

🔎 Tip: Use Google Sheets or Airtable if you’re having trouble with Excel formatting or file encoding.

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🧪 Test Before Uploading

Before uploading your full catalog, we recommend testing with a sample file (10–20 rows). This helps surface any formatting errors before doing a bulk push.