Catsy makes it easy to import your existing product catalog, whether you’re migrating from spreadsheets, Shopify exports, or existing management tools.

Data Preparation and Cleaning 

Clean your data before you import it! Use consistent naming conventions, standardized attribute formatting, and logical organization for your categories. 

Then, remove any duplicate entries, resolve your naming inconsistencies, and standardize your measurement units. This preparation work pays off throughout the entire implementation process.

Import Process and Validation 

Catsy’s import tools recognize common data formats and suggest field mappings based on your column headers and content patterns. The system guides you through mapping your existing data to a PIM structure.

Validation tools identify potential issues during import. Missing required fields, formatting inconsistencies, and logical conflicts are flagged for resolution before they are published to your channels.

Step 2: Create Your Product Hierarchy – Charting Your Catalog Structure

PIM systems thrive on well-organized data. Establishing clear product hierarchies enables efficient management and powerful automation capabilities.

Category and Family Organization 

Define product categories that reflect what your customers search for and how your business manages your data. Categories should be intuitive for customers, but should also support efficiency for your teams. 

Group related products into families that share common attributes. Product families enable template-driven content creation and batch operations that will drastically improve your efficiency.

Product Template Development 

Create standardized templates for each of your different product types. Templates may define required fields, formatting rules, and validation criteria that will ensure consistency across your catalog.

Remember that your templates should balance standardization with flexibility. Core attributes should remain consistent while your product-specific details can be customized as needed.

Step 3: Build Your Attribute System – Creating Your Navigation Framework

Attributes are the DNA of your product information architecture. Well-designed attribute systems enable powerful automation and consistency across each of your channels. 

Core Attribute Categories 

Physical specs, which may include dimensions, materials, and colors, provide essential details that your customers rely on to make decisions. 

Performance attributes like capacity, speed, and compatibility information help your customers understand each product’s capabilities and limitations.

Compliance and Safety Information 

Regulatory attributes keep track of your certifications, safety ratings, and compliance requirements. These may vary by country, further increasing confusion and the risk of error. Inputting the right information ensures that the appropriate warnings are displayed to each relevant product. 

Marketing and SEO attributes (including meta titles, descriptions, keywords, and structured data markup) ensure that search optimization happens systematically.

Step 4: Upload and Assign Digital Assets – Organizing Your Visual Fleet

Catsy’s integrated Digital Asset Management (DAM) system transforms how your visual content is organized, processed, and distributed across your e-commerce channels.

Asset Upload and Organization 

Upload product images, videos, documents, and other digital assets to a centralized database. Intelligent organization tools help manage large media libraries effortlessly.

Batch upload capabilities will handle hundreds of assets simultaneously! Automated processing ensures that each of your files meet the correct technical requirements and naming conventions.

Asset-Product Relationship Management 

When you tag images and documents with specific SKUs, product families, or variants, your systematic association ensures that the appropriate assets appear with their correct products.

Create logical relationships between different asset types. Lifestyle images, technical diagrams, installation videos, and specification sheets should connect appropriately with the related products.

Automated Asset Processing 

Automatically resize and optimize images to meet Shopify requirements. Different image sizes for thumbnails, product pages, and mobile displays are generated automatically using your master files.

Format conversion ensures compatibility across different platforms and devices. Your assets maintain their quality while meeting technical specifications for each of your channels.

Step 5: Configure SEO and Metafields – Optimizing Your Visibility

Shopify’s inherent metafields provide you with powerful customization capabilities. But at scale, managing them manually can be unwieldy. Catsy systemizes this metafield management for you. 

Metafield Structure and Mapping 

Configure your meta fields to enhance your product pages with rich information. Tech specs, usage guides, compatibility info, and enhanced descriptions are examples of ways to provide your customers with comprehensive information. 

Map your PIM attributes to the appropriate Shopify meta fields based on content type and your display requirements. Structured data will flow automatically from the creation of your content to the presentations your customers see. 

SEO Optimization Templates 

Standardize your SEO elements. Templates will ensure consistent optimization while still allowing for product-specific customization. 

Automated SEO suggestions help you optimize your content for search performance. The system analyzes product attributes to recommend improvements, all based on SEO best practices.

Step 6: Automate Channel Feeds – Distributing Your Content

Once your content is structured and approved, Catsy will distribute it automatically to each of your channels and platforms. 

Shopify Integration Configuration 

Direct API integration ensures a seamless flow of data to your Shopify fields. Your content will appear properly formatted and optimized – without the need for manual intervention. 

From this point on, real-time sync keeps Shopify current with your approved changes. Updates will automatically propagate based on your configured schedules or your manual triggers. 

Multi-Channel Distribution Setup 

Configure your feeds for Amazon, business-to-business portals, Google Shopping, and other sales channels. Each platform will receive appropriately formatted content that meets each channel’s specific requirements. 

Consider custom export formats; these support any specialized needs you may have, including print catalogs and partner integrations. 

Step 7: Set Workflows and Approvals – Coordinating Your Crew

Catsy’s workflow capabilities can transform your content creation into organized and predictable processes. These processes scale with your team and allow your business to grow. 

Task Assignment and Routing 

Automatic task assignment routes will assign the right team member to the right job based on expertise, availability, and workload. Content creation is now confusion- and bottleneck-free.

Furthermore, progress tracking allows you to see into the heart of your content development, even across large catalogs. Managers can identify potential delays, then allocate resources accordingly.  

Approval Process Configuration 

Multi-step approval workflows ensure quality control while maintaining your operational momentum. Different content types might require different approval chains, depending upon their complexity and impact.

Parallel approval processes allow for the simultaneous review of related content elements. Technical specifications, marketing copy, and visual assets, for example, can be validated concurrently rather than sequentially.