Creating Products

The Creating Products interface (up-product.php) is the modern way to add new inventory items to your ShipEdge catalog. It provides a comprehensive form with all product fields, image management, and advanced features like Unit of Measure (UOM) packages, product sets (synsets), and aliases.

Quick Start

To add a basic product, you only need three required fields: SKU, Description, and Distribution Center. Everything else is optional and can be added later.

Why Use This Interface?

Complete Product Setup

Create products with all details in one place: basic info, dimensions, pricing, serial numbers, and more.

Image Management

Upload and manage multiple product images directly from the creation interface.

Advanced Features

Set up UOM packages, product families (synsets), aliases for different channels, and alternative products.

Validation & Error Checking

Real-time validation ensures SKUs are unique and all data meets requirements before saving.

Accessing the Product Creation Interface

1. Navigate to Catalog Overview

   Go to Inventory > Catalog (or access /catalog_list.php).

2. Click “Add SKU” Button

   Located in the toolbar at the top of the page.

3. Product Form Opens

   The empty product creation form appears at /up-product.php.

Creating a Basic Product

Required Fields

Every product must have these three fields:

1. SKU (Unique Product Code)

   Enter a unique identifier for the product.

   • Allowed characters: Letters, numbers, and _.#/~&|()+-
   • Recommendation: Use 10 characters or less without spaces
   • Must be unique: Cannot match any existing SKU

   SKU with Spaces

   If you enter a SKU with spaces, you’ll get a confirmation prompt recommending SKUs without spaces. This is to avoid potential issues with integrations.

2. Description

   Enter a clear product description.

   • Required: Cannot be empty
   • Use descriptive text that helps identify the product
   • Can include multiple lines

3. Distribution Center

   Select the primary distribution center for this product.

   • Choose from your available distribution centers
   • Default is usually “DC1” (your main warehouse)
   • Can be changed later if needed

4. Click “Add” Button

   Click the green “Add” button at the top-right to create the product.

   The page refreshes and switches to edit mode, showing additional tabs for images, history, and advanced features.

Optional Product Fields

Basic Information

UPC/Barcode:

• Universal Product Code or barcode
• Allowed characters: Letters, numbers, and -_.,#
• Used for scanning operations

SKU Image:

• Upload a product image (managed in the “Images” tab after creating the product)

Dimensions & Weight

Weight:

• Product weight in pounds or kilograms (based on your account settings)
• Must be greater than 0
• Required for shipping cost calculations

Length, Height, Width:

• Product dimensions in inches or centimeters
• Used for cartonization and shipping calculations
• Must be 0 or greater

Pricing

Declared Value (Retail Price):

• Product’s retail/declared value
• Used for insurance and customs declarations
• Can be $0.00

Cost:

• Your cost for the product
• Used in profit calculations and reports
• Can be $0.00

Packaging & Handling

Package Type:

• Select the type of packaging (Box, Envelope, Tube, etc.)
• Determines how the product ships
• Default options are available

Case Quantity:

• Number of units per case
• Used when receiving or selling by the case
• Whole number only

Serial Numbers:

• No: Product doesn’t use serial numbers
• Out: Track serial numbers when shipping out
• In / Out: Track serial numbers on receiving and shipping
• Out in bulk: Ship multiple units under one serial

Serial Number Feature

Serial number tracking must be enabled for your account. Contact your ShipEdge Account Manager to activate this feature.

Categorization

Category:

• Product category for organization
• Alphanumeric characters only
• Used for filtering and reporting

Model Number:

• Manufacturer’s model number
• Allowed characters: Letters, numbers, and _.#/~&|()+-

Manufacturer:

• Product manufacturer name
• Alphanumeric characters only

Advanced Options

Pick Style:

• Controls how the warehouse picks this product
• Options:
  • Standard Max Efficiency: Default picking strategy
  • Save Space (empty bins): Pick to empty bins first
  • FIFO: First In First Out
  • LIFO: Last In First Out
  • FEFO: First Expire First Out
  • FLFO: First Lot# First Out
  • LLFO: Last Lot# First Out
  • BIN_ASC: Pick from bins in ascending order
  • BIN_DESC: Pick from bins in descending order

One Time Product:

• Mark as a one-time use product
• Useful for custom or special order items
• Shows [OTP] tag in product listings

Harmonization (HS/HTS Code):

• Harmonized System code for customs
• Required for international shipping
• Used for customs declarations

Country of Origin:

• Select the country where the product is manufactured
• Required for customs forms
• Dropdown list of all countries

Tags:

