How do I import my product catalogue into a price monitoring system?
Importing your product list is the first step to start monitoring competitor prices. In 4pricing the import is a list of product-page links in a CSV file with a header row, where the mandatory column is url. It is not a catalogue import with prices or EAN codes, and 4pricing does not look up the equivalent product at competitors on its own: you choose the pages it tracks.
Short answer
- Prepare a CSV file with a header row and at least the url column (the product-page link).
- The optional columns are name, category, group and role (own for your product, competitor for a competitor).
- One import can have at most 2000 rows; duplicates are skipped and your plan limits apply.
- New rows are checked by the scheduler on the interval you set, and each check costs one credit.
What a correct import CSV looks like
A minimal import CSV has a header row and a single mandatory column: url. You can add name, category, group and role (own or competitor). If names contain special characters, save the file as UTF-8. Each row is one product page to track — for the same product at several stores you add one row per store. Products are identified by link, not by EAN code.
The format requirements the import CSV file has to meet
| Requirement | Rule |
|---|---|
| Header row | The first line holds the column names. |
| Mandatory column | url — the product-page link. |
| Optional columns | name, category, group, role. |
| Values for role | own (your product) or competitor. |
| Maximum size | At most 2000 rows per import; duplicates are skipped. |
| Product without a link | It cannot be added: every row needs the product-page url. |
Steps for a successful import
- Build the list of products to track: the product-page link, yours and each competitor's.
- Add a header row and the url column; optionally add name, category, group and role.
- Check each link in a browser — it must open the exact product page, not a category.
- Upload the CSV file in the panel; the new products appear in your tracking list, within your plan limits.
- Check in the panel that every product has its first price check and fix any links that cannot be read.
Common mistakes when importing a list
- Links to category or search pages instead of the product page — the price cannot be read correctly.
- Files with wrong encoding (Windows-1252 instead of UTF-8) — special characters may come out corrupted.
- Expecting the import to bring prices or EAN codes — it only brings the links; prices come from the checks.
How 4pricing helps
4pricing.net accepts a CSV import (header row and the url column) or adding products one by one by product-page link; products can also be added through the REST API, with an API key. Every product you add is checked on the interval you set (6 hours by default; the minimum depends on the plan), with price history and alerts. The product list can be exported as CSV (name, retailer, url, category, group, role, source, current price, currency, in stock, last checked).