How to Bulk Import Products

In this document, you’ll learn how to use the Admin APIs to bulk import products into a Medusa backend.

Overview

Using Medusa’s Batch Job Admin APIs, you can import products into your Medusa backend. This will either add new products or update existing products.

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Prerequisites

Medusa Components

It is assumed that you already have a Medusa backend installed and set up. If not, you can follow the quickstart guide to get started. The Medusa backend must also have an event bus module installed, which is available when using the default Medusa backend starter.

File Service Plugin

Part of the process of importing products is uploading a CSV file. This requires a file service plugin to be installed on your backend. If you don’t have any installed, you can install one of the following options:

• MinIO (At least version 1.1.0)
• Spaces

CSV File

You must have a CSV file that you will use to import products into your Medusa backend. You can check this CSV example file to see which format is required for your import.

If you have Sales Channels enabled on your backend, you must use this CSV example file instead.

JS Client

This guide includes code snippets to send requests to your Medusa backend using Medusa’s JS Client, among other methods.

If you follow the JS Client code blocks, it’s assumed you already have Medusa’s JS Client installed and have created an instance of the client.

Medusa React

This guide also includes code snippets to send requests to your Medusa backend using Medusa React, among other methods.

If you follow the Medusa React code blocks, it's assumed you already have Medusa React installed and have used MedusaProvider higher in your component tree.

Authenticated Admin User

You must be an authenticated admin user before following along with the steps in the tutorial.

You can learn more about authenticating as an admin user in the API reference.

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1. Upload CSV File

The first step is to upload the CSV file that you want to import products.

You can do that by sending the following request to the Upload Files endpoint:

• Medusa JS Client
• Medusa React
• Fetch API
• cURL

medusa.admin.uploads.create(file) // file is an instance of File
.then(({ uploads }) => {
  const key = uploads[0].key
})

import { useAdminUploadFile } from "medusa-react"

const ImportProducts = () => {
  const uploadFile = useAdminUploadFile()
  // ...

  const handleFileUpload = (file: File) => {
    uploadFile.mutate(file)
  }

  // ...
}

export default ImportProducts

const formData = new FormData()
formData.append("files", file) // file is an instance of File

fetch(`<BACKEND_URL>/admin/uploads`, {
  method: "POST",
  credentials: "include",
  headers: {
    "Content-Type": "multipart/form-data",
  },
  body: formData,
})
.then((response) => response.json())
.then(({ uploads }) => {
  const key = uploads[0].key
})

curl -L -X POST '<BACKEND_URL>/admin/uploads' \
  -H 'Authorization: Bearer <API_TOKEN>' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/csv' \
  -F 'files=@"<FILE_PATH_1>"'

This request returns an array of uploads. Each item in the array is an object that includes the properties url and key. You’ll need the key to import the products next.

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2. Create a Batch Job for Product Import

To start a new product import, you must create a batch job.

You can do that by sending the following request to the Create a Batch Job endpoint:

• Medusa JS Client
• Medusa React
• Fetch API
• cURL

medusa.admin.batchJobs.create({
  type: "product-import",
  context: {
    fileKey: key, // obtained from previous step
  },
  dry_run: true,
})
.then(( batch_job ) => {
  console.log(batch_job.status)
})

import { useAdminCreateBatchJob } from "medusa-react"

const ImportProducts = () => {
  const createBatchJob = useAdminCreateBatchJob()
  // ...

  const handleCreateBatchJob = () => {
    createBatchJob.mutate({
      type: "product-import",
      context: {
        fileKey: key, // obtained from previous step
      },
      dry_run: true,
    })
  }

  // ...
}

export default ImportProducts

fetch(`<BACKEND_URL>/admin/batch-jobs`, {
  method: "POST",
  credentials: "include",
  headers: {
    "Content-Type": "application/json",
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    type: "product-import",
    context: {
      fileKey: key, // obtained from previous step
    },
    dry_run: true,
  }),
})
.then((response) => response.json())
.then(({ batch_job }) => {
  console.log(batch_job.status)
})

curl -L -X POST '<BACKEND_URL>/admin/batch-jobs' \
-H 'Authorization: Bearer <API_TOKEN>' \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--data-raw '{
    "type": "product-import",
    "context": { 
        "fileKey": "<KEY>"
    },
    "dry_run": true
}'
# <KEY> is the key you obtained from the previous step

In the body of the request, you must pass the following parameters:

• type: Batch jobs can be of different types. For product imports, the type should always be product-import.
• context: An object that must contain the fileKey property. The value of this property is the key received when you uploaded the CSV file.
• dry_run: This is optional to include. If not set or if its value is false, the product import will start right after you send this request. Settings its value to true allows you to retrieve afterward a brief of the number of products that will be added or updated, or the number of rejected products.

