BBZ Image ToolsWhy imports go wrong
Most auction software can import a catalog from a CSV file: a plain text file where each row is a lot and each column is a field such as lot number, title or description. It is a fast way to load hundreds of lots, but small formatting problems can scramble a sale. Nearly all of them are easy to prevent once you know where to look.
Start with your software's sample file
Before you build anything, download the import template or sample file from your auction software and read its help page.
- Note which columns are required and their exact names.
- Note the order of the columns, if it matters.
- Check how it expects lot numbers, prices, categories and quantities to be written.
Match the column headings exactly. A heading that is close but not identical, such as Starting Bid instead of StartBid, is often ignored without any warning.
Protect your lot numbers
Lot numbers are the most important column and the easiest to damage.
- Spreadsheet programs like Excel remove leading zeros, so 001 becomes 1.
- Lot numbers with letters, such as 101A, may sort out of order or be rejected.
- Long numbers can be turned into scientific notation.
If you open a CSV in a spreadsheet, import the lot number column as text rather than double-clicking the file. Better still, check the file in a plain text editor before you upload it.
Watch special characters
Characters such as ×, ½, °, é and curly quotes can turn into strange symbols after import. This is an encoding problem. Save the file as UTF-8, which is the safest choice for most modern software, and spot-check a few descriptions after a test import.
Commas, quotes and line breaks in descriptions
In a CSV file, commas separate the columns. A description that contains commas or line breaks must be wrapped in quotation marks, or it will spill into the next columns. Good export tools handle this automatically; trouble usually starts when a file is edited by hand and saved again. If your software does not support line breaks or HTML in descriptions, remove them before the import.
Prices and quantities
Enter numbers only. Leave out currency symbols and thousands separators unless your software asks for them, and use a period for decimals. Check that starting bids, estimates and reserves are in the right columns; a swapped column is easy to miss and costly after the sale opens.
Match photos to lots
Most platforms link photos to lots by filename. Name each photo with its lot number and a sequence number, such as 101_1.jpg and 101_2.jpg, and check that every lot in the CSV has at least one photo. Make sure the first photo of each lot is the one you want as the cover.
Always test with a small sample
Import five or ten lots first. Open them in your auction software and check titles, descriptions, special characters, prices, categories and photo order. Fix the source file, not the imported lots, so the full import comes out right. Keep a copy of the final file you imported so you can trace any listing back to it.
How BBZ can help
The BBZ Catalog Builder exports a CSV with the column headings you set for your auction software, plus a ZIP file of numbered photos. Review and approve every AI-written lot, then test a small import before loading the whole sale.