Import ingredients from a template
All plans
Load hundreds of ingredients at once with the Recipok template: columns, rules, allergens, formats and imperial units.
What it is for
If you already have your ingredients in a spreadsheet, there is no need to create them one by one. With the import template you load hundreds of ingredients at once: name, price, pack, supplier, family, codes, critical stock and even allergens and nutrition.
It is used by whoever sets up Recipok and, later on, by anyone who wants to update lots of prices at the same time. The template includes every column the import reads, example rows and an instructions sheet.
Before you start
- Add your suppliers and locations: the import only links them if they already exist with the exact same name.
- Tidy up your Excel file: one name per ingredient (no duplicates), a single unit per row and all prices without VAT.
- If you are moving over from another program, also see Moving from Excel to Recipok.
Import step by step
Download the template
In Ingredients › My ingredients, open the ⋮ menu and click Download template. It has two sheets: Ingredients (one row per ingredient, with three examples) and Instructions (what to put in each column).
Fill in the columns
The five required ones are Name, Unit of measure, Price unit, Price and Format. The rest, if you have them. Delete the example rows before importing.
Save it as CSV
In Excel: Save as › CSV UTF-8. The importer does not accept the .xlsx.
Upload it and check the mapping
⋮ menu › Import ingredients. Choose the file. Recipok tells you how many rows it has detected and matches each CSV column with its field (Map to). Check the Preview (first 5 rows), change anything that doesn’t fit or select -- Ignore -- and click Import.
Check the result
You will see how many ingredients have been processed. If any row fails, click Download errors, correct those rows and import just them again. The costs of the affected recipes are recalculated automatically.
| CSV column | Map to |
|---|---|
| Name | 1Name |
| Unit of measure | Unit of measure |
| Price | Price |
| Allergens (opt) | 2Allergens |
| Internal notes | -- Ignore -- |
| Name | Unit | Price | Format | Allergens |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wheat flour | gr. | 0.95 | 25 | Cereals with gluten |
| Butter | gr. | 7.40 | 1 | Milk |
| Egg | pz. | 0.22 | 30 | Eggs |
- 1Automatic mapping: if you use the template, each column is recognised by its name.
- 2Several allergens in one cell, separated by commas.
The template columns
| Column | What to enter |
|---|---|
| A · Name (required) | If an ingredient with that name already exists, it is updated. |
| B · Reference · D · Brand | Free text. |
| C · Unit of measure (required) | gr. · ml. · pz. g, ml, pcs, ud, oz, lb and fl oz also work. |
| E · Price unit (required) | KG · LT · UD. Also kg, l, litro, ud, lb, gal. |
| F · Price (required) | Per kilo, litre or unit, without VAT. Decimals with a comma or a point. |
| G · Format (required) | What the pack contains in the price unit: 25 = 25 kg sack. |
| H · Supplier | Exact name of a supplier that already exists in Recipok. |
| I · Allergens | Separated by commas, using the names in the Recipok allergen list. |
| J to U · Nutrition | Per 100 g: energy (kJ), fat, saturated fat, trans fat, monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, omega, carbohydrates, sugars, protein, salt and fibre. |
| V · Family | If it doesn’t exist, it is created. |
| W · Barcode | The product’s EAN. |
| X · Display names | Names for labels and sheets, separated by |||. |
| Y · Location | Exact name of a location that already exists. |
| Z · Formats | Other purchase formats: name&&quantity&&barcode&&price. Several, separated by |||. |
| AA · Critical stock | In the price unit (kg, litres or units). |
| AB · Formulation | name&&type&&value (type 1 = number, 2 = percentage). Several, separated by |||. |
| AC · SKU | Unique internal code. |
| AD to AH | Added sugars, vitamin D, calcium, iron and potassium per 100 g, for US labelling. |
Tips
Do a test with 5 or 10 rows first. If it goes well, import the rest. Then complete allergens and nutrition by reading the technical sheets: we explain how in Allergens, traces and nutrition information.
Always download the current template. In earlier versions, the columns from V onwards could be mapped out of place (the barcode ended up in the family). This has been fixed; if you imported that way some time ago, check family, barcode and critical stock.
Lots of ingredients and little time? You can also look them up in the Ingredient Portal or let them be created automatically when you scan your delivery notes.