• Add tags for organization and filtering
• Press Enter after typing each tag
• Alphanumeric characters and -_.,# allowed

Custom Fields (Integration Use)

Client Option 1, 2, 3:

• Custom fields for special integrations
• ClientOpt1: Material Handling Robots
• ClientOpt2: All Selling Channels
• ClientOpt3: All DCs (suppliers and drop-shippers)
• Can store any text value
• Leave blank if not using custom integrations

Advanced Features (After Creating Product)

Once you create a product, the interface switches to edit mode and shows additional tabs on the right side:

1. Preferences

Configure inventory sync preferences:

Reserve Percentage:

• Set a percentage of inventory to reserve
• Slider from 0% to 100% in 5% increments
• Reserved quantity won’t be available to sales channels

2. Images

Upload and manage product images:

1. Click the “Images” Tab

   Opens the image carousel section.

2. Upload Images

   Drag and drop images or click to browse.

3. Set Main Image

   Mark one image as the main product image.

4. Rearrange Images

   Drag images to reorder them.

5. Delete Images

   Click the delete icon to remove images.

3. History

View complete product history:

Inventory Summary:

• In Warehouse (Qty Good)
• Available
• Hold
• Hurt
• Processing

Transaction History Table:

• Timestamp
• User
• Action (Received, Picked, Adjusted, etc.)
• Action ID (related order or transaction)
• Location
• Inventory Category
• Bin
• Lot
• Expiration Date
• UOM
• Action Qty
• Stock levels after action

4. Unit of Measure (UOM)

Create multi-unit packages (packs, cases, pallets):

1. Click “Add” Button

   Below the UOM table.

2. Fill Out UOM Details

   Double-click any row to edit or create new UOM:

   • Unit Factor: How many base units in this package (e.g., 12 for a case of 12)
   • Name: Package name (e.g., “pk12”, “case”, “pallet”)
   • Description: Optional description
   • Barcode: Optional separate barcode for this package
   • Weight, Length, Height, Width: Package dimensions
   • Package Type: Select packaging type
   • Cost, Price: Package-level pricing
   • Pack SKU: Auto-generated as {SKU}^{Name} (e.g., MYSKU^pk12)
   • Aliases: Alternative names for this UOM

3. Save UOM

   Click the checkmark icon to save.

4. Create Nested UOMs

   Drag and drop one UOM onto another to create hierarchy (e.g., pallet of cases).

UOM Best Practices

• Name UOMs consistently (pk12, pk24, case, pallet)
• Always set the Unit Factor first (auto-populates the Name if it starts with “pk”)
• Use nested UOMs for complex packaging (pallet > case > unit)

5. Sets (Synsets)

Add this product to product families/bundles:

1. View Synsets Tab

   Shows all product families this SKU belongs to.

2. Add to Synset

   Search for existing synsets and add this product.

3. Set Quantity

   Define how many of this SKU are in each synset.

6. Aliases or Translators

Create alternative SKU names for different channels or distribution centers:

1. Click “Add” Button

   Below the translators table.

2. Fill Out Alias Details

   • Alias Name: Alternative SKU code
   • SKU/UOM: Link to base SKU or a specific UOM
   • Type: Choose scope
     • Global (For all Channels & DCs): Applies everywhere
     • Channel: Specific to one sales channel
     • Distribution Center: Specific to one DC
   • Channel/DC Name: Select which channel or DC (if not Global)

3. Save Alias

   Click the checkmark icon to save.

Use Cases:

• Marketplace uses different SKU codes (e.g., Amazon ASIN)
• Supplier uses different product codes
• Different DC requires unique SKU identifiers

7. Alternatives

Set up alternative products for automatic substitution:

• When this product is out of stock, offer alternatives
• Useful for similar products or different sizes/colors
• Can set priority order for alternatives

Editing Existing Products

To edit a product after creation:

1. Navigate to Product

   From Catalog Overview, click on a product or use URL /up-product.php?sku={SKU}&account_id={ACCOUNT_ID}.

2. Form Loads in Edit Mode

   • Basic fields are pre-filled
   • All advanced tabs are available
   • SKU field is read-only (unless product is discontinued)

3. Make Your Changes

   Update any fields you need to change.

4. Click “Save” Button

   Green button at top-right saves all changes.

5. Success Notification

   A toast notification appears confirming the save.

Discontinuing Products

To stop using a product without deleting it:

1. Open Product in Edit Mode

   Navigate to the product you want to discontinue.

2. Click “Discontinue” Button

   Located at the top-left of the form.

3. Confirm Discontinuation

   Product is marked as discontinued.

