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Note: This article covers the latest Catalog Machine version 2. For help with the previous version, see this article.
Key Terms
Products: Individual items with their information and details like name, price, images, descriptions
Categories: Define what information and options you can store for similar products (e.g., clothing items need fabric type and sizes, while electronics need technical specifications)
Variants: Different versions of the same product (e.g., a shirt available in multiple sizes and colors)
Collections: Flexible groups for organizing products (like "New Arrivals" or "Summer Sale" that you can use in catalogs)
Quick Start Guide
Ways to Add Products
Want AI to do it? Open AI Concierge — paste a product list, upload a CSV/PDF/photos, or share a website URL; Concierge imports for you.
Shopify Store? Connect to import products automatically. All products, images, and variants transfer directly.
Have a Spreadsheet? Import via CSV/Excel. Efficient for bulk product creation.
Starting Fresh? Start with the "Generic" category — it's ready with basic fields (name, price, description). Add products directly in the grid view.
Next Steps
Organize products (categories and collections)
Create your first catalog with products
Understanding Products and Categories
Each product in Catalog Machine has information like name, price, and images. Products always belong to a category that determines what information you can store.
The "Generic" category (available by default) has basic fields like name, price, image, and description
Create custom categories only when you need different fields, variant options, pricing structures, or image sets
These fields will appear in catalogs and product cards as placeholders: text fields like {{Name}}, {{Description}}; price fields {{Price}}, {{SalePrice}}; images {{Image}}, {{DetailImage}}
Categories vs Collections — Key Differences
Categories define product structure: products belong to ONE category only; determines what information you can store; example: "T-Shirts" with fabric/size fields
Collections organize products: products can be in MULTIPLE collections; like folders; example: same t-shirt in "Summer Sale" and "New Arrivals"
1. Configure Categories
Navigate to Product Categories
Click "Create new category"
Enter basic information: Name, Description (optional), Parent category (optional), Color (for visual organization), Thumbnail image (optional)
Setting Up Category Fields
Available field types: Text (names, SKUs); Rich Text (formatted descriptions with HTML); Number (measurements, weights, quantities); Money (prices with currency); Date (launch dates, availability); Image (photos, diagrams).
2. Add Products
Product Information
Every product requires Name (product title) and Code (unique identifier — your SKU or auto-generated). Optional: category-specific fields, images (stored centrally; same image can be used in multiple products without duplication), variants.
Creating New Products
Click "New Product"
Select a category
Fill in product information
Save to add to your product database
Product Grid Management
Use the Product Grid for spreadsheet-style editing, multi-select operations, filtering and sorting, batch updates, category changes, collection assignments.
Bulk Operations
Select and update multiple products
Change categories
Assign to collections
Delete products
Import/export data
Tip: For bulk edits across many products (descriptions, prices, fields, categories), AI Concierge can do it from a plain-language description — faster than the grid for big changes.
3. Set up Variants
Variants let you manage different versions of the same product with different options, prices, and images.
Configure category options first: e.g. T-Shirts with Size (S, M, L, XL) and Color (Red, Blue, Black) options.
Create variants in products: e.g. Small/Red $19.99, Small/Blue $19.99, Medium/Red $21.99.
4. Organize Collections
Collections help you group products flexibly after they're created. Use them to create groups for catalogs, organize seasonal displays, build hierarchical navigation, power automated catalog pages, and create navigation for Showroom.
Key features: add the same product to multiple collections; order products manually; create sub-collections; update catalogs automatically when products change.
Best Practices
Starting Out
Easiest: Use AI Concierge to import or paste products in plain language
Import from Shopify if you have a store
Use CSV import for bulk data
Start with "Generic" category for simple needs
Organization
Identify what information you need for each product type
Create appropriate categories
Set up all needed fields and options
Choose meaningful field names
Efficiency
Bulk operations for multiple updates
Collections for flexible organization
Reusable images across products
Consistent product information
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