Import products from CSV
If your kitchen already keeps products in a spreadsheet, CSV import is the fastest way to seed Rinvy. The import auto-creates any categories and suppliers it doesn't recognize, accepts a handful of common header aliases, and warns about rows it can't fully process.
Required and supported columns
| Column | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Name | yes | Product name. Trimmed and case-insensitive within your restaurant. |
| Category | yes | Auto-created if it doesn't exist. |
| Unit | no | Defaults to each. Common aliases (pound, lbs, pcs, cases, pkg) are normalized. |
| Supplier | no | Auto-created if it doesn't exist. |
| Minimum Stock | no | Numeric, in the default unit. |
| Case Size | no | Numeric. |
| Case Cost | no | Numeric. Dropped silently if case size is blank. |
File and tier limits
- Maximum file size: 5 MB.
- Tier-cap enforcement: if your CSV would push your product total above your plan's cap (50 on Free, 150 on Standard, unlimited on Pro), the import is rejected entirely — no products are created.
- Supplier overage works differently: if your CSV brings the supplier total over the cap (3 / 10), the surplus suppliers are skipped and the products import without a supplier link. Each skipped supplier appears as a warning.
What CSV import doesn't cover
CSV creates standard quantity-tracked, inventoried products only. To configure these after import, edit each product:
- Status-tracked items
- Recipe outputs and non-inventoried products
- Source-product links
- Unit conversions (weight ⇄ volume, count ratios)
- Supplier item codes
Example
A two-row CSV that imports cleanly:
Name,Category,Unit,Supplier,Minimum Stock,Case Size,Case Cost
Chicken Breast,Refrigerator,lb,US Foods,10,4,45.99
Olive Oil,Dry Storage,each,Sysco,2,,
The first row creates a chicken breast quantity-tracked product with case math. The second creates an oil that's ordered bottle-by-bottle (case fields blank).
Round-trip with the Products page
The Products page also has an Export CSV button — the header order matches the import template, so you can export, edit in a spreadsheet, then re-import.
Common mistakes
Importing a CSV that pushes you over the product cap
The whole import is rejected. Split the CSV into batches that fit under your cap, or upgrade your plan. See plan limits.
Case Cost with a blank Case Size
Silently dropped — Rinvy can't compute a unit cost without a case size. Set both or neither.
Using a column header that isn't auto-detected
Common aliases work (Par → Minimum Stock, lbs → lb), but unusual headers are skipped. Rename
to one of the supported headers and re-import.
Expecting tracking method or non-inventoried to import from CSV
CSV creates plain quantity-tracked products. Edit each product after import to switch tracking method, mark as recipe output, or set conversions.