4. SKU Becomes Editable

   Once discontinued, you can rename the SKU or delete the product entirely.

Why Discontinue?

Discontinued products:

• No longer appear in active product lists
• Can still be viewed in history and reports
• Can be re-enabled by clicking “Save & Re-enable”
• SKU can be renamed or product can be deleted

Deleting Products

Only discontinued products can be deleted:

1. Discontinue the Product First

   Follow the discontinuation process above.

2. Click “Delete” Button

   Replaces the “Discontinue” button after discontinuation.

3. Confirm Deletion

   Product is permanently removed from the database.

Deletion is Permanent

Deleted products cannot be recovered. Consider keeping them discontinued instead if you need to reference them later in reports or order history.

Field Validation & Requirements

SKU Validation

Allowed Characters: a-z A-Z 0-9 _ . # / ~ & | ( ) + -

Not Allowed:

• Special characters like @, $, %, *, ?
• Emoji or non-ASCII characters
• Leading or trailing spaces

Best Practices:

• Keep SKUs short (10 characters or less)
• Avoid spaces (causes integration issues)
• Use consistent naming convention
• Include product type or category in SKU

Description Validation

Requirements:

• Cannot be empty
• Can include any characters
• Multi-line text supported

Weight Validation

Requirements:

• Must be greater than 0 (cannot be negative)
• Up to 3 decimal places
• Required for accurate shipping quotes

💡 Best Practices

Start Simple, Add Later

Enter only the required fields (SKU, Description, DC) first. Add dimensions, images, and advanced features after the product is created.

Use Consistent SKU Naming

Develop a SKU naming convention and stick to it. Include product type, size, or color codes for easy identification.

Set Weight and Dimensions

Always add weight and dimensions for accurate shipping cost calculations and cartonization.

Upload Product Images

Add clear product images to help warehouse staff identify items during picking and packing.

Configure Pick Styles

Use FIFO for perishable goods, FEFO for items with expiration dates, and Standard for everything else.

Set Up UOMs for Cases

If you receive or sell products by the case, create UOM packages to track case-level inventory.

Troubleshooting

SKU Already Exists Error

Problem: Error message “SKU already exists” when trying to create a product.

Solution:

1. Search for the Existing SKU

   Go to Catalog Overview and search for the SKU.

2. Check if It’s Your Product

   • If yes: Edit the existing product instead of creating a new one
   • If no: Choose a different, unique SKU

3. Check for Typos

   Ensure there are no extra spaces or different capitalization.

4. Check Synsets and Aliases

   The SKU might exist as an alias or within a synset.

Cannot Save - Validation Errors

Problem: Save button doesn’t work or shows validation errors.

Solution:

1. Check Required Fields

   Ensure SKU, Description, and Distribution Center are filled out.

2. Verify Field Formats

   • SKU: Only allowed characters
   • Weight: Must be greater than 0
   • Dimensions: Must be 0 or greater

3. Clear Invalid Characters

   Remove any special characters that aren’t allowed.

4. Scroll to Error Messages

   Red error messages appear next to invalid fields.

Images Not Uploading

Problem: Product images won’t upload or save.

Solution:

1. Check Image Format

   Supported formats: JPG, PNG, GIF. Try converting to JPG if using another format.

2. Reduce Image Size

   Large images (>5MB) may fail. Resize images to under 2MB.

3. Save Product First

   You cannot upload images until the product is saved and has a Product ID.

4. Check Browser Console

   Open developer tools (F12) and check for error messages.

UOM Not Saving or Hierarchy Issues

Problem: Unit of Measure packages won’t save or drag-and-drop doesn’t work.

Solution:

1. Fill Out Required Fields First

   Unit Factor and Name are required before saving.

2. Check Unit Factor Multiplier

   When nesting UOMs, ensure the parent’s Unit Factor is a multiple of the child’s (e.g., case of 12, pallet of 48).

3. Save Before Dragging

   Save new UOMs with the checkmark icon before trying to drag and nest them.

4. Reload if Stuck

   If the treegrid is unresponsive, refresh the page and try again.

Related Features

Recommended Next Steps:

• Catalog Overview - View and manage all your products
• Product Management - Export products to CSV/Excel
• Product Classes - Organize products into classes
• Product Attributes - Add custom attributes to products

Advanced Features:

• Product Families - Create product bundles and kits (synsets)
• Distribution Centers - Manage inventory across multiple locations
• Suppliers - Assign products to suppliers for dropshipping

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For bulk product imports, use the “Import Products” feature from the Catalog Overview toolbar. This allows you to create hundreds or thousands of products at once via CSV upload.