In Supplier Data Manager (SDM), input files are files that SDM loads and processes. They may come from suppliers, PIM systems, ERP systems, or other software, depending on your use case. SDM can handle both single-tab and multi-tab files under specific conditions.
For supported formats (Excel, CSV, XML) and file size limits, see What product file formats and sizes are accepted?.
Single-tab files
Single-tab files contain data in a single tab. Supplier Data Manager reads files that have a header row followed by rows representing individual product entries.
Basic requirements
SDM can read files with a header row and a logical layout where each row corresponds to a product or item reference.
In a well-structured file, the first row contains column headers and each subsequent row represents a single product entry.
Supported features for single-tab files
Supplier Data Manager supports the following features for single-tab files:
- Skipped header lines: You can configure SDM to skip a defined number of rows before reading data by adjusting Advanced Options in the input configuration. This is useful if the file includes extraneous header information before the column headers.
The screenshot above shows the Advanced Options panel in Supplier Data Manager where you can set the number of header rows to skip before SDM begins reading data.
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Vertical headers: SDM can read files where certain headers are displayed vertically, as long as they meet the basic requirements above.
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Public URLs for images: If the file includes URLs pointing to images, SDM can interpret them and display previews in the UI. If the image is not displayed within SDM, the URL may be broken or point to an inaccessible location.
Unsupported features
Files with heavy formatting for visual appeal may be unreadable by SDM. The following are not supported:
- Media content: Physical images or videos embedded in the file are not readable.
- Merged cells: SDM does not support files with merged cells.
- Colors: SDM ignores color-coded cells. If colors are used to convey data (e.g., red for "to be confirmed"), SDM does not interpret them.
- Column breaks: Empty or non-data columns are not ignored and should be removed before uploading.
Multi-tab files
Multi-tab files contain data spread across multiple tabs. Supplier Data Manager can process multi-tab files if the following conditions are met:
- File format compatibility: The file matches one of SDM's natively supported formats (e.g., FABDIS). New formats may be added in the future.
- Tab structure: Tabs must meet the same requirements as single-tab files and be named consistently across files. Changing tab names from file to file is not supported.
- Unique identifiers: If the same product reference appears across multiple tabs, a unique product identifier (e.g., EAN, SKU) must appear in each tab to link the data.
- Standardized formatting: Files should maintain a consistent format. Tabs for data extraction are determined during onboarding; irrelevant tabs can be excluded but must remain consistent across files.
If multi-tab files contain empty columns, those columns must still include headers.
By default, when using a file type that supports multiple sheets (such as Excel), only the first sheet is processed. Use Custom Input Formats in the SDM admin to define which sheets to process and how to join them. See Inputs for configuration details.
XML files
XML is a supported input format in Supplier Data Manager (including BMEcat and GS1 files). XML files require additional configuration before they can be uploaded.
Adding a custom input format for your expected XML files is mandatory before you can upload XML files. See XML files and custom input formats for setup instructions.
XML data extraction in SDM focuses on repeating elements at a single structural level. Cross-referencing data from parent elements, sibling nodes, or different document sections is not currently supported.
Best practices
SDM performs best with files that have not been reworked extensively for visual appeal. If you receive heavily formatted files frequently, ask your data providers to send simpler extracts or less modified versions for faster processing.
If you are unsure about a file format, consult your SDM contact for guidance.
Limitations
- File size: The maximum file size for manual imports is 50 MB.
- Data volume: SDM can process up to 800,000 data cells (rows × columns). For example: 20 attributes × 40,000 products = 800,000 cells. Empty cells count toward this limit.
If your file exceeds these limits, split it into smaller segments or optimize it before uploading. These limits apply to all supported formats, including XML, because all data is internally converted to a tabular structure during processing.
For the full list of supported and unsupported formats, see What product file formats and sizes are accepted?.