This article explains how to upload multiple products at once using the bulk creation feature in the ZDHC Gateway.

01/ Introduction

The bulk product creation feature allows Chemical Formulators to upload many products in a single guided flow. Instead of creating each product individually, you prepare a CSV file containing all your product data, upload your Safety Data Sheet (SDS) files, validate the batch, and optionally assign a certification body — all in a single process.

02/ Prerequisites

• You have platform access as a chemical formulator.
• Your product data is ready to enter.
• SDS files are recommended for each product, but can be added or fixed at the validation step.

03/ Steps

Step 1 — Download the reference files

1. Go to Products in the main navigation.

2. Click Bulk create products. The bulk creation page opens.

   

   

    

3. Download the product template (CSV). This file contains all required column headers and one example row showing the correct format for each field.

4. Download the classification reference (CSV). This file lists all available substrates, categories, and use types. Use it to ensure your product classifications match exactly what the platform accepts.

   Tip: Review the classification reference carefully before filling in your product template. Incorrect classifications are one of the most common causes of validation errors.

   Step 2 — Prepare and upload your files

5. Fill in the product template with your product data. Each row represents one product.

   Tip: Your CSV can use either commas or semicolons as the column delimiter — the system detects this automatically. For Alternative Names, enter multiple values separated by a pipe character (e.g. Red 200|EcoRed) and each will be stored as a separate name.

6. Return to the bulk creation page.
7. Upload your completed product CSV file.

8. Upload the SDS files for your products. You can upload them here or correct missing SDS files at the validation step. Click Continue to proceed.

   Step 3 — Review validation results

9. The validation table appears. Each row in your CSV is shown as a separate entry, displaying:

   • Product name

   • Classifications matched: how many of the listed classifications were recognised

   • SDS file match: whether an SDS file was matched to this product

   • Description character count

   • Status: either Ready or Needs attention

10. Fix any issues flagged in the table. Error messages are specific and tell you exactly what to correct:

    • Missing or unmatched SDS file: Upload the missing SDS file or remove the affected row from the list.

    • Duplicate product names: Rename one of the duplicates to make it unique.

    • Missing required columns in CSV: Ensure your template includes all required headers.

    • Other errors: Click on the row to edit it directly and correct the relevant field.
11. To remove an individual row from the batch, click the remove action on that row. This excludes the item from the upload without cancelling the rest of the batch. If you remove all rows, you must keep at least one to proceed.
12. Products with a missing SDS file are flagged as invalid. You'll either need to upload the missing SDS or remove those rows before you can continue.

13. Once all remaining rows show Ready, click Continue.

    Step 4 — Assign certification bodies

14. On the certification body (CB) assignment step, you can:

    • Assign one or more certification bodies from the list to the products in this batch.

    • Skip assignment entirely — click Skip or proceed without selecting a CB if you prefer to assign them later.

    Tip: Unlike in earlier versions, you can select multiple certification bodies for a single batch, matching the behaviour of single product creation.

15. Review the batch summary panel, which shows how many products are included, whether validation passed, and which CBs are selected.

    Step 5 — Create the products

16. Click Create products.

17. If successful, a confirmation message appears, and the products table reloads. Your new products are visible in your product list.

    Note: If any product names already exist in the system, an error table appears listing the conflicting products. Rename the affected products and click Create products again to complete the upload.

04/ Editing classifications during validation

If you need to correct a product classification while on the validation screen, you can add and remove classifications inline:

• Click on the row to open the edit panel.
• Add a classification using the classification picker.
• Remove a previously added classification using the remove action on each classification tag.

Removing all classifications from a row is valid: the row will show a validation warning if classifications are required for that product type.

05/ Tips & Notes

Tips: 

• Keep the classification reference CSV open while filling in your product template. Cross-referencing as you go reduces errors during validation.
• If you have a large batch and some SDS files are not yet ready, you can still upload the CSV and fix the missing SDS files in Step 3 rather than waiting to start.

Note: If your CSV contains an unsupported delimiter (not a comma or a semicolon), the system will flag this with a specific error message at Step 2. Re-save your file using a supported format before uploading.