What is Pickler’s spreadsheet import?

Pickler’s spreadsheet import is a structured way to create, update and enrich product data in bulk. It is useful when you want to calculate footprints for many products, but do not want to enter every product manually or build a custom API connection immediately.

The Product Data Template complements the Product Form inside Pickler and the Pickler API. It contains the full set of primary product data fields that can be supplied for footprint calculations and Product Passport readiness. Because the template covers a complete dataset, it can look extensive at first. The best approach is to start with the fields that matter most and enrich the data later.

Start with the required data

Every new product starts in the Product General Data tab. A product ID is required to create a product, and it is important not to change that ID later. Pickler uses it to recognise existing products during updates. The general data tab can include fields such as product name, description, image URL, category, GTIN, supplier article ID, supplier name, product status, scenario status and default value settings.

The template uses color coding to make data entry easier. Red fields are required to create a product and provide the minimum footprint data. Yellow fields are important primary data fields. They improve footprint accuracy, but can temporarily be replaced by Pickler’s conservative default values. Other fields are additional data that can improve representativeness and data quality.

Add materials, transport and end-of-life

Product component tabs describe the parts of a product that are produced or processed independently. For the first component, at least one material and its weight are required. Additional fields can describe processing location, production method, energy use, energy mix and printing.

Separate tabs are available for pack, case and pallet layers. These describe secondary and tertiary packaging or logistics layers connected to the product. When a layer is used, Pickler can include the relevant material and weight data in the calculation. If a layer is not relevant, it can be left empty.

Transport legs describe the movement between production steps and final destination. Teams can enter transport distance and method manually, or use origin and destination fields for automatic distance calculation where available. End-of-life fields define where and how the product is discarded. Custom end-of-life scenarios should only be used when there is verified evidence, because unsupported recycling or disposal assumptions can create misleading claims.

Use spreadsheets as a scalable starting point

Spreadsheet import is especially useful for teams that already have product data in exports, supplier sheets or ERP downloads. You can import a focused first version with product IDs, names, categories, materials, weights and end-of-life information. Later, you can add transport, component detail, compliance fields and evidence indicators.

This makes the workflow practical: start with the red and yellow fields, calculate footprints with conservative defaults where needed, then improve the dataset over time. For larger automated workflows, the API can come later. For many teams, spreadsheet import is the fastest way to move from product data collection to usable footprint results.

How uploading works

Once the template is completed, users with Manager or Owner permissions can upload the Excel file in Pickler. Pickler checks the file for errors and shows errors when something needs attention. Existing products can be updated through the template, but products should be deleted directly in Pickler rather than by removing rows from the spreadsheet.