Importing Your Catalog with AI

Typing a hundred menu items is the slowest part of starting. Share a photo of your menu, a price list or a spreadsheet and ask the AI to import it.

Before you start

• An AI assistant connected. See AI Connections Overview.
• The Catalog Import permission ticked on the approval screen. It is never granted automatically.

Steps

What happens next

• Nothing is written until you approve the preview in the chat. The approval covers only that one preview.

Edge cases

• What it imports. Products (name, price, description, SKU, barcode, category, modifiers, tax and an opening stock count), services (plus duration), categories with sub-categories, modifier groups with options and prices, taxes (needs the Taxes feature), bookable services (needs Events), and discounts and named charges such as a Senior Citizen discount or a service charge, with only name and rate. Sections your plan lacks are dropped and the AI tells you.
• Needs the Import feature, which the free Basic plan lacks. The preview also tells you before anything is written if the import would exceed your plan's catalog limit.
• Stock counts are set only on products it creates. On an existing product the quantity in the file is ignored, so a re-import cannot roll stock back. Correct a count with an edit or a stock adjustment.
• Matching. Products and services match on SKU or barcode, then name. Categories, modifier groups, taxes and bookable services match on name, ignoring capitals. Matching items are skipped unless you ask to update them.
• It never deletes anything and never touches orders, payments, customers, staff or settings.
• Limits per import. 500 products, 200 services, 100 categories, 100 modifier groups, 50 options per group, 100 bookable services and 20 taxes. Ask for batches for a larger menu.
• For a good result, use a sharp straight photo or a typed list, include prices, name the categories, and import one store at a time. If prices include tax, say so. Fix a wrong item in the app instead of re-importing.
• Nothing happened after approving? Ask the AI for the import status.
• Everything is one all-or-nothing save. If any part fails, the whole import is rolled back.
• If the assistant says it cannot write, the import permission was not granted or your role does not cover it. Disconnect and reconnect, ticking it on the approval screen. On ChatGPT especially, leave it ticked.

Works with

Related guides

• Understanding Permissions
• AI Connections Overview
• Connecting ChatGPT