This request returns the batch job with its details such as the status or id.

If you don’t set dry_run or you set it to false, you don’t need to follow the rest of these steps.

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(Optional) Retrieve Batch Job

After creating the batch job, it will be pre-processed. At this point, the CSV file will be validated, and the number of products to add and update, or that are rejected are counted.

You can retrieve all the details of the batch job, including its status and the brief statistics related to the products by sending the following request:

• Medusa JS Client
• Medusa React
• Fetch API
• cURL

medusa.admin.batchJobs.retrieve(batchJobId)
.then(( batch_job ) => {
  console.log(batch_job.status, batch_job.result)
})

import { useAdminBatchJob } from "medusa-react"

const ImportProducts = () => {
  const { batch_job, isLoading } = useAdminBatchJob(batchJobId)
  // ...

  return (
    <div>
      {/* ... */}
      {isLoading && <span>Loading</span>}
      {batch_job && (
        <span>
          Status: {batch_job.status}. 
          Number of Products: {batch_job.result.count}
        </span>
      )}
    </div>
  )
}

export default ImportProducts

fetch(`<BACKEND_URL>/admin/batch-jobs/${batchJobId}`, {
  credentials: "include",
})
.then((response) => response.json())
.then(({ batch_job }) => {
  console.log(batch_job.status, batch_job.result)
})

curl -L -X GET '<BACKEND_URL>/admin/batch-jobs/<BATCH_JOB_ID>' \
-H 'Authorization: Bearer <API_TOKEN>'
# <BATCH_JOB_ID> is the ID of the batch job

This request accepts the batch job’s ID as a parameter, which can be retrieved from the previous request. It returns the batch job in the response.

If the batch job has been pre-processed, the status of the batch job will be pre_processed and the result property will contain details about the import.

Here’s an example of the result property:

"result": {
    "count": 5, // Total number of products to be created or updated
    "stat_descriptors": [ //details about the products to be created/updated
        {
            "key": "product-import-count",
            "name": "Products/variants to import",
            "message": "There will be 2 products created..."
        }
    ],
    "advancement_count": 0 //number of products processed so far.
},

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3. Confirm Batch Job

A batch job can be confirmed only once the batch job has the status pre_processed. Once you confirm a batch job, the product import will start which will create or update products on your backend.

To confirm a batch job send the following request:

• Medusa JS Client
• Medusa React
• Fetch API
• cURL

medusa.admin.batchJobs.confirm(batchJobId)
.then(( batch_job ) => {
  console.log(batch_job.status)
})

import { useAdminConfirmBatchJob } from "medusa-react"

const ImportProducts = () => {
  const confirmBatchJob = useAdminConfirmBatchJob(batchJobId)
  // ...

  const handleConfirmJob = () => {
    confirmBatchJob.mutate()
  }
  
  // ...
}

export default ImportProducts

fetch(`<BACKEND_URL>/admin/batch-jobs/${batchJobId}/confirm`, {
  method: "POST",
  credentials: "include",
})
.then((response) => response.json())
.then(({ batch_job }) => {
  console.log(batch_job.status)
})

curl -L -X POST '<BACKEND_URL>/admin/batch-jobs/<BATCH_JOB_ID>/confirm' \
-H 'Authorization: Bearer <API_TOKEN>'
# <BATCH_JOB_ID> is the ID of the batch job

This request accepts the ID of the batch job as a path parameter and returns the updated batch job. The returned batch job should have the status confirmed, which indicates that the batch job will now start processing.

Checking the Status After Confirmation

After confirming the batch job, you can check the status while it is processing at any given point by retrieving the batch job. Based on the status, you can infer the progress of the batch job:

• If the status is processing, it means that the import is currently in progress. You can also check result.advancement_count to find out how many products have been created or updated so far.
• If the status is failed, it means an error has occurred during the import. You can check the error in result.errors.
• If the status is completed, it means the import has finished successfully.

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See Also

• Batch Jobs Overview