The text is already in a spreadsheet
Your colleague sends a table with product names, weights and ingredients. The information is there, but someone still has to copy each value into the correct Illustrator file.
That takes time. It is also easy to paste into the wrong version or miss a later correction.
Paqira can import CSV and Excel files into a collection. A collection keeps related work together, such as the content for a group of labels. A CSV is a plain text file that stores a table; spreadsheet programs can usually save this format.
After import, the saved content can be used by prepared artwork scripts and workflows. You still check the information and the result, but you do not have to retype every value.
Decide what each row means
Before importing, decide whether the file describes one product or several products. Paqira supports both kinds of table.
One file describes one product
In this layout, each row contains a field name and its value. A field is a named piece of information.
For example:
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| productName | Lemon Tea |
| netWeight | 100 g |
| ingredients | The checked ingredient text |
An optional language value tells Paqira which language a row belongs to. Values without a language can be shared.
This layout can be useful when the team already keeps a separate file for each product.
Each row describes a product or language version
In this layout, the columns contain details such as product name, flavour and weight. Each row holds the values for a product or a language version of it.
Rows with the same name can be combined into one item. An optional locale column identifies the language for the row.
Use the layout that matches your existing information. Try a small file first so you can see what each row becomes after import.
Understand two useful column names
Some import terms are technical because they are also names used in the file.
Locale identifies a language version. For example, en is English and pl is Polish. Keep the codes consistent so the text goes
into the intended language.
External ID, written as externalId, is a fixed reference for a product. It helps match an incoming row with an item already saved
in Paqira.
Think of it as the product's permanent reference number. The display name may change, but the reference should stay the same. This is useful when the next spreadsheet is meant to update existing content.
If someone else prepares the import file, agree these details with them. An operator should not have to guess whether two similar names refer to the same product.
Clean up the file before importing
Keep one meaning in each column. Do not mix a final product description with notes such as “please check this later” in the same cell.
Look for common problems:
- the same product listed twice with slightly different names,
- several languages inside one cell,
- blank cells with no clear meaning,
- product codes that have lost their starting zero,
- numbers or dates changed by spreadsheet formatting,
- comments that should not appear in the artwork.
Check cells that use formulas as well. Make sure the values the team intends to import are clear.
Keep the original spreadsheet as a reference and work on a copy. This helps if you need to compare the imported content with the file you received.
Check the import before running artwork
Paqira checks selected files and shows whether they are ready to import or contain an error. This helps catch problems with the file's structure.
That check cannot tell you whether an ingredient list or a translation is correct. The content still needs a person to review it.
After import, open a few items and confirm:
- The expected products were created or updated.
- Names and external IDs match the right products.
- Each language contains the intended text.
- Shared details, such as weight, are present where needed.
- Blank cells have not changed content in an unexpected way.
Choose an ordinary product and a difficult one. A long description or several language versions will show more than a row with very little text.
Try the content in the artwork
Once the data is checked, use a prepared workflow to make a test. A workflow is the saved sequence of steps used to produce the files.
Look at the artwork with the designer. Does the long product name fit? Is the weight in the correct place? Are all the ingredients visible?
If the wording is wrong, correct the agreed source. If the wording is right but does not fit, ask the designer to review the layout or the person maintaining the script to check its rules.
Avoid quietly shortening approved text just to make a box fit. The person responsible for the content needs to be involved in that decision.
Agree where the next correction belongs
An import copies information into Paqira. It does not mean that a later spreadsheet edit automatically changes the saved content.
Decide how updates will be handled. Will the team import a reviewed file each time? Or will it maintain the content directly in Paqira? Everyone should know which version to use.
Teams with a separate product information system can also arrange a software connection through an API. That is a setup task for the people responsible for those systems. Day-to-day operators need clear instructions about where the content comes from.
Paqira also accepts JSON files, which are often prepared by software. CSV or Excel may be the easier starting point when the team already works in spreadsheets.
Start with a small import you can check
Choose a few related products, import a working copy and check it with the person who supplied the text. Then make and review a test artwork file before producing the full set.
Keep the agreed column names and product references for future updates. This gives the next person a file they can understand and reuse.
The useful change is practical: less time moving text from cell to text box, and more time checking that the right content reaches the right design.